In the late 1970s Robert Draney and Jack Peterson founded the Independent Information Services Corporation, or IIS. From a cramped office on Cahuenga Boulevard in Hollywood, California, their pioneer team of five (including two who remain as current Entertainment Partners employees) introduced the first time-share accounting and payroll system to the industry, Screen Production Management System (SPMS), in 1978.
The early 1980s found IIS designing, manufacturing, and distributing the MINI, the first portable integrated hardware/software system (which in retrospect was actually quite large). IIS also developed the “Cost Report,” which became an industry standard. Following this, IIS entered the employer payroll services business and changed its name to Draney Information Services Corporation, aka DISC. A DISC office opened in New York, and the company designed, developed, and delivered its first residual system, integrated fully with the DISC Corporate Production System. By the mid-1980s, the Micro-DISC Accounting System, PC-based and single-user, was introduced.
In the late 1980s, DISC purchased Richmar Casting, which provided background actors to the entertainment industry, and opened an office in Orlando, Florida. In 1990 the Vista accounting system was introduced and soon became another industry standard – the first multi-tasking, multi-user system for the Windows® environment. By the 1990s, DISC entered into a joint venture with IDC and was renamed "Entertainment Partners," brought the legendary Central Casting into the EP family, and moved to its new state-of-the-art corporate headquarters in Burbank, California.
At the turn of the 21st century, Entertainment Partners purchased the Movie Magic product lines, bringing Budgeting, Scheduling, and Virtual Production Office into the suite of product offerings. Markham L. Goldstein was appointed as Chief Operating Officer in 2002 and as Chief Executive Officer in 2003. On Valentine’s Day, 2004, the employees of Entertainment Partners purchased 100 percent of the company through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
In 2006, Central Casting expanded to New York, and Entertainment Partners launched a Production Incentives division, subsequently opening offices in New Mexico, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Michigan to serve its expanding production markets. In 2008, the assets of Axium International were acquired and a number of former employees joined the fold. In 2009, the company was honored with the ESOP Association's California/Western States Chapter 2010 ESOP Company of the Year award. Today, the employee owners of Entertainment Partners number more than 600, taking great pride in serving as the industry leader of production management services.