Zebra Technologies

Zebra Technologies Corporation

Type	Public
Traded as	NASDAQ: ZBRA (Class A) S&P 400 Component
Industry	Computer hardware
Founded	1969
Founder	Ed Kaplan Gerhard Cless
Headquarters	Lincolnshire, Illinois, USA
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Michael A. Smith Chairman of the Board Anders Gustafsson CEO Director
Products	RFID printers/encoders, barcode printers, mobile printers, card imaging printers, kiosk printers, real-time locating systems, UWB and related supplies and services
Revenue	$3.722 billion (FY 2017)[1]
Operating income	$80.0 million (FY 2016)[1]
Net income	-$137.0 million (FY 2016)[1]
Total assets	$4,632 million (FY 2016)[2]
Total equity	$792 million (FY 2016)[2]
Number of employees	7,100 - Spring 2014
Website	www.zebra.com

Zebra Technologies is a public company based in Lincolnshire, Illinois, USA, that manufactures and sells marking, tracking and computer printing technologies. Its products include thermal barcode label and receipt printers, RFID smart label printers/encoders/fixed & handheld readers/antennas, and card and kiosk printers that are used for barcode labeling, personal identification and specialty printing principally in the manufacturing supply chain, retail, healthcare and government sectors. In 2013, the company had sales of $1.038 billion and had a market capitalization of $3.6 billion.^[1]

History

Zebra was incorporated in 1969 as Data Specialties Incorporated, a manufacturer of high-speed electromechanical products. The company changed its focus to specialty on-demand labeling and ticketing systems in 1982 and became Zebra Technologies Corporation in 1986. Zebra became a publicly traded company in 1991. Since 2008, Zebra has outsourced the majority of its printer manufacturing to Jabil Circuit in Guangzhou, China.^[3]

In 1998 Zebra Technologies merged with Eltron International, Inc.^[4] In 2000 Comtec Information Systems was acquired,^[5] followed in 2003 by the acquisition of Atlantek, Inc.^[6]

In 2004 the company expanded into RFID smart label manufacturing,^[7] acquiring Retail Systems International the next year.^[8] In the following years Swecoin, WhereNet Corp,^[9] Proveo AG,^[10] and Navis Holdings (later divested in 2011)^[11] were acquired.

The company established the Enterprise Solutions Group (ESG) in 2008; renamed as Zebra Enterprise Solutions in 2009. In the same year Multispectral Solutions, Inc. was acquired.^[12] In 2012 the company acquired LaserBand,^[13] and StepOne Systems in a cash purchase price of $1.5 million.^[14]

2013 saw the acquisition of Hart Systems for $94 million in cash from the private equity firm Topspin Partners LBO.^[15] In 2014, Motorola Solutions' Enterprise business was bought in a $3.45 billion transaction, providing mobile computing and advanced data capture communications technologies and services.^[15]

Locations

Zebra Technologies has more than 80 offices worldwide.^[16]

Zebra Technologies office in Heerenveen, The Netherlands.

In its annual report for the year ended December 2015, the company said it provided products and services in over 170 countries, with approximately 120 facilities and 7,000 employees worldwide.^[17]

References