Carroll Business Systems, Inc.
and Hospitality Management Systems

Carroll Business Systems, Inc. was started in 1919 by Leo W. Carroll, Sr. The company was called Carroll Typewriter Co. and the sales and service of typewriters was the focus of the company. Mr. Carroll, Sr. successfully navigated the small business through the Depression and WWII. His oldest son, Leo W. Carroll, Jr. joined the company after WWII. Leo's younger son, Joe, joined the company in 1955 after graduating from SMSU in Springfield. Carroll Office Machines, as it was known at that time, sold and serviced typewriters and adding machines. Joe felt that a larger opportunity existed in the Cash Register business so in the 1960s, the company began selling mechanical cash registers made by Anker and Sweda. The 1970s ushered in the first electronic cash registers and by the mid 70s Carroll Business Systems, Inc. was installing complex scanning systems in grocery stores and guest check control systems for restaurants. Typewriters and calculators were becoming a smaller and smaller percentage of the business. Mr. Carroll, Sr. retired in 1974 and the two Carroll brothers continued to grow the business. In 1979, Joe Carroll's son Mark joined the company while attending SMSU. Mark graduated in 1983, Joe passed away in 1984 and Leo, Jr. retired in 1985. Consequentially, in a very short period of time only one Carroll managed the family business. This had not been the case since the mid 40's.

The years since 1984 have been the most dynamic, and represent the largest period of growth in the company's long history. Today our average transaction size is larger than the revenue earned in an entire year in the 30's and 40's. CBS has grown both in terms of revenue and geographic presence. In 1995, CBS purchased the MICROS distribution for the Kansas City market and in 1997 acquired the dealership in Omaha, Nebraska. The Kansas and Nebraska markets are handled by a wholly owned subsidiary called HMS, based in Lenexa, KS.

Carroll Business Systems, Inc. and Hospitality Management Systems, now employs nearly 40 well trained and motivated staff, has four offices, and does business over a three state region. Our strategy is to generate and maintain long-term relationships with our customers. Our commitment to total customer satisfaction, which began nearly 87 years ago by Leo, Sr., is still our primary goal today.

01/2006