Trying to stay fit? Software may help. See C1.As WordPerfect begins a new life under Corel Corp.'s wing, many of its former directors quietly root for it to soar once again.
Most of the men who guided WordPerfect's glory days still live in Utah. They have spun off in different directions, some in pursuit of the next high-tech marvel. But they watch Corel and their former brainchild closely, if not wistfully."They're (Corel) the right type of company," said Pete Peterson, former executive vice president of WordPerfect Corp. "They understand application software."
Alan C. Ashton remains on Novell's board of directors. For that reason, Ashton has declined to talk about WordPerfect and its future.
Ashton founded Satellite Software International with Bruce W. Bastian in 1978. Four years later they renamed the company WordPerfect. In 1993, the last year they had full control of the company, WordPerfect had more than 5,000 employees and revenue of more than $700 million.
It waged a winning battle with Microsoft for recognition as the best word-processing software program available.
Today, Ashton worries about buds and blossoms rather than bits and bytes. He and his wife are building Thanksgiving Point, a 400-acre farm on the south side of the Point of the Mountain near Lehi. The little plot of paradise will feature a garden, a golf course, an animal park, a farmers market and a hotel when complete.
Ashton also serves as a trustee for Utah Valley State College.
It is more difficult to ferret out information about Bastian, who is intensely private while still managing to make symbolic, public statements. Bastian resigned from Novell's board in November after the company announced plans to sell WordPerfect.
In a Wall Street Journal article in January, Bastian chided Novell CEO Robert Frankenberg for mistreating WordPerfect and the division's employees. Otherwise, Bastian remains a shadow figure on the local scene.
According to Department of Commerce records, he has dabbled in property development since leaving the helm of Word-Perfect, but that's about it. Then again, a man who consistently makes Forbes' list of wealthiest Americans can probably find plenty of things to do other than worry about the next big thing.
What about other WordPerfect luminaries?
- Peterson is chairman of Fitnesoft Inc., a software company that makes a health and fitnesss program called Life Form. Peterson also is chairman of a venture called Word Place Inc., a simplified word-processing program he believes will appeal to computerusers who don't need all the bells and whistles that come with products like WordPerfect and Microsoft Word.
- D. Clive Winn, who was marketing vice president for Word-Perfect, has joined forces with Peterson and is president of Fitnesoft Inc.
- R. Duff Thompson, who was general counsel for WordPerfect, is still at Novell, where is serves as senior vice president. One of his recent tasks was smoothing the sale of the business division to Corel.
- Dan Lunt, who was Word-Perfect's marketing vice president, is involved in real estate development and as a partner in auto businesses.
- Ad Rietvald, who served as WordPerfect's CEO at the time Novell acquired the company, returned to Holland last October. He is listed as a general partner in Esnet Ltd., an investment business formed by a number of past Word-Perfect leaders.
Who else is involved in Esnet? Daniel W. Campbell, former vice president of finance; Thompson; David C. Moon, senior vice president of development; and John C. Lewis, international vice president.
Moon attended the recent Demo 96 in Palm Springs on behalf of Esnet to look at some of the latest offerings from computer-related companies. Moon also is a partner in High Country Sports, a sports gear store in American Fork.
Like a Russian nesting doll, Esnet Ltd. shields other ventures involving WordPerfect refugees, including Esnet Properties.
Esnet Properties is the new name of the development firm once known as BAT Investments, which included Bastian, Ashton and Thompson. BAT once owned much of the property in the Riverwoods development in Provo. BAT Investments also is a part owner of the Provo Park Hotel in downtown Provo.
- Jeff Acerson, the former spokesman for WordPerfect, now handles public relations for International Power Technologies, an Orem company that makes power connection devices for high-tech equipment, including computers.