MPC Corporation
Encyclopedia
MPC Corporation was a United States
computer-hardware
company based in Nampa
, Idaho
, USA, best known for providing desktops
, notebooks
, servers
and services to customers in the federal
, state
and local
government
, education
, small
and medium business
, and consumer
markets. Before June 2001, MPC Corporation was known as Micron Electronics Inc., a subsidiary of Boise, Idaho
-based semiconductor
manufacturer Micron Technology
.
MPC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
on November 7, 2008, three days after their common stock was delisted from the NYSE Alternext U.S. exchange (formerly the American Stock Exchange
). On December 31, 2008, MPC notified the Idaho Department of Labor that its efforts to reorganize had failed and the company would cease operations.
, Micron Computer, and Micron Custom Manufacturing. From 1995 to 2001, Micron Electronics Inc. sold consumer and business computers under the names Micron, MicronPC, and MicronPC.com. The acquisition of HostPro (Web.com
) in 1999 under CEO Joel Kocher
brought the firm into the web hosting space. In June 2001, in an all-stock
deal, Gores Technology Group acquired the MicronPC business from Micron Technology. In December 2002, the company changed its name from MicronPC to MPC Computers.
In July 2005, application acceleration provider HyperSpace Communications Inc. merged with MPC Computers in a stock-swap deal. Because HyperSpace became a public company in 2004, MPC Computers was able to avoid the rigorous process of becoming a public company. MPC Corporation was listed on the NYSE Alternext US LLC exchange (formerly the American Stock and Options Exchange
) as ticker symbol
MPZ until being delisted. In January 2007, HyperSpace Communications Inc. changed its name to MPC Corporation. In September 2007, MPC Corporation announced that it had signed an agreement to acquire Gateway, Inc.'s Professional Services Unit business line for approximately $90 million.
In early May 2008, the AMEX notified MPC that it was not in compliance with AMEX regulations because the company's stockholder equity had fallen below $2 million and that MPC had sustained losses from continuing operations or net losses in two of its three most recent fiscal years. MPC responded to that notice by filing a plan to achieve compliance which AMEX accepted June 27, 2008, giving MPC until Nov. 9, 2009 to bring itself back to viability under AMEX rules. However, in October 2008 the exchange (which changed its name to NYSE Alternext at the beginning of that month) notified MPC that MPC was not making progress consistent with its submitted plan and said that the plan no longer demonstrated the company's ability to regain compliance with exchange regulations. Exchange officials also concluded that MPC was not compliant with other standards related to the company's overall financial condition and ability to continue operations, its low stock share price and the decline of its market capitalization.
In early November 2008, MPC filed a petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. In a press release announcing the filing, CEO John Yeros said issues surrounding the integration of the former Gateway unit along with problems with their "manufacturing partner" contributed to extensive losses. When it gave its shutdown notice to the Idaho Department of Labor, MPC noted that a substantial portion of its sales force resigned without notice between Dec. 4 and Dec. 12, which it said made it impossible to continue viable business operations. It also said that efforts to reorganize under Chapter 11 were unsuccessful and announced it would lay off 147 employees immediately, keeping the remaining 51 employees only to wind down operations. It provided no advance notice of the layoff because "the decision to cease all business operations and liquidate the company was not reached until just prior to notice" and "advance notice of a possible layoff would have precluded its ability to obtain financing to allow the company to avoid a shutdown."
bowl game
played at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida
. In 2000, the bowl was renamed the MicronPC.com Bowl to emphasize the company's Internet
presence.
From 2004 to 2006
, MPC Computers sponsored the MPC Computers Bowl, a post-season NCAA Division I college football
bowl game
played annually at Bronco Stadium
on the campus of Boise State University
in Boise
, ID
. This bowl game is now called the Humanitarian Bowl.
Former parent company Micron Technology also sponsored the Humanitarian Bowl (at the time named the Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl) from 1999 through 2002.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
computer-hardware
Computer hardware
Personal computer hardware are component devices which are typically installed into or peripheral to a computer case to create a personal computer upon which system software is installed including a firmware interface such as a BIOS and an operating system which supports application software that...
company based in Nampa
Nampa, Idaho
Nampa is the largest and the fastest growing city in Canyon County, Idaho, USA. The population of Nampa was 81,557 at the 2010 census. Nampa is located about west of Boise along Interstate 84, and six miles west of Meridian. Nampa is part of the Boise metropolitan area...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, USA, best known for providing desktops
Desktop computer
A desktop computer is a personal computer in a form intended for regular use at a single location, as opposed to a mobile laptop or portable computer. Early desktop computers are designed to lay flat on the desk, while modern towers stand upright...
