DALLAS - Texas Instruments Inc. (TI) announced the signing of a definitive agreement to sell its Sensors & Controls business to affiliates of Bain Capital LLC, for $3 billion in cash. Sensors & Controls, headquartered in Attleboro, Mass., supplies engineered sensors and controls to the appliance, climate control, industrial, automotive, lighting, and aircraft markets.

With revenue exceeding $1 billion annually, Sensors & Controls has about 5,400 employees in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The sale will not include the radio frequency identification (RFID) systems operations, which will remain part of TI.

"This agreement is about unlocking value," said TI president and CEO Rich Templeton. "TI will intensify its focus on our high-growth core digital signal processing and analog semiconductor opportunities, while Sensors & Controls will have greater access to the investment and strategic resources it needs to fuel its future growth." Bain Capital has a strong track record of purchasing noncore divisions of large, multinational companies and partnering with the management team and employees to build significant value.

"Sensors & Controls is a market leader that enjoys long-standing customer relationships and is geographically diversified with greater than 50 percent of its sales generated outside North America," said Steve Zide, a managing director at Bain Capital. "We're enthusiastic about Sensors & Controls' future, and look forward to supporting the management team's plan to continue the company's growth and realize its long-term potential."

Thomas Wroe Jr., president of Sensors & Controls, and the current management team will continue to lead the organization. "We are eager to start this new chapter in our history," said Wroe.

"We have made tremendous strides improving profitability while growing the business. This transaction will allow us to accelerate our growth and serve our customers more effectively."

TI's board of directors approved the sale, which is expected to be completed in the first half of 2006.

Publication date: 01/30/2006