NeXt Sensors
In 1992 I retired for most of the year. Retirement is
not what one might make it out to be, especially for one who has worked
since he was twelve years old and enjoyed doing it. A friend of mine that
retired in his forties after making enough money to do so from stock options
would say "I don't miss the rat race but I do miss some of the rats!" I
enjoy both, as long as you know what race you're in.
In early 1993 I informed Sensym I would be participating
in the Sensor Show in San Jose and since I had a two year "not-to-compete" agreement
they should determine what they might want to do. Sensym filed for a temporary
restraining order to prevent me from participating in the show. The courts
ruled against their request and I was allowed to attend with certain provisions.
Sensym spent a considerable amount of legal time and dollars to attempt
to keep me out of the sensor business. We had differing opinions regarding
the not to compete provision that was finally settled by the courts. In
the end, I learned a lot about the law and the legal system and Sensym
spent a lot of money to prevent me from competing in the United States
until June 1, 1994. I believe had Sensym spent all the money they spent
on legal bills on product improvements they would be much better off today
than they are.
Since I was having trouble getting started in the United
States I exhibited at the Sensor Show in Nuremburg, Germany in May, 1993.
I had a booth with no products, only some flowers and myself. Hans Keller
stopped by and asked if I was now in the flower business. It was very fortunate
I went to this show as I met Alexander Breitenbach. Alexander had just,
within weeks of the show, left Sensortechnics Gmbh. Alexander had been
the best salesman at Sensortechnics and the person responsible for a significant
portion of their business. By the beginning of 1994 Alexander and I founded
NeXt Sensors Gmbh and we were in the sensor business in Europe. At least,
on paper we were in the business.
I incorporated NeXt Sensors in the United States and
started production of some pressure sensors similar to Sensym's with improved
performance in June, 1994. Two of the best people I have ever had the pleasure
to work with joined me during the first month, Dale Dauenhauer, my brother
and Marissa Magcase. Marissa had been our Quality Assurance manager at
Sensym. Fred Adamic, who was Vice President of Engineering and Manufacturing
for Sensym until 1993 join us in our facility, not as an employee rather
he started his own company, Spectrum MicroDevices. Fred is still here,
and Spectrum MicroDevices is still active. Fred is pursuing dielectrically
isolated structures in silicon as well as some novel silicon gage structures.
During the early days we received invaluable assistance from a couple companies
and some needed financial support from some other people. Tim Shotter,
founder of Gandolf who had designed the tire pressure gage for Sensym,
provided product design support. Derek Bowers, founder of DB Design who
had worked at Sensym ten years earlier provided package design and test
fixture design support. I received financial support from Robertson & Stephens
and from John Easton, president of Sensotec. The support from all was greatly
appreciated.
By mid 1995 I recognized we would need more financial support than I could
afford and I retained the services, again, of Harris-Roja to see what could
be done. Since much of the investment was needed to establish a United States
sales and marketing effort we decided to look for companies interested in
a merger and use their existing infrastructure. In a short time period we
had the interest of two companies, Data Instruments and Telcom Semiconductor.
My personal interest was to work a deal with Telcom because I have known
their Vice President of finance, Mike O'Malley, for close to twenty years
and I was very favorably impressed by their CEO, Phil Drayer, who I had seen
give a presentation at the Monterey AEA's Emerging Companies Financial Conference.
We merged NeXt Sensors with Data Instruments and created
Data Instruments Advanced Silicon Group in December 1994. History has yet
to write itself as to what will ultimately happen with DI-ASG.
In 1995 Data Instruments also acquired NeXt Sensors Gmbh
and consolidated all Data Instruments European Marketing and Sales into
the merged company Data Instruments -Next Sensors GmbH in northern Germany,
close to Hannover.
In January, 1996 Sensymtronic, in Paris, France was acquired
by Data Instruments and merged into Data Instruments France. The company
president for each company continues with the respective operations.
In November, 1998 Data Instruments was sold to Honeywell.
The ASG group (NeXt Sensors) was closed and moved to Freeport, Il. NeXt
Sensors people assisted in the six month process of transition from Sunnyvale
to Freeport. All key people remain in the Bay Area. All key people at Data
Instruments in Acton, MA are no longer with the company.
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