About
Bell and Howell

Founded in Chicago, IL as a manufacturer of motion picture projectors.

The company begins manufacturing professional tools for motion-pictures.

The first light-weight amateur 8mm debuts.

Albert Williams starts the Inserting & Mailing Machine Company in Tatamy, PA. He patents and produces the first automated mailing machine.

Bell & Howell acquires the Inserting & Mailing Machine Company, as part of its mail processing division. State-of-the-art mail machinery follows, including linerless label and paper wrapping technology.

Bell & Howell partners with Canon, adding still photography to its product lineup.

The Education Group creates Bell and Howell Schools, and purchases a controlling share of DeVry Institute of Technology.

Motion pictures dropped from production.

Bell and Howell acquires Stephens Industry of Lenexa, KS, a manufacturer of mail sorting equipment. Also, marketing begins for the Apple II Plus computer for classroom use with added security elements such as a tamper-proof cover.

Production begins for the first mail inserters to offer computerized weighing, enabling greater postage discounts.

The first sorter equipped with multi-line optical character reader hits the market.

Bell and Howell begins focusing on the information technology business.

Mail processing and scanner subsidiaries are sold, along with the Bell & Howell name to Glencoe Capital. The latter operates under the Bell & Howell name.

Böwe Systec acquires 50 percent of Bell and Howell.

Bowe Bell and Howell acquires Intellitech as the core of its JETVision machine intelligence system and Automated Data Factory.

Bowe Bell and Howell acquires BCC Software.

Bowe Bell + Howell sells scanners business to Kodak. Böwe Systec increases its stake to 100 percent.

Versa Capital acquires Bowe Bell and Howell assets and names new company, Bell and Howell.

Bell and Howell opens subsidiaries in UK & Germany and launches Producer inserter product line.

A new leadership team enters and spins-off BCC software. The same year, Bell and Howell joins Universal Postal Union’s Direct Marketing Advisory Board, and launches ParcelManager and CartonWrap.

High-speed package labelling products launch. A partnership forms with Cleveron for PackRobot sales and service, and the company joins the boards of National Association of Presort Mailers and MTAC.

Bell and Howell acquires Sensible Technologies; sells Sorting Business Unit to Fluence Automation.

Bell and Howell acquires Gunther International and launches two new smart locker solutions, the CleverFlex and QuickCart.