, notebooks
Laptop
A laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device and speakers into a single unit...
, servers
Server (computing)
In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
and services to customers in the federal
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
, state
State government
A state government is the government of a subnational entity in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonomy, or be subject to the direct control of the federal government...
and local
Local government in the United States
Local government in the United States is generally structured in accordance with the laws of the various individual states. Typically each state has at least two separate tiers: counties and municipalities. Some states have their counties divided into townships...
government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
, education
Education in the United States
Education in the United States is mainly provided by the public sector, with control and funding coming from three levels: federal, state, and local. Child education is compulsory.Public education is universally available...
, small
Small business
A small business is a business that is privately owned and operated, with a small number of employees and relatively low volume of sales. Small businesses are normally privately owned corporations, partnerships, or sole proprietorships...
and medium business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
, and consumer
Consumer
Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...
markets. Before June 2001, MPC Corporation was known as Micron Electronics Inc., a subsidiary of Boise, Idaho
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
-based semiconductor
Semiconductor
A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity due to electron flow intermediate in magnitude between that of a conductor and an insulator. This means a conductivity roughly in the range of 103 to 10−8 siemens per centimeter...
manufacturer Micron Technology
Micron Technology
Micron Technology, Inc. is an American multinational corporation based in Boise, Idaho, USA, best known for producing many forms of semiconductor devices. This includes DRAM, SDRAM, flash memory, SSD and CMOS image sensing chips. Consumers may be more familiar with its consumer brand Crucial...
.
MPC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 11 is a chapter of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is available to every business, whether organized as a corporation or sole proprietorship, and to individuals, although it is most...
on November 7, 2008, three days after their common stock was delisted from the NYSE Alternext U.S. exchange (formerly the American Stock Exchange
American Stock Exchange
NYSE Amex Equities, formerly known as the American Stock Exchange is an American stock exchange situated in New York. AMEX was a mutual organization, owned by its members. Until 1953, it was known as the New York Curb Exchange. On January 17, 2008, NYSE Euronext announced it would acquire the...
). On December 31, 2008, MPC notified the Idaho Department of Labor that its efforts to reorganize had failed and the company would cease operations.
History
MPC Computers (originally named Micron Electronics Inc.) was founded privately in Nampa, Idaho, in 1995 through a merger of ZEOS InternationalZeos
ZEOS [ZEOS International, Ltd.] is a PC manufacturer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Originally based in New Brighton, Minnesota and founded by Gregory E. Herrick, the company incorporated in Minnesota in 1981. Prior to manufacturing PCs, the company was called NPC Electronics. NPC was a contract...
, Micron Computer, and Micron Custom Manufacturing. From 1995 to 2001, Micron Electronics Inc. sold consumer and business computers under the names Micron, MicronPC, and MicronPC.com. The acquisition of HostPro (Web.com
Web.com
Web.com, Inc , formerly Interland , was a provider of websites and web services to small businesses and consumers, based in Atlanta, Georgia. Web.com's services included do-it-yourself and professional website design, web hosting, e-commerce, web marketing, and e-mail...
) in 1999 under CEO Joel Kocher
Joel Kocher
Joel Kocher is an American businessman.He was an employee of Dell for seven years, and eventually became Dell's #2 executive behind Michael Dell, President of Worldwide Marketing, Sales and Service. He developed Dell's initial commercial and government strategy and execution...
brought the firm into the web hosting space. In June 2001, in an all-stock
Stock
The capital stock of a business entity represents the original capital paid into or invested in the business by its founders. It serves as a security for the creditors of a business since it cannot be withdrawn to the detriment of the creditors...
deal, Gores Technology Group acquired the MicronPC business from Micron Technology. In December 2002, the company changed its name from MicronPC to MPC Computers.
