What Thomas Electronics does

Thomas Electronics, Inc. is a privately held specialty manufacturer founded in 1948 and headquartered in Clyde, New York. The company designs, manufactures, refurbishes, and repairs Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) and adjacent electronic components, holding the position of the world's largest provider of CRTs for military and industrial applications. Its product portfolio spans CRTs, High Voltage Power Supplies, LCD Backlights, LCD Ruggedized Displays, Electromagnetic Components, Deflection Coils, and Monitors, with proprietary processes including barium oxide cathode technology and a documented reactivation procedure that restores stored CRTs to operational spec.

The company serves avionics (Head-Up Displays, Multi-Function Displays, Helmet-Mounted Displays), land and sea defense (ground vehicle and naval displays), Air Traffic Control and radar systems, and simulation/training applications. Customers are defense primes, military programs, and ATC operators requiring form-fit-function replacement of legacy displays in aging platforms, where full subsystem requalification makes supplier switching prohibitive. Operations are anchored in three ISO 9001-certified facilities spanning the United States (Clyde, NY and Addison, IL) and France (Genlis), supported by exclusive worldwide manufacturing and distribution rights acquired for former Lexel Imaging Systems product lines in June 2017.

Thomas Electronics operates a B2B, quote-based pricing model with multi-year contracts. Revenue is generated through hardware sales of new and replacement CRTs and related electronics, professional services for CRT repair and refurbishment, and full display re-assembly work. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales with named contacts and direct engagement with defense contractors and government agencies, supplemented by technical white papers and a product specification catalog on the corporate website. The business model is fundamentally an obsolescence management franchise: as CRT technology has exited mainstream production, Thomas Electronics has consolidated the relevant tooling, IP, and engineering talent to be the de facto sustainment supplier for legacy military and industrial platforms still in service.

Name

Thomas Electronics

Legal name

Thomas Electronics Inc.

Website

https://thomaselectronics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Thomas Electronics, founded 1948, is the world's largest manufacturer of Cathode Ray Tubes and related electronics for military and industrial applications. The company manufactures, refurbishes, and repairs CRTs and adjacent components for defense, avionics, ATC, and simulation customers across facilities in the US and France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Clyde

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. CRT Manufacturing: Manufacturing and sale of Cathode Ray Tubes as replacement parts and new OEM production for avionics, land/sea, and simulation applications.
2. CRT Repair & Overhaul: Refurbishment and repair services for existing CRT units, including cathode reactivation and full display re-assembly services.
3. Related Electronics: Sale of High Voltage Power Supplies, LCD Backlights, LCD Ruggedized Displays, Electromagnetic Components, Deflection Coils, and Monitors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Thomas Electronics manufactures, replaces, and refurbishes Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) and related electronic components including High Voltage Power Supplies, LCD Backlights, LCD Ruggedized Displays, Electromagnetic Components, Deflection Coils, and Monitors. The company serves military, aviation, and industrial customers as an obsolescence-management specialist, offering application-specific CRT solutions for avionics (HUDs, MFDs, helmet-mounted), land/sea (ground vehicle, radar, ATC), and simulation/training applications, backed by full display re-assembly and cathode reactivation services.

