The History of Intersil
Intersil is a large manufacturer of analog circuits. It has been a public and independent company since 1999 but can trace its history back to the early 1950s. Intersil is one of the original companies that began in the Silicon Valley back in the early 1960s.
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Roots
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Intersil can trace its history back to RCA Semiconductor. RCA formed RCA Semiconductor in 1950 and developed manufacturing processes for the semiconductor industry. The first semiconductor firm with the name Intersil was founded in 1967.
Acquisition By General Electric
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General Electric acquired Intersil in 1981 for $385 million. The acquisition was part of General Electric's desire to re-emerge as the technological leader in the electronics industry. Intersil merged with RCA semiconductor in 1986 after General Electric purchased RCA.
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Sold to Harris
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General Electric, under new president Jack Welch, found that the semiconductor business was too competitive a market to dominate and did not warrant further investment. GE sold Intersil to Harris in 1988, and the company became known as Harris Semiconductor.
Spin-Off
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Harris semiconductor was spun off and renamed Intersil in 1999. The company went public in 2000. With new capital, it changed its product portfolio, exiting stagnating businesses such as automotive electronics and focusing on newer high-end communications products.
Present
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As of 2009, Intersil is a major niche player in the analog semiconductor industry. It focuses primarily on high-end, high-margin, low-volume businesses that focus on computing, communications and high-end industrial uses. The company trades on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol ISIL.
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