Our History

Over 60 years, 趣赢平台 has grown from a three-person statistical consulting firm with roots in Wyoming to one of the largest privately held research firms in the United States with an international presence and a broad portfolio of work spanning multiple disciplines. Our projects grew from small statistical sampling tasks to designing and fielding some of the largest surveys. 我们的客户群扩大了，工作类型和专业领域也扩大了.

Along the way, 趣赢平台 attracted and retained an extraordinary group of experts who pioneered new methodologies, adopted new technologies, 不断寻找新的方法来帮助客户解决问题. 以下是我们历史上的一些亮点.

1960s

趣赢平台 was founded in 1961 by three statisticians from the University of Wyoming—Edward C. Bryant, James M. Daley, and Donald W. King. 该公司于1963年1月在怀俄明州拉勒米的一个邮政信箱注册成立. 趣赢平台这个名字是向创始人的西方血统和统计专业知识致敬.

在经历了艰难的开始之后，该公司的第一份大合同涉及到帮助美国.S. 专利局面临信息检索的挑战. 1963年，韦斯特帮助设计了一项调查，以衡量华盛顿特区的接受程度.C.-area residents to public transport—a study that eventually led to the development of the Washington Metro system. Later, 趣赢平台 undertook the sample design work, data weighing, tabulation, and reporting for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s groundbreaking Automobile Insurance and Compensation Study.

In 1967, 趣赢平台 opened an office in Bethesda, Maryland, to be closer to major federal clients. Morris Hansen, renowned in the statistical community for revolutionizing how public information is produced, retired from the U.S. Census Bureau and joined 趣赢平台 in 1968. 该公司为美国大学校长进行了一项调查.S. 并取得了85%的回复率. 

1970s

20世纪70年代，韦斯特的调查业务开始增长，首次进行了纵向研究, the evaluation of the Public Employment Program; its first national household survey, the National Survey of Family Growth; and its first large health study, 健康维护组织评价研究. 韦斯特帮助开创了一种样本选择技术, 由约瑟夫·瓦克斯伯格和沃伦·米托夫斯基开发, 这大大降低了此类调查的成本.

In 1970, 趣赢平台被美国罐头公司(ACC)收购。, 哪些国家为新项目和基础设施投资提供了资金支持. We purchased our first stand-alone personal computer—a Tektronix 4051 graphic computer with a statistics package in 1978. 趣赢平台的第一个电话研究中心(TRC)成立于1979年.

Joseph Hunt came over to 趣赢平台 from ACC, bringing new levels of management expertise to the company. 从1978年到2011年，他继续担任总统, 对我们的合作文化产生了持久的影响.

In 1979, 趣赢平台 leaders established the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) to pool their resources and purchase their independence from ACC. The ESOP allows employees to own a stake in the company and share in its financial success. 向员工所有制的转变是公司成功的一个关键因素, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, 对质量的承诺体现在我们工作的各个方面.

1980s

In the 1980s, 韦斯特搬到了我们现在在罗克维尔的总部, Maryland, 并在调查的各个阶段进一步发展专业化:样本设计, instrument design, data collection (via mail, phone, web, personal interview), data processing and management, statistical analysis, and report writing. In 1986 the Automated Survey Control System (ASCS) was introduced and became the foundation for CATI (computer-assisted telephone interviewing), 计算机辅助个人面试, 和类似的自动化系统在一系列的现场项目中使用. 

趣赢平台开始与许多重要的新客户合作，包括美国.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 疾病控制和预防中心, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the National Center for Health Statistics.

We grew our field workforce of data collectors during this period and took on work in an increasingly wide array of areas and on projects of unprecedented scale and difficulty. 重点项目包括美国就业机会试点项目.S. 美国劳工部，国家健康和营养检查调查 国家教育进步评估(NAEP), and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS).

In 1982, our research took on an international scope with a science study exchange between China and the U.S.  趣赢平台 staff visited China and conducted a series of cancer research and nutrition studies.

1990s-2000s

In the 1990s and 2000s, 趣赢平台 grew its workforce, expanded its headquarters, built a state-of-the-art internal network, 并进一步开发了内部数据管理功能, graphic design, high-volume reproduction, information security, library services, and more. 趣赢平台 opened telephone research centers around the country throughout the 1990s and in 2007 began having telephone interviewers work from home.  

趣赢平台继续在基于网络的调查研究领域进行创新, the use of mobile technology, and multimode approaches. At the same time, 我们使工作多样化，进入流行病学研究等新领域, clinical trials, technical assistance, program evaluation, and transportation safety.

2010s-Present

James Smith，他于2010年成为总裁兼首席执行官 Scott Royal, who became President and CEO in 2020, 监督了西特银行的巨大增长和多元化. 趣赢平台 acquired education research and technical assistance specialist Edvance Research in 2015, 信息技术解决方案公司Fenestra, 医疗数据分析公司JEN Associates, and Insight Policy Research in 2022.

In 2011 趣赢平台 began work on the 烟草与健康人口评估研究, a prospective, 纵向队列研究，以评估全国的烟草使用行为和健康. This ongoing study continues to provide a solid evidence base for the Food and Drug Administration’s regulatory activities around tobacco.

在卫生领域发展的能力和专门知识, education, and social policy in the 2010s, 帮助趣赢平台定位，以支持我们的客户应对挑战 COVID-19 pandemic. In recent years, 趣赢平台 applied its expertise in epidemiology and in managing coordinating centers and networks to support health studies such as REDS-IV-P, VISION, and TopMed. In the area of education, 趣赢平台 began management of the National Comprehensive Center for the U.S. Department of Education.

Looking to the future, 趣赢平台准备继续其增长和扩张, building on its legacy of excellence in research and its commitment to making a positive impact on society.