Personal computing arrives in Argentina: Computer manufacturing at the Czerweny company (1982-1988)

Abstract

Founded in 1941 in Gálvez, Santa Fe, the Czerweny company specialized in the manufacture of electric motors for various uses. In the mid-1970s, two employees of the local subsidiary of the American company IBM, for which Czerweny was a supplier, joined the Santa Fe firm with the intention of manufacturing calculators through a new company: Czerweny Electrónica. Although they managed to launch a series of products on the local market, the venture closed following the radical change in economic policy that occurred with the civil-military dictatorship beginning in 1976. After having continued with the company as a supplier to IBM for new projects and venturing into the industrial control segment, in 1982 Czerweny began contact with the British firm Sinclair, which was beginning to stand out in Europe in an booming segment of computing: personal computers. The strategy of Czerweny's Electronics Division began with the importation of computers from Portugal and progressed to the local integration of components, the manufacture of production machinery, and the production of various machines based in Sinclair models but with specific adaptations for the local market. During 1984 and 1985, Czerweny produced approximately 4,000 machines per month under its CZ brand at its plant in Paraná, Entre Ríos, on a production line that also produced circuit boards and parts for IBM Argentina. In 1986, a fire at the plant caused the loss not only of inputs but also serious damage to the production machinery. From then on, the company continued with limited operation and the plant closed shortly thereafter. This research project aims to explore the conditions that allowed for the emergence CzerwenyElectrónica during the period in question, the manufacturing and adaptation strategies for their products, and the role played by public policies in this sector. Additionally, the company's strategy for promoting and marketing a personal computer in Argentina is described, based on the firm's documentation on its interaction with their customers and potential users.