In 1919 Willard Rockwell took control of the Wisconsin Parts Company. Later, the company was renamed Rockwell-Standard, and by the mid-1960s it was world's largest manufacturer of automotive parts. In 1967 Rockwell-Standard merged with North American Aviation, a leading maker of military planes, rocket engines, and spacecraft, including the major components for the Apollo program. Now, the company is relying less upon government contracts and taking greater advantage of its expertise in the international marketplace.

A leaner, more limber Rockwell

Rockwell International has recently shed its less profitable businesses - automotive parts, space, and defense - in order to focus on its fastest growing segments. Rockwell has one of the world's largest industrial automation businesses, which manufactures electric motors, mechanical power-transmission equipment, and worker-machine interface devices. Rockwell is also a leader in avionics and communication equipment, including landing, navigation, and flight control systems. Rockwell Lean Enterprise started up in late 1999 to cut costs and improve quality. Cost cutting efforts saved the company upwards of $150 million in fiscal 1999, but the specific Lean Enterprise program was created for a more long-term scenario.

New CEO but same direction

In 1998, Rockwell promoted Don H. Davis to CEO, and under Davis the company continued to pursue its line of core competencies. That year, the company spun off its disappointing semiconductor systems division and bought Anorad Corp., a maker of linear motor technology systems. In the Summer of 1999, Rockwell finished moving its headquarters to Milwaukee to be closer to its core businesses: Rockwell Automation in Milwaulkee, the largest factory-controls supplier in North America, and Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, producer of autopilot systems and controls.

Bulking up again

To start off 2000, Rockwell announced a plan to grow through acquisitions and four product areas. The company is concentrating on new products in automation systems and technologies, such as ViewAnyware, automation software, and Logix, automation for intergrated factories. Other growth ventures are in the automation safety business, the Rockwell Collins Avionics unit, and Rockwell's ecommerce division. By 2004, Rockwell expects to have $1.2 billion in sales, up from less than $500 million currently. Rockwell has also launched a new division called Rockwell Technologies to market the company's technologies to other companies for licensing rights to such things as computer chips and airplane cockpit displays.

Rockwell gets connected