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History of JustZip.Com
Our six founders have several interesting threads, five of them worked at DEC, Digital’s Network’s Division in Littleton, MA. Those five remember vividly how successful the company’s online bulletin board was for buying and selling used items. Our CEO, Ed DeJesus had a vision, and with our CTO, Craig Schomp they nurtured an idea back in 1998 to offer a free online flea market and information center by zip codes for consumers. The premise was that it would create traffic for local merchants and purveyors who could have their goods and services promoted online in their towns. Merchants would gladly pay for listing their business or having web pages developed and hosted with additional detail. Ed and Craig started a company called NAC, Neighborhood Advertising Corp, with a web domain TheHood.Com. But both went off to other startups and put it on the back burner until fate and faith ruled the day.
JustZip’s President and COO, Dan Cassidy, also President and founder of IAC Innovative Advertsing and JustZip.Com, did not work at Digital. But as founder of National Promotions, he had a business plan to sell web-hosting services in a directory center for local merchants. In 2000, Dan enlisted three software engineers, Larry Cardani, Dave Barndt and Linda Cassidy all of whom formerly worked at DEC in Littleton. They developed JustZipPages, and made web page building and hosting easy for their clients. Oddly, they had never met Ed or Craig while at Digital.
In 2002, Craig Schomp met our future CIO, Larry Cardani, through a mutual friend. Both shared ideas and then introduced Ed to Larry and later Dan. Ed convinced IAC that they had the talent and correct service solutions that combined with a free-zip-code-based offering, would guarantee them repeat customers and national growth. And if promoted just by Zip code, it would serve local consumers and merchants via the Internet, which historically has only catered to a worldwide audience. A joint venture was officially formed in April 2004 and the team pooled its resources to launch JustZip.com in Sept 2004.
Today everyone loves this online marketplace. It’s local, fast, and free. And it’s taking on a life of its own!
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