08/11/97 KITCHEN PCs THAT CAN STAND THE HEAT

KITCHEN PCs THAT CAN STAND THE HEAT

JOHN T. OPINCAR KNOWS from experience that PCs and hamburgers don't mix. In 1992, he was selling restaurant-management software and computers to Bexar Burgers, Inc., a local fast-food chain in San Antonio. But when summer arrived, the installed PCs would quit, halted by the heat and grease-laden air.
His response: startup Iron Computer Corp. The Austin (Tex.) company developed an environmentally sealed PC with built-in air conditioning, fail-safe power supply, and a composite shell. Opincar thinks his Iron PCs, which start at $1,600, will thrive in harsh environments where office PCs often fail. And while Iron PCs won't begin shipping until this fall, Opincar is now trying to finance his company through an initial public offering solely over the Internet. He hopes to raise $1.2 million to $9.4 million. So far, Iron Computer has posted a loss of $381,000 for the nine months ended April 30.
Opincar's previous company, Flexsales Systems Inc., foundered in 1995 after a dispute with Sears, Roebuck & Co. over the moniker of his first machines: Diehard PCs. This time, he hopes Iron PCs will be a hot seller.
EDITED BY PAUL M. ENG
By Gary McWilliams