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 In 1967 Hexco , Inc. was started by Tom and Linda Tarrant , both of whom had been Systems Engineers for IBM. Hexco began offering products for programmers on large main-frame computers. Our first product was a hand-held manual calculator that added and subtracted in hexadecimal, the numbering system used in computers, hence our name, Hexco , for "Hexadecimal Company." Since that time, we have produced a myriad of products for programmers and a series of movable labeling products used in computer environments.
In 1983, Hexco expanded into the academic world, offering products for students competing in spelling bees when oldest daughter Valerie started competing. Since then, we have expanded our academic products to encompass study aids for students at all levels of competition, not only in spelling, but also in accounting, computer applications, computer science, current events, dictionary skills, geography, journalism, literary criticism, mental math, ready writing, science, social studies, and vocabulary. Our current expansion is in the homeschool market, since we already have a large number of homeschoolers using our products in their curricula, beginning with spelling products and soon moving into expository writing, literary criticism and computer application products that focus on spreadsheet, word processing, and database applications.
Valerie, the first of the Spelling Sisters, began her spelling career in 1982. At her youthful suggestion and with her entrepreneurial spirit and her tenacious help, Hexco soon began marketing Valerie's Spelling Bee Supplement providing pronunciations and definitions for all the words in the Scripps annual word list. Valerie won her regional bee in 1987 and attended The Scripps National Spelling Bee. She was followed two years later by Natalie who competed in Washington in 1989 and Huntley who competed in 1992 and 1993.
All three of the Spelling Sisters have participated in expanding the product line in the academic arena for Hexco, and they each received Entrepreneur of the Year awards in 1991. Valerie is married, lives in Houston with one daughter. She completed undergraduate work at SMU and her Masters in Business Administration at the University of Texas. Natalie is now a pediatrician living in Austin, Texas. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Dallas and her medical degree at Baylor Medical School in Houston. Huntley is currently working for Dell in their marketing strategy area. She completed undergraduate work at Rice University in Houston, and she finished her MBA at Harvard Business School. All three still participate in Hexco's affairs, as they have done since its inception. Valerie, in particular, has been active in directing the academic portion of the company, expanding the marketing possibilities, authoring many of the products, designing the functionality of the software program, providing the artwork for products and marketing, and bringing Hexco up to speed in the e-commerce arena. Huntley actively participates in much of the word research, art projects, marketing, and new product development. Huntley was also instrumental in developing our software and tweaking the layout and functionality of the program along the way.
In The National Spelling Bee arena, one way we measure our success is based on number of customers who advance to the National Spelling Bee contest in Washington, D.C. in June of each year. The percentage of "our" spellers is annually around 40% of the field. Since 2000, every National Spelling Bee Champion has relied on Hexco products to prepare for the higher rungs of competition.
In recent years, the products used by the top contenders have been our advanced study materials, usually New Nat's Notes, Spelling Rules Book, Bee Prepared, Written Round Mentor, and often Verbomania, Etyma Mentor & Notes and Spelling Mentor software, which coaches competitors of all skill levels in an interactive format. Hexco produces the After a Spell newsletter annually that recounts information and changes about The National Bee, features some of our "star" customers, and includes the list of the words used in regional bees and at the national competition. We are immensely proud to have played some small part in the successes of these spellers.
University Interscholastic League (UIL) is a Texas organization charged with interscholastic academic competition within the public school arena. UIL conducts a large variety of contests, and Hexco Academic produces study materials used in many of these competitions. Over 20 years ago we started producing products for learning the annual spelling and vocabulary lists for the competitions. We have since branched into a plethora of advanced spelling materials and into other contests, including Accounting, Computer Applications, Computer Science, Current Issues & Events, Dictionary Skills, Journalism, Literary Criticism, Number Sense, Ready Writing, Science, Social Studies, and Spelling/Vocabulary. One of our people is the Computer Applications Contest Director for UIL.
Most recently, Hexco has developed products for the National Geographic Bee and follows that contest closely.
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