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  • DIGI HALL OF FAME established
  • New products released, DC-250 Series and POS register
  • A bulk order of SM-300s from Shoprite Checker in South Africa
  • DIGI selected by Tesco in U.K. and Poland
  • Sales breakthrough to Casino in Poland
  • SM-300 with DIGINet software installed in India
  • Mail Boxes Etc, the world's largest non-food franchise, chose DIGI
  • Datecs establishes DIGI well in Ukraine


Taka Hattori, International Marketing Manager of Teraoka Seiko Co., Ltd., "God Father of DIGI", announcing the foundation of DIGI Hall of Fame and showing our deep appreciation to three DIGI family members on the first occasion.

  Having worked for Teraoka/DIGI for nearly 30 years, I could have a chance to look back at the history of DIGI's export in those years. Our overseas business has been really expanding in those 30 years. There have been many factors for DIGI's success, but the most important factor should be people. We have been fortunate in having many good people both overseas and within our group companies. Now that we established the DIGI HALL OF FAME, we would like to induct from time to time those people who contributed a lot to our success in the overseas business. We would like to induct at first three persons whose names the late Mr. Takeharu Teraoka always referred to with the utmost thanks whenever he spoke about our overseas business. Those three are, the late Mr. Paul J. Biesta of The Netherlands, Mr. Louis P. Bonapace of the United States and Mr. William W. Wedderburn of Australia.

  Mr. Paul J. Biesta was the first distributor we had overseas in 1967. In the beginning, he started to market our automatic door systems in The Netherlands and at a later time in West Germany. Having a good success in marketing Teraoka automatic door systems, Mr. Biesta founded another company to market our electronic price computing scale in 1974 in The Netherlands.
The Late Mr. Paul J. Biesta, the first distributor Teraoka Seiko Co., Ltd. had overseas in 1967. The business started with the automatic door system and in 1974 the business for the electronic price computing scale began.
Ever since that time, he continued expanding his business with DIGI in the Dutch market. We have been enjoying our business with the World's Number 3 retailer, Ahold, for more than 20 years in 21 countries around the world. Mr. Biesta was the person who opened up our business with Ahold for the first time. I personally learned much about business from him. He taught me just to be honest, reasonable and straight forward in doing any business in any country. He was the person who exercised these principles throughout his business career. Although Mr. Biesta passed away in September 2000, we will never forget his contribution to DIGI.

  Mr. Louis P. Bonapace and Mr. William W. Wedderburn also started to market the model DIGI in 1974 and in 1975. Both of them are still active in business as chairmen. I would refrain from talking a lot about them as we have received messages from them and will introduce these next. One thing I should remember to say is that all three gentlemen are super in their personal character, enthusiasm for business, and gathering trust and respect from almost all people who got to know them, not to mention about their excellent business capacity.

The first awardees, Lou and Bill: both still active in business and contributing to DIGI's strong presence in the USA and Australia

Louis P. Bonapace
  At the age of 55, Lou Bonapace, abandoned his comfortable living working for Hollymatic Corporation and founded a new company, New Brunswick International, with the sole objective of representing and selling DIGI electronic scales. The date was December 1973. Lou was the first and for a time only employee.
Louis P. Bonapace, Chairman of NBI
Teraoka had never sold any scales in the United States. The DIGI name was unknown. In fact the only product available for sale was a bulky, ugly side by side gray scale that could not pass weights and measures approval. From that difficult starting point, Lou has built and guided NBI into one of the top DIGI distributors in the world.
  The relationship began with Takeharu Teraoka, Lou and a very young Kazuharu Teraoka. NBI and Teraoka agreed to establish an exclusive distribution agreement and relationship. NBI would only sell Teraoka retail products and Teraoka would only sell those products through NBI. This was a marriage and the foundation of our mutual business. Like all marriages that last for 30 years there were good times and bad times, but through everything there was always a spirit of cooperation, conciliation, give and take and partnership. The founding spirit that Lou brought to this effort was one of always striving to do better and always remembering that to be successful the relationship had to work to the benefit of both parties.
  Lou began his efforts in the US selling the DIGI Model 4205 scale. This was the first "DIGI" scale sold in the US and established a reputation for accuracy, reliability and longevity. Lou was the only salesman at NBI when the company was founded. Every Friday Lou would fill his big Chrysler station wagon with scales and drive off to a new territory. He would cold call with a new dealer and usually would sell scales. He would cold call on individual stores and sell scales while training his new dealer on how to sell a DIGI scale. If the car still had scales in it at the end of the week, he would sell them to the dealer to establish the dealers inventory. A few years ago NBI ran a contest with our dealers to locate the oldest DIGI scale still in use. We found a Model 4210 still in use after 20 years in a store in Pennsylvania. That is a real testament to the reliability of DIGI and the persistence of Lou as a salesman.
  Since that time there have been many other successes and growth. Introduction of the first DIGI load cell scale, DS60, first direct thermal printer, establishment of label printing company, development of "DIGI Packer" poultry labelling software, scale data computer interface programs, expansion into the automatic wrapper market, "Super Stretch Technology" and establishment of a direct industrial sales force represent a few of the major accomplishments of NBI through the years.
  Lou still is in the office every day and still influences our daily business. The principles of hardwork, team spirit, conservative financial management and above all else the belief that every NBI employee has "DIGI" blood in our veins which Lou established will guide our business into the future. Lou Bonapace has guided the development of the NBI organization. His hand has touched every employee and helped each to reach their potential. However, NBI has grown beyond the dream and effort of one person. The NBI organization is just what Lou always wanted. It is a hardworking knowledgeable team that will carry on down the path that Lou started.
(Reported by John Baumann, President of NBI)


William W. Wedderburn
  I was introduced into the DIGI Family in 1975, at the transition of the weighing industries conversion from mechanical weighing to the far more efficient and accurate electronic weighing system.
  When I was shown Teraoka's Model DS-4285 electronic digital price computing scale, I was simply amazed by its sheer innovative & technical brilliance.
William W. Wedderburn, Chairman of W.W. Wedderburn Pty. Ltd.
  We quickly launched this exciting new model, and it became, overnight, an instant success and market leader. From this starting point, Teraoka now enjoys over 80% market share in retail weighing in Australia and New Zealand.
  Teraoka's dedicated commitment to product development and design has made our task of building DIGI's brand in our markets so much easier.
  Teraoka's well deserved position, as a world leader in retail weighing and printing technology is based on Teraoka's commitment to continuously introduce leading edge, innovative and technologically advanced products.
  Technologically advanced, quality products are vitally important for any business; I think we can all agree on this point... however there is an opposite side to the business equation, and that is the quality of the company's personal relations with its distributors and customers.
  Teraoka's excellent personal relations business culture & philosophy; is a very greatly respected asset and achievement of the Teraoka Company and the DIGI Family.
  No where else in my business experience have I experienced, to the same extent, the great pleasure and excitement of working with Teraoka; it's like being part of one happy, caring family! I have been most privileged & fortunate to have had a wonderful friendship and great respect for Mr. Takeharu Teraoka, Teraoka's Past President, this, fine tradition, is continued and fully supported by President Kazuharu Teraoka & his global management team.
  In our increasing & extremely competitive global market, "DIGI's Family Spirit" is becoming even more relevant, to all of us now, in our daily task of maintaining and expanding DIGI's Global Market Leadership.