Richardson Electronics, Ltd. is an engineered solutions provider and distributor of electronic components. The company serves the RF and wireless communications, industrial, power conversion, and display systems markets. “Engineered Solutions” for their customers is their focus. Headquartered in La Fox, Illinois, Richardson trades on the NASDAQ as part of the Electronics Wholesale industry. Richardson delivers its customers’ needs through product manufacturing, systems integration, prototype design and manufacture, and testing and logistics.
The company began in 1947 when Arthur Richardson, Sr. incorporated Richardson Electronics as a specialized distributor of vacuum tubes. Total sales for their first year of operation were $53,000. Today, Richardson Electronics Ltd. has more than 950 employees and a network of 58 sales offices and warehouses around the world. They operate in North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Richardson has three business units as part of their corporate structure. These are RF, Microwave and Power Conversion Group (RFPD); Electron Device Group (EDG); and Display Systems Group (DSG). Fiscal 2007 sales from these three groups were $557.3M, up more than five percent from 2006. The RFPD Group achieved a record fourth quarter with $99.4M in sales. The EDG Group exceeded $100M in sales for the fiscal year with a gross margin of 33 percent.
The RFPD Group designs and distributes discrete devices, components and assemblies used in RF and wireless infrastructure, networks, digital broadcasting, defense, and power conversion. EDG distributes and manufactures high-power, high-frequency electronic components and sub-assemblies for different markets, including semiconductor equipment, laser, medical, marine, avionics, microwave & RF industrial heating, radio & TV broadcasting, radar, and communications. The DSG unit is a worldwide provider of integrated display products and systems to OEMs, resellers, and end-users in the healthcare, industrial, financial, transportation, and digital signage markets.
Richardson Electronics Inc. continues to charge itself for growth each year. Now into its 61st year of operations, it works hard to further the vision of its founder through his son, Edward J. Richardson, chairman of the board, CEO and president. The company’s global restructuring plan is expected to finalize in September of this year. The company now has a centralized inventory hub system in Amsterdam to support Europe, and in LaFox, Illinois to support the Americas, with satellite warehouses in Brazil and China.
The company is currently installing a centralized inventory hub system in Singapore to support Asia and the Pacific. The goal is to consolidate many global warehouses into three worldwide hubs. Richardson Electronics Inc. sees this restructuring ensuring efficiency of operations to continue to provide profits for shareholders.
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