Our history proves MC² is the best in the estimating software business.

Since 1965, MC² has focused on the construction industry's biggest business problem: estimating.  Founded by estimators for estimators, we know estimating is the most important function of your company.   A consistent and manageable estimating process allows you to acquire the kind of work you want at the price you need to be profitable.  We give companies like yours the tools to manage and control estimating allowing you to make the profits you need.

Our founders believed good projects are the result of assembling a team which works well together.  We have taken our computer knowledge and hands-on construction expertise to produce ICE®, the most effective estimating software system on the market.  Our services have also helped our customers get the most from their estimating software investment.  From our expert training, unparalleled customer support and maintenance programs, we continue our commitment to provide our customers with the best estimating tools available in the construction industry.

COMPANY HISTORY

In the early 1960's Holiday Inn, a national hotel chain founded in Memphis, TN, was in its heyday of selling franchises to new customers. The franchisees spent a great amount of money on a franchise fee, and then would be in a hurry to get their hotel built so they could begin making a return on their investment. Holiday Inn was using local contractors to complete the construction of the hotels. One of these firms, Allen and O'Hara, Inc., became a prominent builder for Holiday Inns. Through the use of a sophisticated computer program, Allen and O'Hara was able to provide a complete detailed estimate which they had confidence in and upon which they were willing to sign a construction contract.

The computer programs implemented at Allen and O'Hara during the early 1960's were conceived and developed by Morris Beutel. Mr. Beutel had a strong background in the construction industry eventually becoming Vice-President of Estimating at Allen and O'Hara. Mr. Beutel was given the task to develop a computerized method to project costs for a Holiday Inn based upon the number of different types of rooms, and the size of the commercial building with the ability to adjust for location, time of year, and also to have the ability to reflect design changes. The programs were written for the IBM 1401 Computer, and they were quite sophisticated. Estimators using the system filled out takeoff sheets, which were key-punched into punch cards and fed into the computer. The programs which Morris Beutel conceived and developed would later become the foundation for MC².

In June 1965, a new company was incorporated under the name of Project Management Associates, Inc. Among its assets were the estimating system programs. One month later the name was changed to Management Computer Controls, Inc., but the company became better known by the acronym of MC². The founders of the new company were Allen and O'Hara, Inc., Morris Beutel, and Cole Early. Mr. Early had been an employee of the IBM Corporation for ten years. He had worked closely with Allen and O'Hara and Morris Beutel in the development of the estimating programs. The company was founded to provide construction cost consulting services to the construction industry. These services were to consist primarily of computerized estimating, but also included CPM scheduling and anything that could be done on a consulting basis.

Through the late 1960's and early 1970's, it became evident that the company was ahead of its time in selling computerized estimating software. Although contractors were intrigued by the notion of using a computer to prepare cost estimates, they did not want to endure the cost and effort to equip themselves with this new estimating tool. Computers were large and expensive machines requiring a dedicated staff to keep them running. While MC²'s business consisted primarily of preparing cost estimates, programs were constantly rewritten for operation on IBM computers of the era such as the IBM 370, 360, and 5110. In 1977, IBM announced the System/34 Minicomputer. This computer was the first with remote Cathode Ray Tube terminals. MC²'s programmers started redesigning the estimating system to take advantage of the System/34 changing from a fully batch operation to an interactive process. In March 1979, IBM and MC² entered into an agreement to market MC² estimating programs on the IBM System/34. This agreement, the IBM Installed User Program, propelled MC² into the software business.

MC²'s software business began with its General Contractor Estimating programs. In October 1980, MC² announced an Electrical Estimating programs followed in 1982 with the announcement of the Mechanical Estimating program. After the release of the faster IBM System/36, MC² renegotiated its agreement with IBM continuing to market its estimating software on the new computer. This marketing agreement expired in 1985, and MC² began to solely market its software. MC² continued to work with IBM and develop software throughout the 1980's for IBM's latest computers the System/38 and AS/400 minicomputer leading up to the explosion of the Personal Computer. As the PC developed more, it finally became a viable machine to support MC²'s ICE estimating system.

The ICE estimating system became available for the PC in stand-alone and network versions in 1989. The estimating system at that time was available to customers on the S/36, S/38, and AS/400 computers. The estimating system capability was identical on each platform, so that a user did not suffer any loss of capability by moving from one platform to the other. As the PC became more prolific and more accepted in the construction industry, and as more capabilities became more available for the PC in terms of peripheral devices and sophisticated networks, MC² used the PC as its dominant platform to market its software. 

Today, MC² has taken its experience in estimating and software development to become a leader in the construction software industry. MC²'s ICE estimating software has become the easiest and most efficient to use. The Digitizer and On-Screen Takeoff have been incorporated to make takeoff and creating estimates easier as well. MC² continues to take advantage of technology to improve the performance of its software and to make its programs the best in the industry. MC² continues to lead an industry toward tomorrow.