FLIR Systems

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FLIR Systems

Type	Public (NASDAQ: FLIR)
Founded	1978
Headquarters	Wilsonville, Oregon, United States
Key people	Earl R. Lewis
Industry	defense, technology, security
Products	thermal imaging, infrared
Revenue	$575 million USD
Operating income	▲ $136 Million USD
Net income	▲ $101 Million USD
Employees	1,300 (2006)
Divisions	Commercial Vision Systems, Government Systems, Thermography
Website	www.flir.com
financial data is 2006^[1]

FLIR Systems (NASDAQ: FLIR) is a US-based infrared (thermal) imaging systems for airborne applications manufacturer. Based in Wilsonville, Oregon, the company was established in 1978 and in 2005 was named the 55th fastest growing companies by CNNMoney. The company manufactures both commercial and military applications of their forward looking infrared products.

1 History
2 Operations
3 References
4 External links

[edit] History

FLIR was established in 1978. Toward the close of the 1980s, FLIR began to leverage its experience in infrared imaging technology to develop hand-held and laboratory systems for a variety of commercial applications that required not only superior image quality, but also the ability to detect and measure temperature differences. This effort accelerated with the acquisition of the industrial infrared imaging group from the Hughes Aircraft Co. in 1990.

The acquisition of Agema (Sweden) in 1998 and of Inframetrics (Boston, MA) in mid-1999 has given FLIR an engineering team and a sales and support infrastructure that are unmatched. Together Agema and Inframetrics represented over 60 years of significant infrared camera development and thermography applications expertise. Agema Infrared Systems, formerly AGA, developed the first commercial infrared scanner, designed for power line inspections, in 1965. Pioneers in the development of infrared cameras for industrial inspection, other notable Agema achievements included the first battery-operated portable infrared scanner in 1973, the first dual-wavelength system capable of real-time analog recording for R&D markets in 1978, and the first uncooled infrared camera, the Agema 570, and 1997. Inframetrics, also a pioneer in commercial infrared cameras and thermography training, developed the first TV-compatible infrared system in 1975 and the first full-featured camcorder-style focal plane array (FPA) infrared camera in 1995.

In 2003, FLIR Systems acquired Indigo Systems, a leading developer and supplier of a wide range of infrared imaging products, including cooled and uncooled infrared detectors, camera cores and finished cameras. The fruits of these acquisitions have had an extremely positive impact resulting in FLIR's dominance in the commercial infrared camera market with more infrared cameras sold than any other manufacturer. FLIR's ThermaCAM series of uncooled and cooled thermal imaging cameras have set the standard for thermographic testing and analysis and are the most widely used IR non-contact temperature measurement systems in the world. Beginning in 2005 the company began supplying BMW with imaging technology for use on the luxury automaker’s vehicles.^[2] Also in 2005 FLIR was named the 55th fastest growing company on CNNMoney’s Business 2.0 100 Fastest-growing tech companies list.^[3] In 2006 FLIR was listed as the 83rd best small business by Forbes Magazine. The previous year they were ranked 39th.^[4] Then in March of 2007, the company reported that they would have to re-state nearly ten years worth of financial statements due to possible improper back dating on stock options.^[5]

[edit] Operations

Headquarters entrance

Currently, FLIR Systems operates Five manufacturing plants: three in the USA (Portland, OR, Boston, MA and Santa Barbara, CA), one in Stockholm, Sweden and one in Tallin, Estonia. Coupled with a worldwide sales, marketing and service network in over 60 countries, FLIR employs a total of over 1300 dedicated infrared specialists. The company operates three divisions; the Thermography Division (temperature measurement), Government Systems Division (GS), and the Commercial Vision Systems division (CVS).^[2]