Ault Inc history

The start-up company began by building power supply units for a single customer, Control Data Corporation (CDC). The computer maker dropped the Ault-produced parts in 1966, but by that time the small manufacturer had lined up additional customers.

But in November 1969, Ault production hit $290,000,' wrote Hequet.

Sales peaked again at $3.3 million in 1974 before taking another skid as manufacturers began moving power supply production in-house.

1977: Introduces standard line of external power supply products.

Meanwhile, Prince and Ault found themselves at odds over the direction of the company: Prince believed Ault was allocating too much money for a 'pet project,' according to an April 1982 article by Marc Hequet.

William R. Hegeman saw Ault's dependency on one company, Texas Instruments (TI), for one-third of its fiscal 1983 sales as a less promising sign for investors.

1987: Opens subsidiary in Korea.

Ault revenues resumed an upward trend, reaching $15.7 million in fiscal 1988.

Even though the prospects for profitability looked brighter and order backlogs were growing during the first half of fiscal 1989, investors still shied away from Ault.

In 1991, Ault Inc. became one of the first United States power supply companies to achieve ISO 9002 status; they upgraded their quality certification to ISO 9001 two years later.

1993: Introduces line of low-cost transformers manufactured in China.

A secondary public offering, in December 1996, raised net proceeds of $10.6 million, used primarily to pay down debt and acquire equipment and a factory in the People's Republic of China.

A slower than anticipated ramp-up time in the cable modem industry, resulting in lower than expected orders, hindered Ault's performance in fiscal 1998.

Ault entered the year 2000 holding 12 percent of the $400 million external power conversion niche.

In 2006, two powerhouses in the power conversion space merged together, ushering in a new entity that forever changed the industry.