Ernst van As, Legendary Founder of Arch

Ernst proudly sporting his ‘Founder’s Legacy’ jacket 

Arch Retail Solutions recently celebrated 21 years of independence. Arch has a rich history which evolved from humble beginnings in Bloemfontein. Central to this is Ernst van As, Erik’s dad, who had a vision to not only play in the POS space, but to also develop technology which will lead the pack.

Ernst started in the industry in 1974 with ADS, selling and servicing mechanical cash registers. The 80’s saw the emergence of electronic cash registers, which had limited programming capabilities. This very fact that programming can enhance functionality at POS, fascinated Ernst and convinced him that he wants to go solo. He resigned from ADS and started his own company, Comregister, which continued selling ADS solutions. In the early 90’s, the emphasis in programming was concentrated more in the Back Office, with the POS still problematic due to certain shortcomings. 

In 2001 Ernst and Erik, together with a team of Developers decided to take a leap of faith, hence Arch was created and in-store tested in Namibia. The period leading to the birth of Arch Retail Solutions on 31 May 2002, was a turbulent time in the company’s history, inclusive of an attempt at a hostile takeover. The less said of this period the better…

The company recently honored all employees who have 15+ and 20+ years of tenure in the company with handing over ‘15+ Legacy’ and ‘20+ Legacy’ jackets. In the case of Ernst he was honored with a ‘Founder’s Legacy’ jacket. Ernst, the Arch Team salutes you for the pivotal role you played in the rich history of our beloved company.