In this multimedia series, Arizona Republic reporter Sonja Haller and photographers John Samora, Mark Henle, Cheryl Evans and David Wallace set out to feature the products made, manufactured or grown in Arizona. We looked at different categories including farming, food, drink, defense and aerospace, technology, consumer goods and manufacturing and entrepreneurs and small business.
View and read more in the series at business.azcentral.com. Send us your ideas: Email sonja.haller@arizonarepublic.com.
Microchip Technology’s products are found throughout your home, from your garage-door opener to your espresso machine to your children’s toys. The Chandler-based technology company, located at 2355 W Chandler Blvd., holds 3,200 patents on microcontrollers and has recorded 100 consecutive quarters of profitability.
Information from the company:
What your company produces or manufactures: Microchip Technology Inc. engages in the design, development, manufacturing, and marketing of semiconductor products for embedded-control applications. Microchip is a leading provider of microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog and Flash-IP solutions.
Where people find your product: Microchip owns nearly 3,200 patents and has sold billions of microcontrollers which can be found in just about any product that uses power, from a toaster to a luxury vehicle. In any given home, there is likely to be dozens of Microchip products. They can be found in blenders, coffee makers, remote controls and garage door openers. They can also be found in everything from medical equipment to fireworks. The majority of Microchip products are sold through our distribution partners. We do sell products directly to the public through MicrochipDIRECT, microchipdirect.com.
Notable moment in the past year: Microchip recorded its 104 consecutive quarters of profitability in February 2017. This was a huge accomplishment for Microchip and we are not aware of another semiconductor company that has been able to achieve such a consistent track record. There are many larger companies in the semiconductor space with more revenue, but none of these companies have consistently made profits every quarter for the past 25 years.
One thing people would be surprised to know about your company: Microchip is the industry’s greatest Cinderella story, having come a long way since our humble beginnings as a failing spin-off of General Instrument in 1989. Over that time, we’ve garnered such accomplishments as the most successful IPO of 1993, achieving the No. 1 ranking in 8-bit microcontrollers in 2002, again in 2015, and recording our 100th consecutive quarter of profitability.
Number of Arizona employees: 1,881.
Years doing business in Arizona: 27.
FARMING: McClendon’s Select | Shamrock Farms
FOOD: Inventure Foods/Poore Bros. | Noble Bread | Cerreta Candy Co.
DRINK: SanTan Brewing Co. | Passport Coffee and Tea | China Mist Iced Tea
ENTREPRENEURS: Peanut Butter Americano | Navajo weaver Jane Hyden
TECHNOLOGY: Microchip Technology | Axon, formerly Taser International
MANUFACTURING: Bonded Logic | Western Heritage Furniture
DEFENSE AND AEROSPACE: The Boeing Co. | Honeywell Aerospace