The "Harris Automatic Press Company" was founded by Alfred S. Harris in Niles, Ohio, in 1895. The company spent the next 60 years developing lithographic processes and printing presses before acquiring typesetting company Intertype Corporation. In 1967, they merged with Radiation, Inc. of Melbourne, Florida, a developer of antenna, integrated circuit and modem technology used in the space race. The company headquarters was moved from Cleveland to Melbourne in 1978. On May 29, 2015, Harris finalized the purchase of competitor Exelis Inc., almost doubling the size of the original company. L-3 Communications was formed in 1997 to acquire certain business units from Lockheed Martin that had previously been part of Loral Corporation. These units had belonged to Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta, which had merged three years before in 1993. The company was founded by Frank Lanza and Robert LaPenta in partnership with Lehman Brothers. Lanza and LaPenta had both served as executives at Loral and Lockheed. The company continued to expand through mergers and acquisitions to become one of the top ten U.S. government contractors. At the end of 2016, the company changed its name from L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. to L3 Technologies, Inc. to better reflect the company's wider focus since its founding in 1997. In October 2018, Harris and L3 announced an all-stock "merger of equals". The merger was completed on June 29, 2019, and the new company, L3Harris Technologies, Inc., is based in Melbourne, Florida, where Harris was headquartered.
Business organization
L3Harris is organized under four business segments: Integrated Mission Systems, Space & Airborne Systems, Communication Systems, and Aviation Systems. It is led by a 12-member board of directors, including Chairman and CEO William M. Brown and President and COOChris Kubasik. According to merger documents Brown is planning to transition to Executive Chairman in 2021, with Kubasik taking over the CEO role, and Kubasik will become both Chairman and CEO the following year.
Integrated Mission Systems
Headquartered in Palm Bay, Florida, Integrated Missions Systems specializes in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems, electrical and electronic systems for maritime use, and electro-optical systems including infrared, laser imaging, and targeting systems. It comprises divisions, including Wescam, that had a combined revenue of $4.9 billion in 2018.
Space & Airborne Systems
Headquartered in Palm Bay, Florida, Space & Airborne Systems specializes in space payloads and sensors, optical and wireless networking, avionics, and situational awareness solutions. It comprises divisions that had a combined revenue of $4.0 billion in 2018.
Headquartered in Rochester, New York, Communications Systems specializes in tactical communications, broadband communications, night vision, and public safety. It comprises divisions, including EOTech, that had a combined revenue of $3.8 billion in 2018.
Aviation Systems
Headquartered in Arlington, Texas, Aviation Systems defense aviation products such as UAVs and associated RF equipment; commercial aviation products including airport security, data link communication, collision avoidance systems, and flight recorders; commercial and military training systems, including flight and maintenance simulation; and mission networks. It comprises divisions, such as Link Training & Simulation, that had a combined revenue of $3.8 billion in 2018.