In July 2005, application acceleration provider HyperSpace Communications Inc. merged with MPC Computers in a stock-swap deal. Because HyperSpace became a public company in 2004, MPC Computers was able to avoid the rigorous process of becoming a public company. MPC Corporation was listed on the NYSE Alternext US LLC exchange (formerly the American Stock and Options Exchange
American Stock Exchange
NYSE Amex Equities, formerly known as the American Stock Exchange is an American stock exchange situated in New York. AMEX was a mutual organization, owned by its members. Until 1953, it was known as the New York Curb Exchange. On January 17, 2008, NYSE Euronext announced it would acquire the...
) as ticker symbol
Ticker symbol
A stock symbol or ticker symbol is a short abbreviation used to uniquely identify publicly traded shares of a particular stock on a particular stock market. A stock symbol may consist of letters, numbers or a combination of both. "Ticker symbol" refers to the symbols that were printed on the ticker...
MPZ until being delisted. In January 2007, HyperSpace Communications Inc. changed its name to MPC Corporation. In September 2007, MPC Corporation announced that it had signed an agreement to acquire Gateway, Inc.'s Professional Services Unit business line for approximately $90 million.
In early May 2008, the AMEX notified MPC that it was not in compliance with AMEX regulations because the company's stockholder equity had fallen below $2 million and that MPC had sustained losses from continuing operations or net losses in two of its three most recent fiscal years. MPC responded to that notice by filing a plan to achieve compliance which AMEX accepted June 27, 2008, giving MPC until Nov. 9, 2009 to bring itself back to viability under AMEX rules. However, in October 2008 the exchange (which changed its name to NYSE Alternext at the beginning of that month) notified MPC that MPC was not making progress consistent with its submitted plan and said that the plan no longer demonstrated the company's ability to regain compliance with exchange regulations. Exchange officials also concluded that MPC was not compliant with other standards related to the company's overall financial condition and ability to continue operations, its low stock share price and the decline of its market capitalization.
In early November 2008, MPC filed a petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware. In a press release announcing the filing, CEO John Yeros said issues surrounding the integration of the former Gateway unit along with problems with their "manufacturing partner" contributed to extensive losses. When it gave its shutdown notice to the Idaho Department of Labor, MPC noted that a substantial portion of its sales force resigned without notice between Dec. 4 and Dec. 12, which it said made it impossible to continue viable business operations. It also said that efforts to reorganize under Chapter 11 were unsuccessful and announced it would lay off 147 employees immediately, keeping the remaining 51 employees only to wind down operations. It provided no advance notice of the layoff because "the decision to cease all business operations and liquidate the company was not reached until just prior to notice" and "advance notice of a possible layoff would have precluded its ability to obtain financing to allow the company to avoid a shutdown."
Bowl sponsorship
From 1998 through 2000, MicronPC sponsored the MicronPC Bowl, a post-season NCAA Division I college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
played at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. In 2000, the bowl was renamed the MicronPC.com Bowl to emphasize the company's Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
presence.
From 2004 to 2006
2006 MPC Computers Bowl
The 2006 MPC Computers Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game held on December 31, 2006 at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho. The game featured tie-ins between the Atlantic Coast Conference , which was represented by the Miami Hurricanes, and the Western Athletic Conference , represented by...
, MPC Computers sponsored the MPC Computers Bowl, a post-season NCAA Division I college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
played annually at Bronco Stadium
Bronco Stadium
Bronco Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Boise, Idaho, the home field of the Boise State Broncos of the Mountain West Conference. Since 1997, it has hosted the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Bronco Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in Boise, Idaho, the home field of the Boise State Broncos...
on the campus of Boise State University
Boise State University
Boise State University is a public university located in Boise, Idaho. Originally founded in 1932 as a junior college by the Episcopal Church, the university became an independent institution in 1934, and has been awarding baccalaureate and master degrees since 1965...
in Boise
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
, ID
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. This bowl game is now called the Humanitarian Bowl.
Former parent company Micron Technology also sponsored the Humanitarian Bowl (at the time named the Crucial.com Humanitarian Bowl) from 1999 through 2002.
External links
- MPC & Gateway Pro Support and Download Site (This is the new "official" support site for MPC and Gateway Pro computer systems. Privately owned, with free downloads, restore disks, driver disk sets, and tech info.)
- MPC & Gateway Pro Community Support Forum (A Volunteer support Community for former MPC Computer and Gateway Pro Customers. Not affiliated with MPC or Gateway.)