Rockwell Collins to sell Kaiser Optical Systems, maker of aircraft display components, to Endress+Hauser

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, 3 Sept. 2013. Rockwell Collins Inc. (NYSE:COL) has reached a definitive agreement to sell its Kaiser Optical Systems Inc. subsidiary, a provider of spectrographic instrumentation and components for aircraft display systems, to Endress+Hauser.

Terms of the agreement are undisclosed. The sale is expected to be completed in early fiscal 2014 and is subject to customary closing conditions.

“This divestiture is part of an overall strategy to accelerate our focus on growth opportunities in our addressed markets,” explains Rockwell Collins Chief Executive Officer and President Kelly Ortberg. “Kaiser Optical also benefits by joining an organization that concentrates on the primary industries it serves.”

Kaiser Optical Systems in Ann Arbor, Mich., became a Rockwell Collins company in 2000 as part of the company’s purchase of K Systems Inc., the parent company of Kaiser Aerospace and Electronics. Principal products include components for aircraft display systems, Raman sensors and instrumentation, and advanced holographic components for spectroscopy, telecommunications, astronomy, and ultra-fast sciences. These products and services are deployed in applications such as defense, pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing, nanotechnology, telecommunications, and education.

“With the acquisition of Kaiser Optical Systems, we are expanding our range in the field of advanced analytics for liquids, gases and solids. In addition, we are strengthening our optical technology and manufacturing competence,” says Endress+Hauser Chief Executive Officer Klaus Endress, who emphasized the strategic dimension of the acquisition. “The Raman technology enlarges our offering for customers in core industries.”

Aircraft display images courtesy Shutterstock.