Henry Singleton, an electrical engineer, founded Teledyne in 1960. According to a 1979 Forbes article, Teledyne, led by the unique thinking of Singleton, was one of the most profitable multibillion dollar companies in the U.S. Eventually, Teledyne merged with Allegheny in 1996 and again became independent in 1999. Over the last 20 years, Teledyne transformed from an aerospace & defense company to the electrical hardware company that it is today. Teledyne makes differentiated imaging products and unmanned systems that are sold into niche markets with few competitors. Teledyne operates an acquisition strategy, acquiring 64 companies for a total $11.6 billion since 2001. Its biggest acquisition was FLIR Systems in 2021 for $8 billion. [1] [2] [3] [4]
What type of electrical hardware does Teledyne make? One of Teledyne's key markets is monitoring ozone and pollution for the Earth. As the importance of environmental sustainability increases, Teledyne's sensors will be essential for NOAA and NASA to monitor the Earth's atmosphere. Another market segment that is getting more attention lately due to geopolitical events is aerospace & defense. Teledyne makes electronics used in military aircraft (F-35 platform, for example) and missile systems. Next, the global pandemic led to people focusing more on indoor air quality, which is causing increased demand for the many instruments Teledyne makes that measure air quality for spaces like airplanes. Continuing, autonomous vehicles, like drones and subs that analyze oceans, contain Teledyne's electronics. In highly demanding environments like the ocean, it is much more difficult to produce quality electronic hardware, so Teledyne's long history of engineering allows it to have leading products in this market. Finally, Teledyne offers products like thermal cameras for firefighters and industrial vision systems for food safety, life sciences, and more. [1] [2] [3] [4]
We believe Teledyne is a GPM Grade Company well-positioned to benefit from trends in environmental sustainability, the commercial aerospace recovery, healthcare, and national defense. Teledyne generates strong cash flows to invest internally for growth and make smart acquisitions. We believe Teledyne's management is focused on long-term sustainable growth and promotes a unique culture within. Teledyne has the size and scale to compete and win worldwide, while focusing on niche products with high barriers to entry.
Sources:
1. Teledyne Investor Presentation - March 2022
4. Teledyne Technologies Inc at Cowen Aerospace/Defense & Industrials Conference
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