The business enterprises that Francis Mechner has founded share a foundation of innovative technology. Mechner believes that in a market society, the corporate vehicle is the best way to keep new ideas alive and deliver their benefits to society.
Founded in 1960, sold to Xerox Corporation in 1965, later renamed Learning International, Inc. Principal product: Professional Selling Skills (“PSS”). With Basic Systems as his vehicle, Mechner implemented the first practical applications of programmed instruction in 1960, and devised a technology for the development of large-scale training systems.
Founded in 1960, BSA developed products for Xerox Corporation under contract, and performed contract services for major corporations and governmental agencies in the areas of training systems, manpower development, and new product development.
In 1966 Dr. Mechner and the engineer Eugene Leonard founded SRC now named Chyron Corporation (NY Stock Exchange). SRC developed the Chyron computerized graphics generator used mainly in the broadcast industry and became the dominant company in its industry.
Founded in 1967, Media Medica developed a product line of innovative patient-education materials for use by doctors, clinics, and hospitals. Media Medica no longer exists, but its product line and business concept served as the model for the many companies that subsequently followed in Media Media’s footsteps.
Formed in 1969, TeleSession sold marketing services featuring the use of group telephone conferences designed to accelerate the dissemination of word-of-mouth information for products that have a significant technical component, and to carry out market research.
Founded by Mechner in 1968, UEC provided early childhood development services to parents and their children through innovative “Discovery Centers,” and educational day-care programs to state agencies. The U.S. Department of HEW, in an official program evaluation report, described UEC’s system as “sensitive, complete, sophisticated, and practical.”
In 1974 Dr. Mechner launched EDUTEC, S/L in Sao Paulo, Brazil. EDUTEC carried out major training and manpower development projects for many of Brazil’s largest corporations and government agencies, and was eventually absorbed by one of its largest clients, the Banco Itau.
In 1980 Mechner co-founded General Clutch Corp. (GCC). GCC’s subsidiary Rollease, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets innovative mechanical hardware products for operating window shades and blinds of all types, a niche market in which it became the world leader. In 1997,General Clutch was acquired by GWB, a British financial group.
Formerly a subsidiary of GCC, TorqMaster introduced major advances in the design of precision friction hinges used mainly for positioning the screens of notebook and lap-top portable computers and is the technological leader in the field.
For more information about TorqMaster, please visit the company’s web site.
Founded in 2003 with his son David, and now in partnership with Weeden & Co., Pragma provides a variety of services to the finance industry. Among these are algorithmic trading systems designed to optimize the execution of stock trades, and dark pools designed to optimize the crossing of buy and sell orders.
