Vishay is one of the world's largest manufacturers of discrete semiconductors and passive electronic components. These components are used in virtually all types of electronic devices and equipment, in the industrial, computing, automotive, consumer, telecommunications, military, aerospace, and medical markets.Vishay's global footprint includes sales offices worldwide, as well as manufacturing plants in China and five other Asian countries, Europe, and the Americas. Its product innovations, successful acquisition strategy, focus on cost reductions, and ability to provide "one-stop shop" service have made Vishay a global industry leader.
Vishay was founded in 1962 to manufacture and market foil resistors, an invention of Dr. Felix Zandman, Chairman of the Board and founder. The Company began operations with foil resistors and strain gages as its initial product offerings. In 1985, having grown from a start-up into the world's leading manufacturer of these products, Vishay began an ongoing series of strategic acquisitions to become a broad-line manufacturer of electronic components.
Vishay's acquisitions include such top names as Siliconix, Telefunken, the infrared components business of Infineon, General Semiconductor, Dale, Draloric, Sprague, Vitramon, and BCcomponents (former passive components businesses of Philips Electronics and Beyschlag) and International Rectifier®.
