Blank got to Silicon Valley in 1978 via ESL, now a part of Northrop Grumman, which did defense electronics work.

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Four years ago the sizzling defense-electronics outfit snubbed New York buyout firm Veritas Capital.

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He led defense-electronics company Thales for 10 years until 2009.

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It is also home to many Chinese and foreign-invested companies in industries as diverse as electronics, defense, pharmaceutical and advanced materials.

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So the outcome of the Next Generation Jammer competition will have a big impact on how the military-electronics segment of the defense industry consolidates.

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Its key franchises are concentrated in the overcrowded electronics segment of the defense market, where analysts expect softening demand to drive consolidation in the years ahead.

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Management decided to take a measured approach, selling off smaller defense units such as the Norden electronics business (bought by Westinghouse in 1994) while retaining the engine and helicopter businesses.

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His company works with more than 27, 000 businesses in the global arena in order to help them both design and service products in manufacturing industries such as industrial equipment, automotive, high tech and electronics, aerospace and defense, retail, consumer, and medical devices.

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Originally designed for an automotive parts manufacturer, Plex Online is being adopted by aerospace and defense, food and beverage, high tech and electronics, industrial machinery, and precision metal manufacturers.

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