GRiD Systems Announces Major Expansion in Europe
FREMONT, Calif. — October 9, 1990 — GRiD Systems Corp. Tuesday announced a major expansion of its European sales and support organization, increasing its number of offices from two to 10 and expanding its ability to sell laptop, desktop and pen-based computers in all European countries.
GRiD president Alan Lefkof said: ''This expansion significantly strengthens our position prior to the unification of the European market after 1992.
''This expansion represents huge potential for GRiD. The European microcomputer market is larger than the U.S. and Canadian markets combined and constitutes the fastest growing market for the worldwide microcomputer industry,'' Lefkof said.
GRiD has combined its sales and support organizations with its sister companies, Victor Microcomputer and Micronic.
Tandy Corp., GRiD's parent company, last year acquired Victor and Micronic, both based in Stockholm, Sweden. Victor is a leading supplier of desktop personal computers in Europe while Micronic has a large share of the handheld computer market. Both are part of the Victor Technologies Group.
A new Systems Sales Division of Victor Technologies Group has been established to manage the expanded GRiD operations.
Paige Hiatt, currently director of GRiD's European operations, has been named vice president of the Systems Sales Division.
Juergen Krueper, currently director of GRiD customer support in Europe, has been named vice president of support for the systems division. Krueper, who will head GRiD's new pan-European service and support programs, is establishing a network of service centers in Europe.
The division will include the direct sales forces of GRiD, Victor and Micronic and will operate in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden and Denmark. GRiD previously had sales offices in the United Kingdom and Germany.
''This expanded GRiD organization,'' explained Lefkof, ''will greatly benefit European and multi-national companies. Many of our multi-national customers in North America are implementing field automation projects in Europe, especially after the success they have experienced here.
There is considerable synergy between GRiD and Micronic because both companies have the same strategy — providing field automation solutions directly to large commercial and governmental accounts.
''GRiD customers will be able to get the same products, service and support across Europe that they now enjoy in North America,'' Lefkof said.
Louis Jouanny, GRiD's manager of international marketing, noted that the expansion comes at an opportune time: ''We have an entirely new product line including a notebook laptop (Model 1810) with removable hard drive, the revolutionary GRiDPAD computer that accepts printed handwriting data input, the 1450sx — the lightest 386SX, battery-powered laptop computer on the market — and the GRiDCASE 1550SX, the first PC-compatible laptop with a built-in pointing device designed for Windows 3.0 and other graphical software.''
He added that GRiD will continue selling through its existing value added resellers and OEM's throughout Europe including Norway, France, Switzerland, Holland, Italy, Denmark and Sweden.
GRiD also has distributors and OEM's in Israel, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
GRiD manufactures and markets laptop, pen-and-display and desktop computers, electronic mail and networking systems. GRiD, which has a worldwide direct sales and support organization, demonstrates products at 50 GRiD Systems Centers and sells products through application specific value added resellers.
GRiD is located at 47211 Lakeview Blvd., Fremont Calif. 94538. GRiD also has offices in Canada, The United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Sweden, France, Switzerland, Belgium and Denmark.
GRiD is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tandy Corp., Fort Worth, Texas. Tandy is a leading manufacturer and distributor of consumer electronics and computers. A New York Stock Exchange company, Tandy has sales in excess of $4 billion annually.
GRiDPAD is a registered trademark of GRiD Systems Corp.
GRiDCASE is a registered trademark of GRiD Systems Corp. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp.
CONTACT:
GRiD Systems Corp., Fremont
Bob Goligoski, 415/656-4700