Russell and Sigurd Varian (photographs by Ansel Adams)
History
1948
Varian Brothers Introduce the Klystron
Russell H. Varian and Sigurd F. Varian the historical founders of CPI EDB’s and MPP's business, found Varian Associates and introduced the klystron, which they invented, as its first commercial product. At the time, Varian Associates has $22,000 of capital and six full-time employees.
1950s
Early Operations Grow Quickly
In its early years, Varian Associates’ products include vacuum electron tubes, an expanding instruments product line, an embryonic accelerator activity and a venture into geophysical instruments. In the mid-1950s, the company invents an all-electronic vacuum pump for manufacturing vacuum electron tubes. The company soon realizes that the vacuum pump had applications far beyond tube processing and launches additional lines of business.
1953
Company Establishes Headquarters in Palo Alto, California
The company moves the headquarters of Varian Associates to what is now the Stanford Research Park in Palo Alto, California. MPP’s present-day headquarters remain on the same campus.
1959
Varian Associates Establishes Operations in Beverly, Massachusetts
Varian Associates acquires Bomac Laboratories, a manufacturer of microwave tubes and components, and helps launch S-F-D Laboratories to design and build new classes of magnetrons and other microwave tubes. These operations are combined with LEL, Inc., which specializes in microwave components and is acquired by the company in 1964, to create one operation in Beverly, Massachusetts. CPI EDB's present-day headquarters remain on the same campus.
1960s
Company Explores New Avenues for Growth
Varian Associates expands its business with research in solid state devices, new forms of printing and the development of devices for commercial communications. The company also acquires the traveling wave tube business of the General Electric Company in Palo Alto during this period. The traveling wave tube business remains part of present-day MPP.
1965
Varian Associates Acquires Eitel-McCullough (Eimac)
William Eitel and Jack McCullough found Eitel-McCullough, Inc. in 1934 to produce more powerful and reliable transmitting vacuum tubes operating at low voltages for the Ham radio community. Its products are quickly adopted for commercial and military transmitters; they are used by the U.S. Navy in radar experiments starting in 1938 and they power Allied radars during World War II. By 1965, Eimac manufactures a broad line of specialty electron tubes, primarily for various broadcast and industrial markets. The Eimac operations remain part of present-day of MPP.
1989
Eimac Wins an Emmy
The Eimac Division of Varian Associates is awarded an Emmy® Award for technological achievement by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for the energy efficient performance of the Klystrode® inductive output tube (IOT). The Klystrode IOT used in television transmitters at WCES in Augusta, Georgia is the first of the high-power output devices to be on-air for UHF television.
1995
CPI is Formed
Varian Associates sells the Electron Device Business to Leonard Green & Partners, L.P., a private equity fund, and members of management. Together, they form Communications & Power Industries (CPI) with the mandate to continue to grow the business’ tradition of technology leadership and manufacturing excellence.
2004
Econco Operations are Acquired
Econco Broadcast Service, Inc., a rebuilder of power grid devices founded in 1968, receives the first contracts ever awarded by the U.S. government and the U.S. Navy to remanufacture microwave devices, and twice receives the U.S. Navy’s Award for Excellence. The Econco operations remain part of present-day MPP.
2006
CPI Goes Public
CPI International, Inc., the parent company of CPI, holds its initial public offering and begins trading on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol “CPII.” The company is taken private again in 2011.
2007-2022
Acquisitions Grow CPI's Antenna, Amplifiers and Radomes Businesses
Between 2007 and 2022, CPI invested in growing its product offerings in the satellite communications market through a series of acquisitions. The company acquired several antenna businesses, including Malibu Research Associates, Inc. in 2007, ASC Signal Corporation in 2015 (later divested in 2020), Orbital Systems LLC in 2018, and General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies in 2020. The satellite communications amplifiers business was bolstered by the acquisitions of the Codan Satcom business in 2021 and M C L, Inc. (MCL) in 2013. CPI also entered the radomes and structural composites business with the 2013 acquisition of Radant Technologies, Inc., the 2021 acquisition of L3 ESSCO, Inc. (ESSCO), and the 2022 acquisition of AdamWorks, LLC.
2021
CPI Acquires TMD Technologies
CPI acquires TMD Technologies Ltd., one of the world’s leading manufacturers of microwave power sources, high-voltage power supplies and transmitters for radar, electronic warfare, communications, industrial testing and scientific applications. The TMD Technologies operations remain part of present-day EDB.
2024
Microwave Power Products, Inc. Launches
In June 2024, Microwave Power Products, Inc. and CPI Electron Device Business spun out of Communications & Power Industries.
Today
Accelerating Innovation
Today, MPP is a global aerospace and defense technology company. Its products are vital to groundbreaking systems that power mission-critical defense systems to protect U.S. and allied forces, enable global communications, and provide life-saving medical services that help diagnose disease and fight cancer. The company employs approximately 400 people in the United States.