Company History

FirstTech has been selling personal computers since 1977, one of the first businesses in the country to do so. However, our history goes back much farther. We trace our history back to 1941 and a radio repair company called Z Radio, founded by Maury and Betty Zuckman. This business was interrupted by WWII, but resumed after the war was over. In 1949 Maury went to work with Electronic Distributing Company, selling radio and television parts to repair dealers. Maury owned his own business, buying from Electronic Distributing Company, and selling to dealers from his step-van truck. Others joined the Electronic Distributing Company's organization working the same way in other cities and markets. Each or these sales entities were called Electronics Associates, and were given numbers according to the order in which they joined. Maury & Betty's store was Electronics Associate #1.

As the electronics business grew, the Associates took on finished goods: radios, televisions, phonographs and, later on audio and video, two-way radio, antenna systems and more. As the need for space to display these products grew, Maury and Betty opened their first store on Chicago Avenue near Lake Street in Minneapolis in 1955.

As the organization grew more and more retail oriented, it was decided that an easier to remember name was needed. In 1956 Electronic Distributing became Team Central. The Electronics Associates became Team Electronics, a group of specialty stores carrying a wide variety of consumer and commercial electronics.

We continued to grow with the help of Maury and Betty's sons. Arnie joined the company full-time in 1965, Rick in 1966, and Harvey in 1974. Team Electronics #1 moved to our present location at 2640 Hennepin Avenue in 1967 and continued to grow. In 1977 we added a new kind of product, a personal computer from a new company named Apple Computer. After a slow start, this product began to grow very fast, and by 1984 had taken over the majority of our sales.

In 1985, we disassociated from Team and changed our name to FirstTech. In 1987, we discontinued the other consumer electronic items and began to concentrate our efforts on computers. Since then we have continued to grow in the computer industry. Throughout our history we have maintained many of the qualities that have sustained us through the years. Knowledge, professionalism, integrity and quality are some of the cornerstones we have built our company on.

Today, with more than 65 people in the company, FirstTech is regarded as one of the top computer dealerships in the country, emphasizing quality sales, service, training and support and we have now been an Apple computer reseller for over 30 years.

FirstTech in the News We at FirstTech have been fortunate to have a number of articles written about us in various publications. Below are a few.

1. Loyal to the Core, Minneapolis Star Tribune, October 22, 2007