1956–1969: Punch cards and the company's first computer
On a trip to the USA in the early 1950s, Göthe Parkander was inspired by automatic data processing and punch cards. Punch cards became Stralfors’ first, but not last, contact with the IT industry.
The machines worked around the clock until they were moved into newly-built premises at Långgatan 3 in the 1960s. 1956 also saw the passing of the company's founder, Thage Strålfors, at the age of 59. That was also the year that Stralfors expanded its sales territory to cover all of Sweden.
In the years that followed, business operations were also established in Norway, Finland, Denmark, the UK and Germany.