X-Rite history

The tape was first marketed in 1961, but the firm remained small and had no full-time employees for several years.

By 1967, business had grown to the point that one of the company's founders was needed to dedicate his full attention to X-Rite, and Ted Thompson was chosen for the role.

1968: Silver recovery equipment for x-rays debuts.

1973 X-Rite introduces silver recovery equipment for radiographic film.

By 1986, with annual sales topping $10 million, X-Rite was ready to go public.

In June 1987, the firm moved into its new corporate headquarters and manufacturing site in Grandville, Michigan.

The year 1989 saw X-Rite introduce another color-analysis product, a spectrocolorimeter.

Sales for fiscal 1991 were a record $29.1 million, with earnings of $4.3 million.

X-Rite introduced another new product in 1992, MiX-Rite, a $10,000 machine for use in paint stores that could formulate precisely blended paints to match the colors of wallpaper or fabrics in a home.

1994: A round of acquisitions starts with purchase of H. Miller Graphic Arts of England.

Another acquisition was announced in June 1997 when X-Rite bought California-based Light Source Computer Images, Inc., a maker of color measuring equipment and computer scanner software.

January 1999 saw X-Rite open a new office in Tokyo, Japan, while at the same time ramping up spending on research and development to create more new products.

In early 2001, X-Rite subsidiary Labsphere signed a major agreement with Cleveland-based Keithley Instruments, Inc. to sell it light measurement devices for use in the telecommunications industry.