Roper
Industries - (en)
Roper Industries NYSE: ROP is a diversified industrial company that
produces engineered products for global niche markets. The company
positions itself as a growth-oriented enterprise focused on effective
execution of strategies to achieve results and create value for
investors. The company is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia.
Roper provides a wide range of products and services to customers in
over 100 countries. The company has five main business lines:
Industrial Technology, Radio Frequency (RF) Technology, Scientific and
Industrial Imaging, Energy Systems and Controls, and Instrumentation.
The company states that it is entrepreneurial yet highly disciplined,
and plans to accelerate its growth by using strong cash flow to fund
internal expansion and acquisitions. Roper joined the Russell 1000
index in 2004, and has annual revenues of more than US $ 1.4 billion,
as of 2005.
George D. Roper founded the company in the late 1800s, primarily as a
manufacturer of home appliances, pumps and other industrial products.
Roper initiated a corporate acquisition program, supported by an
initial public offering, in 1992.
In 2001, Brian Jellison, a former executive of General Electric and
Ingersoll-Rand, joined Roper as Chief Executive Officer. The company
states that since then, it has improved its operating capabilities,
increased its financial capacity and positioned Roper in markets with
attractive growth prospects.
The previous holding company business strategy has been replaced with
an operating company model. Since 2001 Roper has completed
acquisitions accounting for over half its revenues, establishing the
company in global growth markets, such as radio frequency
identification (RFID) and water. Roper states that during the 2001 -
2005 era it has paid investors steadily increasing dividends and seen
its stock price rise.
