The Selling Of An Industry Icon

Less than a year after Cobham plc completed its acquisition of M/A-COM, it has turned around and sold the commercial part of the company, M/A-COM Technology Solutions, to John Ocampo and private equity firm GaAs Labs LLC. Cobham, an international aerospace and defense contractor, retained the military-electronics-related groups within M/A-COM but felt that M/A-COM Technology Solutions was not a suitable fit for Cobham plc.

Ironically, M/A-COM Technology Solutions is what remains of a company name once synonymous with the microwave industry. The M/A-COM name has long been a fixture in this industry, starting life as Microwave Associates. The firm showed the way to many other companies and startups in the industry, through its technological innovations and razor-sharp marketing, and served as a training ground for countless entrepreneurs. Perhaps it will be that John Ocampo, best associated with his stints at RF Micro Devices, Sirenza, and Mimix Broadband, can bring back some of the faded glory that was M/A-COM. We wish him all the best in his efforts.