Centronics

Centronics Data Computer Corporation
Company type	Public
Industry	Computer printers
Founded	1971; 55 years ago in Hudson, New Hampshire, United States
Founder	Robert Howard, Samuel Lang
Defunct	1987
Fate	Printer division sold to GENICOM; company renamed Ekco Group, Inc.
Headquarters	Hudson, United States
Key people	Robert Howard (president and chairman), Samuel Lang (vice president), Max Hugel (executive vice president)
Products	Dot matrix impact printers, band printers, serial matrix printers, laser printer (PagePrinter 8)
Parent	Control Data Corporation (1982–1986)

Centronics Data Computer Corporation was a U.S.-based producer of computer printers, widely recognized for pioneering the parallel interface and the Centronics connector.

Origins

Centronics originated as a division within Wang Laboratories, established by Robert Howard (president) and Samuel Lang (vice president). The initial focus was on remote terminals and casino systems, with printer development aimed at producing receipts and transaction documentation. In 1971, Wang Laboratories separated Centronics into an independent company located in Hudson, New Hampshire, appointing Howard as president and chairman.

The Centronics Model 101 made its debut at the 1970 National Computer Conference, showcasing a novel seven-wire solenoid impact print head. This innovation resulted in the first broadly adopted dot matrix impact printer, following the earlier introduction of the OKI Wiredot in 1968.

Howard forged a strategic alliance with Max Hugel of Brother International, a manufacturer of dependable printer mechanisms based in Japan. Centronics handled print head and electronic component production in New Hampshire and Ireland, while final assembly took place domestically. Hugel later assumed the role of executive vice president at Centronics.

During the 1970s, Centronics partnered with Canon to explore non-impact printing technologies; although no commercial products emerged from this collaboration, Canon independently advanced laser printing technology.

In 1977, Centronics initiated patent litigation against competitor Mannesmann AG concerning print actuator technology.

A major OEM agreement with Tandy began in 1975, resulting in the production of DMP and LP series printers. The company introduced the 6000 series band printers in 1978. By 1979, Centronics' revenue surpassed $100 million.

The 1980 launch of the Mini-Printer Model 770—a cost-effective desktop serial matrix printer fully manufactured internally—was hindered by microprocessor defects that paused production for a year. This interruption allowed rivals such as Epson and Brother to capture market share, from which Centronics never fully rebounded. That same year saw the release of the E Series 900 and 1200 LPM band printers.

Ownership transitions

In 1982, Control Data Corporation merged its printer division, CPI, into Centronics and invested $25 million, obtaining controlling interest from Howard. Between 1980 and 1985, Centronics experienced losses totaling $80 million.

Control Data retained ownership until 1986 when an investor group affiliated with Drexel Burnham Lambert purchased CDC's stake. In 1987, Centronics repurchased the Drexel interest.

Notable product introductions included the LineWriter 400 band printer in 1983 and its faster successor, the LineWriter 800, in 1984; this series continued production until 1995. The GLP (Great Little Printer) line of low-end serial matrix printers was launched in 1984.

Centronics sustained its partnership with Brother by rebranding several PrintStation models. It acquired exclusive marketing rights for Trilog color matrix printers in 1984 and purchased Trilog outright in 1985. Expansion continued in 1986 with acquisitions of Advanced Terminals (specializing in sheet feeders) and BDS Computer Australia Pty Ltd.

The PrintStation 350 series serial matrix printer achieved significant success in the OEM sector, being marketed under brands such as Data General, ITT Courier, NCR, CDC, Decision Data, and ISI. The most lucrative contract involved manufacturing the IBM 4214 printer based on a modified PS350 design. In 1985, Centronics reported revenues of $126 million, with $65 million generated from IBM 4214 production; revenues declined after IBM ceased production in 1986.

On June 23, 1986, Centronics introduced a new corporate logo that saw limited usage before the company's sale to GENICOM, which reinstated the previous logo for ongoing sales.

Centronics’ only laser printer model, the PagePrinter 8, was launched in July 1986 featuring a Sharp engine paired with a Motorola 6800-based controller co-developed alongside Sharp. Priced at $2,495—$500 less than the HP LaserJet—a faster version was announced but never brought to market.

Divestiture of Printer Operations

In 1987, Centronics divested its printer manufacturing division to GENICOM in a transaction valued at $87 million. Despite this sale, Centronics Data Computer Corporation continued to be traded on the New York Stock Exchange and adopted the name Centronics Corporation later that same year. Leveraging the capital from this transaction, Centronics proceeded to acquire Ekco Housewares in 1988 for $125 million and subsequently rebranded itself as Ekco Group, Inc.

Centronics 101

The Centronics 101, launched in 1970, was a groundbreaking and cost-effective impact printer. Its principal features included:

Printing speed: 165 characters per second
Mass: 118 pounds (53.5 kg)
Size: 27½" wide x 11¼" high x 19¼" deep (approximately 70 cm x 29 cm x 49 cm)
Shipping weight: about 200 pounds (91 kg), secured within a wooden crate
Character repertoire: 62 characters (comprising 10 digits, 26 uppercase letters, and 26 special symbols; no lowercase letters)
Character density: 10 characters per inch
Line pitch: 6 lines per inch
Vertical positioning control: punched tape reader for form alignment
Paper capacity: original document plus four carbon copies
Connectivity options: standard Centronics parallel interface, with an optional RS-232 serial port

Enduring Impact

The parallel interface connectors first introduced on the Centronics 101 evolved into the widely recognized "Centronics connector," which became a standard component on the printer end of parallel cable connections in computer hardware.

External links

Centronics data sheets