Product overview

Thomas Electronics is a manufacturer and service provider specializing in cathode ray tube (CRT) technology for electronic display and imaging markets since 1948. The company operates a vertical integration model, manufacturing core products including Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) as their primary product line, complemented by High Voltage Power Supplies, LCD Backlights, LCD Ruggedized Displays, Electromagnetic Components, Deflection Coils, and Monitors. The portfolio is organized around specialized application-specific CRT sub-products for avionics (Head Up Displays, Multi Function Displays, Helmet Mounted Displays), land and sea (Ground Vehicle Displays, Radar Displays, Simulation Instrument CRTs), with a full suite of CRT Refurbishment and Repair Services. In June 2017, Thomas Electronics expanded its portfolio by acquiring the Lexel Imaging Systems product lines, becoming the exclusive worldwide manufacturer and distributor of Lexel CRTs and related electronics for avionics, helmet, heads up, ground vehicle, and radar displays.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) Primary product line of vacuum tube displays that generate images via electron beams. Manufactured, repaired, refurbished, and replaced for military, industrial, and commercial applications as new OEM production and replacement parts.
• High Voltage Power Supplies Power supply units providing high voltage output required for CRT operation and other electronic display applications.
• LCD Backlights Backlighting components for liquid crystal displays, providing illumination for LCD panels in electronic display applications.
• LCD Ruggedized Displays Durable LCD display units designed to withstand harsh environmental conditions for military and industrial use.
• Electromagnetic Components Electromagnetic components used in CRT and display systems, including deflection coils and related assemblies.
• Deflection Coils Magnetic deflection coils used in CRT assemblies to control electron beam direction; available as components or potted in full assemblies.
• Monitors CRT-based monitor products including complete display assemblies for various military and industrial applications.
• Avionics CRT Solutions (Head Up Display, Multi Function Display, Helmet Mounted Display) Application-specific CRT solutions for avionics cockpit instrumentation including Head Up Displays (HUD), Multi Function Displays, and Helmet Mounted Displays for military and commercial aircraft.
• Ground Vehicle Display CRT CRT displays for ground vehicle applications including military land systems.
• Air Traffic Control & Radar CRT Displays High resolution, high brightness CRT displays designed for radar systems and air traffic control applications, featuring options for bandpass filters and varying phosphor persistence.
• Portable Mini Monitor Monochrome CRT-based design with integrated deflection coils, deflection components, and video amplifiers suitable for NTSC display, viewfinder, and portable applications.
• Simulation Instrument CRT CRT solutions for commercial and military training simulations, including Night Vision Goggles (NVG) Training assemblies, platform replication CRTs, and projection CRTs for avionics simulation with features like front surface cooling cells, pre-aligned deflection coils, and high-brightness phosphors.
• CRT Refurbishment & Repair Service Cathode ray tube replacement and refurbishment services including full display re-assembly, CRT reactivation recommendations, and overhaul services for existing CRT technology used by military and industrial customers.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Lexel Imaging Systems / Video Display CorporationcoreTechnology or Integration · 22 June 2017Thomas Electronics purchased Lexel Imaging Systems' manufacturing equipment, tooling, inventory and intellectual property for all Lexel Imaging CRTs and related electronics used in avionics, helmet, heads up, ground vehicle and radar displays, effective June 22, 2017. Thomas Electronics is now the exclusive manufacturer and worldwide distributor for these products. Thomas, Lexel Imaging, and its parent, Video Display Corporation (ticker: VIDE), worked together to assure a smooth and rapid transition in the ongoing supply and service of these products.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Kopin Corporation: Public US manufacturer of microdisplays for military, medical, and industrial applications including helmet-mounted and augmented reality systems. Represents an emerging display technology that could eventually substitute for CRTs in defense applications.

Broad incumbents

• L3Harris Technologies: Major defense electronics manufacturer offering avionics displays, helmet-mounted displays, and mission systems. Overlaps with Thomas Electronics in military avionics display applications but operates at a much broader scale with diversified product portfolio.
• Honeywell Aerospace: Major avionics and cockpit display systems supplier. Comparable as a provider of military and commercial aviation display systems, though much larger and broader in scope across multiple avionics product lines.
• Teledyne Technologies: Diversified defense and industrial electronics manufacturer including imaging sensors and electronic components. Overlaps with Thomas Electronics in defense electronics components and instrumentation space across multiple platforms.
• Curtiss-Wright: Defense electronics and specialty components manufacturer serving aerospace, defense, and industrial markets. Comparable as a supplier of mission-critical electronic components to defense primes with similar long-cycle defense customer relationships.
• Thales Group: European defense and aerospace electronics company with avionics and mission systems divisions. Comparable as a defense display and electronics supplier with European manufacturing footprint similar to Thomas Electronics' Genlis, France facility.

Regional players

• Saab: Swedish defense and aerospace company with avionics, electronic warfare, and sensor capabilities. Comparable as a defense electronics and display systems provider for military aircraft in European and allied markets.
• Hensoldt: European defense electronics company specializing in radar, sensors, and avionics. Comparable as a regional defense electronics provider serving European military customers with similar product applications to Thomas Electronics' CRT offerings.

Direct peers

• Clinton Electronics Corporation: Manufacturer of CRT monitors and displays for industrial, military, and medical applications. Direct competitor in the specialty CRT replacement market serving similar legacy platform sustainment needs.
• Richardson Electronics: Public distributor and refurbisher of legacy electronic components including power tubes, CRTs, and replacement displays for industrial, medical, and defense applications. Closely comparable to Thomas Electronics' CRT obsolescence management and refurbishment business model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ThomasElectronicsINC

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Thomas Electronics