In 1989, the company's small electronics leader, Jim Hamilton (later known as the father of computer retailing), offered a deeply discounted PC for $1499. The promotion was a huge success and led to the development of the nation's first branded computer store department. Space was allocated in three Sacramento stores to create SOHO (small office/home office) departments. Since many of the brands like Hewlett Packard and Panasonic would not disrupt their dealer channel and sell direct to Montgomery Ward, Hamilton had to create relationships with distributors. When the Sacramento stores opened, their shelves included products from Hewlett Packard and OkiData, companies which had never been in a national retailer. The test was a major success and the SOHO department was rolled out to all Montgomery Ward locations. Montgomery Ward was one of the first retailers to carry consumer products from IBM, Apple, Compaq, Hewlett Packard, Western Digital and many others. The SOHO Department was carved into a separate division of the company and quickly became Montgomery Ward's largest revenue producing division, with over $4 billion in revenues.