Billings Computer

Billings Computer Corporation

Company type	Public
Industry	Computers
Founded	1977 (1977) in Provo, Utah
Founder	Roger Billings
Fate	Dissolution
Divisions	Caldisk

Billings Computer Corporation operated as a publicly held computer enterprise and was a wholly owned subsidiary of Billings Energy Corporation, a now-defunct American energy company located in Provo, Utah that specialized in hydrogen fuel. Active between 1977 and 1985, Billings Computer produced various minicomputer and microcomputer models.

Establishment (1973–1979)

Roger Billings established Billings Computer in early 1977, four years subsequent to the founding of its parent company, Billings Energy Corporation. The parent firm concentrated on hydrogen fuel technologies and served as the foundation for Billings' experimental work; he had received a scholarship to Brigham Young University after winning a 1965 science competition with a hydrogen-powered Ford Model A. Billings Computer quickly expanded beyond the scope of its energy-focused parent, making Roger Billings a millionaire within three years. In March 1980, Billings designed a hydrogen-fueled fuel cell forklift for the USDOS prior to relocating the parent company’s headquarters to Independence, Missouri. Meanwhile, Billings Computer stayed in Provo, employing over 150 workers, down from its peak workforce of 250 in September 1979.

The initial product offering was the Data-Byte System 1, introduced in September 1977. This minicomputer utilized a proprietary design paired with the B-100 dumb terminal. The standard configuration included the CPU with front panel controls, terminal, dual 8-inch floppy drives, and a bidirectional line printer, running its native operating system alongside a Fortran IV compiler. Optional enhancements comprised up to 1 MB of RAM modules, hard disk drives with capacities of 50 and 300 MB, acoustic couplers, higher-speed printers, plotters, and ADC/DAC interface modules. In February 1979, Billings unveiled the Billings Microsystem—an integrated microcomputer powered by a 4 MHz Zilog Z80 processor featuring 64 KB RAM (with 8 KB configurable as either RAM or ROM), dual 5.25-inch floppy drives, and a 94-key keyboard. Its development spanned four months at a cost of US$1 million. By August of that year, sales had reached 100 units.

Expansion (1979–1984)

At the beginning of 1979, Billings Computer announced it would acquire Calcomp's disk drive division for $1.8 million, joining other buyers like Xerox and Sanders Associates who had acquired different Calcomp assets and trademarks. The deal closed in May 1979. Although there were initial plans to relocate Calcomp's disk drive operations from Anaheim, California to Provo, the Anaheim facility remained operational until 1981. This division was renamed Caldisk with Berne D. Broadbent appointed as president.

Despite fiscal losses reported by Billings Energy Corporation in 1978, Billings Computer achieved a net profit of $466,000 on $2.5 million in sales during Q2 1979. To facilitate expansion, the company announced construction of a new 50,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Trenton, Utah dedicated to assembly operations. However, by mid-1980 financial difficulties persisted at Billings Energy leading to significant layoffs within Caldisk amid cash flow problems and supply chain disruptions during the early 1980s economic downturn.

In 1981, Billings launched the BC-12 and BC-12FD all-in-one microcomputers based on the Z80A CPU running the OASIS operating system. May 1982 saw introduction of the modular 6000 series minicomputers offering multiple CPU options with expansion slots and optional peripherals such as video cards and mass storage controllers. Winnebago Industries became an initial customer by purchasing 100 units through Chairman John K. Hanson who later sold his shares in Billings to prevent conflicts of interest.

During this timeframe, Billings also released an upgraded version of their 500 series microcomputers featuring enhanced CRT displays, internal power supplies, and detachable keyboards. These systems came equipped with 56 KB RAM expandable up to 4 MB for mass storage and could be networked with the 6000 series minicomputers functioning as file servers.

This era represented notable growth for Billings Computer driven by strategic acquisitions, product development advances, and increased production capacity despite ongoing financial challenges at the corporate level.

Demise (1984 – c. late 1980s)

In October 1982, Billings Energy, then operating out of Missouri, liquidated $5 million worth of land associated with Billings Computer to alleviate debt and secure minority stakes. The next year, they established a customer training facility in Salt Lake City, Utah. By October 1984, following $500,000 in defaulted loans that led to legal proceedings against management, a group of gas and oil investors removed the existing board of directors, including the company's founder, Roger Billings. The newly appointed board contemplated divesting the computer division but ultimately decided to move its operations to Denver, Colorado, positioning closer to its main client.