History

Bergwall Productions was founded in 1970 based on a simple idea.  It was “high time” to provide the typical Industrial Arts student with the same quality audio-visual programs that everyone else in school enjoyed.

Charles Bergwall (“CB”), the founder, had spent 10 years as a writer and producer for two other major companies.  The emphasis then, was on academic subjects.  CB literally produced hundreds of titles covering a wide range of topics from Art, Literature, Music, Science and Social Studies.

Aware of the need and with a desire to help those often overlooked, in 1970 Bergwall Productions began its first production entitled, The Lathe Explained.  This was quickly followed by additional machine tool titles as well as Automotive, Electrical, Woodworking, Welding and more.

These programs were snapped-up by the teachers in the school market.  There was no competition to speak of.  Bergwall offered realistic clear photography rather than cartoons.

The sound tracks were on records and eventually sound cassettes.  The projector manufacturers had recognized the need of the marketplace and had produced an automatic projector.

In 1975, the federal government enacted the Vocational Education Act offering federal funds to vocational schools.  There was an effort to upgrade Industrial Arts and Vocational Education programs.

This influx of money attracted a huge avalanche of activity and competition.  However, Bergwall had a great advantage of a five-year head start.  During that time, Bergwall produced well over 200 titles and were miles ahead of the competition.

Years later at a meeting, “CB” met the president of his chief competition who shared that they had given up trying to catch up with Bergwall.  Those first five years just proved to be an insurmountable head start.

And the unanswered question is – why did we go into the Vocational/Industrial curriculum area?

Besides wanting to break new ground, “CB” had an older brother who was a machinist and heard untold stories about machine shop work.  In those early years, his brother, Ray, worked in a shop at the local airport.  The custom was to work a half-day on Saturday.  Once in a while, “CB” would go with him and watch him work on lathes, milling machines, etc. using precise measuring instruments.

This left a strong impression on “CB”.  If left to his own choices, he thinks he probably would have followed his brother into the machine shop, but his father had other ideas and told him that college was more important than getting a machine shop job.  “CB” listened to him, and the rest they say is history.  However, “CB” has the greatest respect for the blue-collar worker whose job to this day takes incredible skill and intelligence to do the work.  America was built by those people.