Difference between revisions of "Thomas McGourty"
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[[File:General_708.jpg|left|thumb|150px|General model 708 adding machine]] |
[[File:General_708.jpg|left|thumb|150px|General model 708 adding machine]] |
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Prior to WWII Thomas McGourty worked for National Cash Register as a repairman in New York City. After the war, he started an office equipment repair shop in Jamaica NY, then moved to Patchogue, NY. Office equipment was very difficult to obtain at that time so Mr. McGourty became a dealer for General adding machines which was a second tier product. Although fairly well built, the adding machine had a design problem which caused adding errors. |
Prior to WWII Thomas McGourty worked for National Cash Register as a repairman in New York City. After the war, he started an office equipment repair shop in Jamaica NY, then moved to Patchogue, NY. Office equipment was very difficult to obtain at that time so Mr. McGourty became a dealer for General adding machines which was a second tier product. Although fairly well built, the adding machine had a design problem which caused adding errors. Mr. McGourty bought a half dozen of the machines and figured out a way to fix them in his shop. He did a pretty good business selling the machines, and when the General salesman Marty Rogg called again, he was floored when he found that McGourty was ordering more machines to sell, not returning defective ones he couldn't sell. Marty asked Mr. McGourty if he would consider going to Connecticut to fix the machines at the General-Gilbert factory assembly line. In 1955, Mr. McGourty agreed, and for the next couple of years commuted to Winstead Connecticut to manage the manufacturing line. |
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Mr. McGourty rose quickly through the ranks at General-Gilbert. In May, 1960 he was promoted from Technical Director, Adding Machine Division to Assistant Vice President.<ref>The Hartford Courant(Hartford, Connecticut) Tue, March 1, 1960 · Page 14</ref> In March, 1961 he was placed in charge of all production at the Winsted plant.<ref>The Hartford Courant(Hartford, Connecticut) Sun, March 26, 1961 · Page 4</ref> In September, 1962 Mr. McGourty was promoted to the role of Vice President and General Manager at which point he moved his family to Connecticut. It was during this time that he learned about managing a large manufacturing line and through a company training program, he was introduced to the work of theorists such as Deming, Taylor and Mayo. |
Mr. McGourty rose quickly through the ranks at General-Gilbert. In May, 1960 he was promoted from Technical Director, Adding Machine Division to Assistant Vice President.<ref>The Hartford Courant(Hartford, Connecticut) Tue, March 1, 1960 · Page 14</ref> In March, 1961 he was placed in charge of all production at the Winsted plant.<ref>The Hartford Courant(Hartford, Connecticut) Sun, March 26, 1961 · Page 4</ref> In September, 1962 Mr. McGourty was promoted to the role of Vice President and General Manager at which point he moved his family to Connecticut. It was during this time that he learned about managing a large manufacturing line and through a company training program, he was introduced to the work of theorists such as Deming, Taylor and Mayo. |
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Latest revision as of 10:49, 12 September 2020
Prior to joining Commodore
Thomas McGourty was a World War II veteran who has the distinction of having been the youngest Master Sergeant in WWII. He was in charge of the motor pool in the US 8th Army air corps.
Prior to WWII Thomas McGourty worked for National Cash Register as a repairman in New York City. After the war, he started an office equipment repair shop in Jamaica NY, then moved to Patchogue, NY. Office equipment was very difficult to obtain at that time so Mr. McGourty became a dealer for General adding machines which was a second tier product. Although fairly well built, the adding machine had a design problem which caused adding errors. Mr. McGourty bought a half dozen of the machines and figured out a way to fix them in his shop. He did a pretty good business selling the machines, and when the General salesman Marty Rogg called again, he was floored when he found that McGourty was ordering more machines to sell, not returning defective ones he couldn't sell. Marty asked Mr. McGourty if he would consider going to Connecticut to fix the machines at the General-Gilbert factory assembly line. In 1955, Mr. McGourty agreed, and for the next couple of years commuted to Winstead Connecticut to manage the manufacturing line.
