Seagull Scientific Company Overview and History
How It All Got Started
Seagull Scientific started in 1985 as a manufacturer and distributor of barcode
reading equipment for IBM and compatible personal computers. We developed and began
selling our first label software product, "The Bar Tender for DOS," in 1987. Originally
marketed as a companion product to our hardware, it was clear by the early 1990s
that software represented our biggest opportunity for growth.
In 1993, we launched the Windows® version of BarTender and, in 1994,
the world's first "true" Windows drivers for the industry’s major brands of label
printers. By 1995, our software sales surpassed our hardware sales for the first
time and we were on our way!
An International Success
To best take advantage of a growing international economy, our software is translated
into more than 20 languages. In 1999, we opened our first overseas office, now located
in Madrid, Spain. In 2003, we opened our first Asia office (in Taiwan), followed
by another one in Tokyo in 2005. We also have small branch offices in Finland, Germany
and the United Kingdom. Our software is sold by over a thousand resellers in more
than 85 countries!
Where We Are Today
Our award-winning BarTender label software has long been recognized around the world
by users, resellers and printer manufacturers for its speed, reliability, flexibility
and ease-of-use. And, with the industry’s most powerful features for integration
with other software and the continued growth of our RFID functionality, we are expanding
into more and more high-growth industries all the time. We also continue to be the
world's largest developers of true Windows drivers for thermal printers. (A number
of the most successful manufacturers of industrial label printers ship our Windows
drivers in the box with their printers.)
Our Good Financial Health
We have achieved our growth by reinvesting real profits from the sale of real products
-- not by getting loans from banks that don't understand our industry or
the "help" of venture capitalists ready to force short-term decisions. Without debt
weighing us down, we have not only been strong when the economy has been healthy,
but we've been surprisingly healthy during economic slowdowns as well. In fact,
Seagull Scientific has never once in its 25-year history had to "downsize."
Just a year after one of the most difficult economic periods the United States has
ever encountered, 2010 was a record year for us. 2011 was even better, resulting
in combined two-year growth of more than 50%!