Today Marco is a industry leading technology company, but we began as a small typewriter dealer. The Typewriter Shop was founded in 1930, by M.J. Dabol, and became the St. Cloud based company, Marco Business Products, Inc. in 1973. It was purchased by Gary Marsden and Dave Marquardt, former IBM sales managers. The name Marco came from the first three letters of their last names.

As the industry and technology changed, so did Marco. Marco’s commitment to provide the technology businesses need to be successful required remaining ahead of the market and adapting to industry and technology innovations. See how Marco and technology has evolved in this infographic. 

Notable Moments in Technology’s History

1867: Remington Typewriter Revolutionizes Business Document Creation

Prior to the invention of the typewriter, everything was hand written – from personal letters to official business documentation. In an article published on Smithsonianeducation.org, “The typewriter, by reducing the time and expense involved in creating documents, encouraged the spread of systematic management. It allowed a system of communications that shaped the business world.”

The typewriter, and its capabilities and the value it provided to businesses, was the foundation of The Typewriter Shop.

1975: The Network is Born

Ethernet technology was introduced, allowing local networks to be built and information to be shared digitally.

1983: Time Magazine names the computer “Machine of the Year”

The computer is recognized for it’s impact on our world by Time Magazine.

Interestingly enough, “The PC remains TIME’s first and only Machine of the Year — the only man-made object to be named the year’s top newsmaker.” This was written in an article, also published in TIME, but 30 years later. The author also pointed out that today we still use the PC for many of the same functions. He wrote, “Most of the things we do with PCs, tablets and phones in 2013 are in there: e-mail, games, word processing, learning, personal finance, music and cloud services. (O.K., in the 1980s, they weren’t called cloud services — they were known as “mainframes.”)”

1985 - 1986: Computer Networking & Voice Communication Division are Established

Technology is changing the way everyone does business. In 1985, Marco established their computer networking and voice communication divisions to better support growing technology trends. The time came to expand from offering typewriters, personal computers and simple word processors. 

1997: WLAN Standard is Established

The first wireless local area network standard is established with rates of 1 and 2 Mbps. This technology required a new approach to infrastructure and provided business its first glimpse into mobility.

2002: Audio/Video and Video Surveillance Divisions are Established

Expanding on voice, data and print technology, Marco adds audio/video systems and surveillance products to their services. Marco’s core areas of expertise are now defined as Voice, Data, Video and Print.

2008: Marco Introduces Managed Print and IT Services

Managed services create an entirely new, cost effective alternative for managing technology within organizations.

2008: Cloud Computing Transforms IT Services

Cloud computing solutions enabled new approaches to business IT services. Benefits such as increased storage, scalability, flexibility and cost reductions became widely available to organizations of all sizes.

2014: 40 Offices in 6 States with Over 830 Employees

From 12 employees in 1973 to almost 900 today, Marco’s growth has been substantial. Advancement in both industry trends and business needs have required that we continue to invest in expertise, people and services, allowing us to continue to support the expanding technology needs of our customers.