Vishay history

1969 Vishay opens its own manufacturing plant in Israel.

By the early 1980's, Vishay was a world leader in the development of resistors and strain gauges, with 65 percent of its sales in its first 20 years made to defense and aerospace contractors.

1981--90: Growth Through Acquisition

Sales for 1984 were a record $48.5 million, helped by an expansion in research and development, cost-cutting, and product improvement.

In 1985, having grown from a start-up into the world's leading manufacturer of these original products, the company began an ongoing series of acquisitions to become a broadline manufacturer of electronics components.

In 1988 it bought Sfernice, the major French resistor manufacturer with which Vishay had initiated a licensing agreement, with sales of $100 million.

By the end of 1989, Vishay had sales of $416 million.

In 1993, the market for small specialty tantalum capacitors started growing, and Vishay bought the tantalum capacitor division of North American Philips Corporation.

In 1994, Vishay purchased Vitramon, which made multilayer ceramic chip capacitors, from Thomas & Betts for $184 million.

To meet the anticipated demand, the company expanded its offshore capacity, spending over $165 million in 1995 on plant and equipment, including new facilities in Israel and the Czech Republic.

Vishay was a leader in the development and production of these surface mounted devices (SMDs), which, in 1996, accounted for about half the fixed resistor market.

In 1998 Vishay gained complete ownership of Telefunken and 80.4 percent ownership of Siliconix, both divisions of the Semiconductor Business Group of TEMIC. Telefunken and Siliconix produced semiconductors along with other products that fit within Vishay's five-point strategy.

2002 Vishay acquires General Semiconductor for $540 million.

In May 2004 the 75-year-old Felix Zandman announced that he would be succeeded as CEO by Gerald Paul, who had served as Vishay's president and chief operating officer.

In early 2005 Vishay made several tender offers for the remaining shares of Siliconix.