Fluke History
Founded in 1948, the Fluke Corporation is a leader in electronic measurement and test equipment. From design to manufacturing, Fluke is dedicated to excellence every step of the way. Currently, Fluke employs 2500 employees and operates to a tune upwards of $382.1 million in annual sales.
Fluke was founded by John Fluke at a time when the electronics measuring and test industry was still young. However, while it was young, John quickly seized upon the transistor (developed by Bell Labs in 1947). The transistor enabled Fluke to build equipment that was not only smaller and more reliable, but accurate to one-millionth of a unit. When solid-state electronics garnered widened interest in the 1950s and 1960s, Fluke followed the trend to a significant boost in both profits and revenue.
This growth trend continued into the 1970s, but the 1980s saw significant changes. Basically, Fluke’s customer base was starting to change from the laboratory-based engineer to the field technician. In addition, product applications were starting to change as computers, fax machines, and car electronic control units began to enter the marketplace. In addition to this wave of change, foreign competitors were trying to claim a share of Fluke’s market.
Even though Fluke was able to maintain sales growth in the 1980s, it did so through a dilapidated line of 150 products. The only way these products were able to stay afloat was through a slow steady stream of small changes. However, this downward spiral was stopped with the introduction of new management. The original John Fluke passed away in 1984 after having passed the company on to his son, John Fluke, Jr., the previous year. With this change, Fluke proceeded to introduce a pocket-sized multimeter, among other products.
This growth provided by Fluke’s son was promising in the short term, but it was not to last. Overly concerned with the company’s financial firm, Fluke, Jr. soon lost interest and Bill Parzybok was brought in to fix the ailing company. Parzybok was a Hewlett-Packard veteran and quickly proved his ability by trimming the fat, acquiring the measuring and testing device division of Philips, and releasing the ScopeMeter, one of Fluke’s biggest sellers.
Today, Fluke continues to reign as one of the leaders in the field of electronic testing and measuring equipment. With a bright outlook and consistent income increases, one thing is certain: continued innovation from the masters at Fluke.