Fluketronix...
Rick Bensene
rickb at bensene.com
Tue Oct 16 11:00:16 CDT 2007
One can hope that the acquiring coompay will be good about retaining the history of Tektronix. Tek has been pretty good about keeping its own internal history well-documented (but not well-publicized) over all these years.
I feel sad that they're been acquired by a multi-national conglomerate. Tek, though it has in recent years, outsourced a lot of manufacturing, has been a mainstay of US-based quality design and manufacturing, especially in electronic T&M (test & measurement) equipment.
Having worked for Tektronix from 1977 to 1990, I feel a real affection for the place. By 1990, it was just a shadow of the company it was in the late '70's, with lots of layoffs between '86 and '90 (and more afterwards), and a lot of consolidation and associated financial difficulties.
I hope that whatever happens, the new owners will A) take good care of the current employees, B) take good care of retired Tektronix employee pension and retirement plans, and C) work to retain the historical and cultural aspects of Tektronix.
For Oregon, if the deal goes through, it's definitely the end of an era. Tektronix was the catalyst for what became the 'Silicon Forest', and being a major part of the rescue of Oregon's economy as the timber business fell apart as a result of government controls and environmental concerns. For a long time, Tektronix was the second largest employer in the state of Oregon, only behind Pacific Northwest Bell/AT&T.
Rick Bensene
The Old Calculator Museum
http://oldcalculatormuseum.com
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