Mr. McGourty rose quickly through the ranks at General-Gilbert. In May, 1960 he was promoted from Technical Director, Adding Machine Division to Assistant Vice President.<ref>The Hartford Courant(Hartford, Connecticut) Tue, March 1, 1960 · Page 14</ref> In March, 1961 he was placed in charge of all production at the Winsted plant.<ref>The Hartford Courant(Hartford, Connecticut) Sun, March 26, 1961 · Page 4</ref> In September, 1962 Mr. McGourty was promoted to the role of Vice President and General Manager at which point he moved his family to Connecticut. It was during this time that he learned about managing a large manufacturing line and through a company training program, he was introduced to the work of theorists such as Deming, Taylor and Mayo.
Mr. McGourty resigned from General-Gilbert in May, 1963 after eight years with the company.<ref>The Hartford Courant(Hartford, Connecticut) Thu, May 30, 1963 · Page 11</ref>
Time with Commodore
Shannon, Ireland, 1963
In 1963 Mr. McGourty began working for Commodore at the Commodore Industries, Ltd plant in Shannon, Ireland as the President and General Manager. Mr. McGourty's wife and children moved to Ireland in February, 1964 to join him<ref>The Hartford Courant(Hartford, Connecticut) Sun, Jan 12, 1964 · Page 12</ref>. The Commodore Industries plant in Ireland assembled and manufactured adding machines, primarily for the Commonwealth Market<ref>Commodore Business Machines (Canada) Ltd annual report to shareholders for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1964</ref>.
West Germany, 1965
In May 1965, McGourty was promoted to the role of Vice-President<ref>National Post (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) 29 May 1965, Sat • Page 26</ref>, Manufacturing for Commodore Business Machines (Canada), Ltd and was listed as an officer of the company. It was around this time that McGourty's manufacturing expertise was needed at the Willy Feiler Zahl-Und Rechenwerke GMBH plant in West Germany. McGourty and his family moved from Ireland to West Germany.
United States, Norfolk Connecticut, 1966 - 1967
When Commodore sold the Willy Feiler plant in 1966, McGourty and his family moved back to Norfolk, Connecticut. With Commodore no longer having the means to manufacture their own adding machines, finding an OEM supplier was paramount. It was during this year that Commodore and Ricoh came to an OEM agreement and the model 201 adding machine was released to market.
The model 201 was sold as both a Ricoh product and a Commodore product with the only difference being the branding badge. The model 202 was an exclusive Commodore product also manufactured by Ricoh in Japan, with the case having been designed by Thomas McGourty; a design for which he was awarded US Design Patent 212,979 on December 17, 1968.
United States, Aptos California, 1967
Because of the close OEM relationship Commodore developed with Ricoh in Japan, Thomas McGourty's business trips to Japan became increasingly frequent. In 1967, the McGourty family moved to Aptos, California such that the frequent travel to Japan would be less onerous. Commodore announced in their 1968 annual report to shareholders that "Commodore's research and development division, previously located in Norfolk, Connecticut, was moved to a new location in Aptos, California."<ref>Commodore Business Machines (Canada) Ltd annual report to shareholders for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1968</ref> Commodore's entire R&D department at the time was Thomas McGourty. A parcel of land on Cox Road in Aptos California served as both the personal residence of the McGourty family and Commodore's R&D department.
Time Research and Development Corporation, 1969
In January, 1969 Commodore and Ricoh formed a new company named Time Research and Development Corporation as a joint venture to manage all research and development for Commodore. This joint venture occupied the existing facilities on Cox Road in Aptos California, which resulted in several Ricoh engineers from Japan moving to the Aptos location including some who brought their families with them. Commodore's total investment was $108,000 for a 50% equity share in the new company.
Commodore Educational Systems Ltd, 1971
Commodore Educational Systems Ltd was formed as a Bahamian corporation to develop, manufacture and sell educational devices and materials. Initial development costs for this entity were $41,490.