Peter Abell

Pete is a retail technology start-up veteran with deep experience in store level technologies and the economics associated with Advertising, Marketing and Promotion (AMP) as well as the bar code and Electronic Shelf Labels.. He is a graduate of the US Naval Academy and MBA credits at U of Chicago and MSEE credit Northeastern University.. He was the project manager for the Poseidon Guidance system the first computer to use integrated circuits (chips) and the same computer guided the Apollo flights. He joined Nuclear Data ESIS the first Electronic cash register system for supermarkets and drug stores which had won the RFP from Jewel Companies VP IT Vernon L. Schatz. Vern is the inventor of the chip on Credit Debit cards and I was the engineer who converted his shift register drawings to chip based upon my Poseidon and ESIS eexperience. Did a board prototype using Intels new 4004 chip which was essentially a 4 bit processor.. Peter was on the Bar Code Technical Committee in 1972 for Jewel Companies and was sent to get Masters credits at University of Chicago night school to do the economics of the bar code for the Harvard run Jewel Companies. Peter was behind the scenes for the UHF RFID standard where Alan Haberman pushed for RFID as Bar code insufficient for size, color, style etc. for clothing, shoes etc and did not to be in visual range. Consulted for WalMart when UHF standard first came out. Told them it would not work for Supply Chain due to water and metal issues such as humans 92% water so absorb UHF signals all kinds of metal in supply chain such as He also did the LF RuBee IEEE standard. He was the Systems officer on the first EFT system where Banks SˆLs and Credit Unions could use use their debit cards and eventually credit cards at retail stores for banks, S&Ls and Credit Unions so consumers could use debit cards at any store. He presented at FMI the cost benefit analysis for Electronic Shelf Labels from Telepanel the first ESL in the world which was located in Canada and has consulted on over 40 different ESL companies including Pricer, NCR, Altierre etc. He has done drug contraindication studies across France, Germany, Canada and the US. He has also been an expert witness for Catalina Marketing and Coinstar plus Walgreens and CVS and for all of them the outcome were wins on patent infringement.

Business startup Cashex in St. Louis employed him after gig at Payment Systems INc. owned by American Express. Doug Brooking former VP IT Schnucks Supermarkets in St. Louis and Robert Smith Vice Chairman Mercantile Bank St. Louis. The system used Concord Terminal which could Frank the back of a check. They used a Magnetic Stripe card (generic) called Cashex with a PIN to protect against fraud. They guaranteed Personal checks, Personal checks with cash back Payroll Checks Social Security and WIC checks. All checks welcome if name matches from front of check to back along with Card and PIN. Was doing OK with ˜Schnucks market leader, Kroger Division and National Tea all participating personal check fraud way down in St. Louis E. St Louis etc. Gangs get light bulb idea. Knock over or burglarize C stores, Gas Stations anywhere small with Payroll checks. Buy anybody’s card and PIN for $50 and they are in the payroll Fraud bisiness. I was merrily going around USA finding many likely spots for franchising system as Director of Marketing. Two weeks on Road home for weekend and out again. Come back to St. Louis and low and behold presented with big problem Cashex now has 2 or 3 $million in Fraudulent payroll checks which they owe to the big three Supermarket chains. No way to pay back. First thought is to get Chains to take back as debt ownership whatever but that will not solve problem. I say to Dogr and Bob, we must have chains collect the Payroll company information where people are employed and still want to cash payroll checks for Groceries and cash. Supermarkets agree. So after that train back on the tracks. After that, They say would you become the General Manager of Cashex. I agree with one condition, that I be allowed to hire and fire at will. They agree as Doug had brought over bulk of personnel from Schncks. First day on the job I bring in IT Dept Manager and fire him. Fior Check Collection Manager and put her in charge of Customer Service Hire professional check collection and run IT dept myself along with Trustworthy Telecom and Maintenance person. Bob and Doug say, opportunity in LA Security Pacific National Bank SPNB wants to sell their Concord Terminal system to us. They have all of Alpha Beta chain over 300 stores in CA, NV, AR.They offer me position of President Cashex West. I say OK but want to again hire and fire who I want they agree. We negotiate together with SPNB acquisition of all Concord Terminals but bring our own software from St. Louis with sadly earned lessons and them negotiate new price structure with Alpha Beta for higher price but now Guarantee instead of strictly authorizations.