Data Documents Inc. (1968-1974)

Data Documents Inc. was the successor to the Remington Rand and the UNIVAC division of Sperry Rand Company, having purchased the business from the latter in 1967. The company specialized in manufacturing punch cards for the data processing and computer industries, business forms, and pressure- sensitive labels. Data Documents also distributed magnetic tape, computer ribbons and disk packs.

As with its predecessors, the business operated from the former Baker-Vawter Company building at 686 Main Street.

Data Documents was founded in 1958 and was headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. The company had offices in several major cities west of the Mississippi River. The company continued to report growing profits into the late 1960s. 

In 1967, Data Documents purchased the real estate held by Sperry-Rand through its merger with Remington Rand. The two Rand companies had owned the real estate since 1927. 

In 1970, employees at the Holyoke plant organized a strike for higher wages, seniority rights, and other benefits. The strike lasted 7 weeks, and the new contract included pay raises, medical benefits, increased pension and enhanced vacation benefits. Seniority benefits were restored.

Data Documents reported record sales, profits and increased stock value for the year ended June 30, 1973. In March 1974, Data Documents sold its Holyoke real estate at 686 Main Street to Pratt and Austin. Initially, Data Documents Inc. was to remain as a tenant on the first floor of the building. However, there was no further information about the company in Holyoke after June 1974.

Citations:

Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates and pages are shown.

Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee, Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories

UNIVAC (1957-1971)

Although the Remington Rand division of the Sperry Rand Company moved from Holyoke in late August, 1960, the UNIVAC division continued to operate at 686 Main Street in Holyoke. At the time, there were 35 workers at the plant.

UNIVAC, a pioneering company in the computer field, is an acronym for Universal Automatic Computer. Although no date was found for the UNIVAC division starting operations at the Remington Rand plant, the time period would be 1955 to 1960. When Remington relocated from Holyoke in 1960, the news indicated that 35 workers manufacturing automatic tabulator cards for UNIVAC computers would remain.

In 1967, the home office of UNIVAC’s Card and Tape division was moved from a Philadelphia suburb to Holyoke. The tape processing division located in Utica, New York, was also moved to Holyoke. The proximity to air freight transportation from Bradley Airport, Holyoke’s workforce, and key customers throughout New England was a key factor in the home office relocation. Space was also available, facilitating the move to centralize operations.

2,000 square feet would be added for shipping and receiving, and the third floor of the factory building would be remodeled for office use. Ciolek Construction Company of South Hadley was the general contractor for the projects.

In October 1967, it was announced that UNIVAC’s Holyoke division would soon be sold to Data Documents Inc. of Omaha, Nebraska. 

In 1971, UNIVAC transferred its remaining Holyoke division, the System Programming Library Service, to King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, to be closer to its headquarters in Bluebell, PA. 13 jobs were impacted by the move.

The final chapter of this three-part series focuses on the Holyoke history of Data Documents Inc.

Citations:

Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; publication dates and pages are shown.

Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee, Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories