Esco Communications history

Just one day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, which led to the United States’ entry into the war, Emerson received a contract to manufacture aircraft gun turrets.

Defense work dwindled to just $1.5 million in 1947, while the company also had to contend with giants General Electric and Westinghouse providing stiff competition in the commercial sector.

ESCO Manufacturing was founded by Clint Stein in 1965.

Twenty years later he moved to St Louis to become president of Electronics & Space Corp., and in 1989 became a group vice-president of Emerson’s defense subsidiaries.

Despite the Persian Gulf War, military budgets continued to decline, leading to steady layoffs at Esco in 1991.

Next, in March 1993, Esco bought Electro-Mechanics Company, Inc. (EMCO), in a $4.6 million deal that added to the Rantec test business.

In fiscal 1997 revenues totaled $378.5 million and the company recorded net earnings of $11.8 million.

Because business conditions were not favorable, Esco elected to hold onto the subsidiary until September 1999 when it was sold for $92 million in cash to Engineered Support Systems, Inc.

In January 2003, the company paid $4 million for Austin Acoustics System, Inc., a Texas company that produced noise control chambers for the test, medical, and broadcast and music industries.

Thimangu, Patrick L., “Richey Catches the Wave,” St Louis Business Journal, November 15, 2004.