Tom Engibous, chief executive officer of their favorite company, brought words of encouragement to more than 1,300 Texas Instruments retirees and guests at the Oct. 10 patriotic party at the Dallas World Trade Center. “I wish I could tell you good news about the economy, but I can’t,” said Tom, TI chairman, president and CEO. “But don’t be discouraged. Greater opportunities are ahead. It’s just not this week.”
Despite the downturn, TI has maintained its research and development spending and greatly strengthened its product portfolio. Tom said the company is making the investments necessary to outgrow its competitors when the economy turns back up. “In my mind, one of the most significant questions right now is not ‘When will growth return?’ It’s ‘Who’s going to be left standing when these difficult times are over?’ There’s no doubt in my mind that TI will be standing tall for decades to come,” Tom said.
Across the board in digital signal processing (DSP) and analog products, TI continues to lead the industry in performance. invested heavily in advanced manufacturing capabilities. Today TI is among very few companies in the world that have deployed the latest in state-of-the-art semiconductor manufacturing. Tom said, “If you look at the market, the best opportunities in the next decade will come from the deployment of real broadband to and through the home, and the advent of the mobile Internet.” TI has become an active player in these areas, as well as many others. One exciting area is the application of DSP and analog technology for medical and health benefits. “You may have seen the display (at the event) of SongBird hearing aids — the world’s first disposable hearing aid.
TI has had a busy year with volunteer activities, community events and supporting education. He cited the work of IDEAS — an organization that strives to stimulate interest in math and science in the schools. A number of retirees and former TIers are involved in IDEAS, including Lorton Trent, a GSIer. “I understand about 30 more volunteers are needed, so see Lorton if you would like to help make a difference in our classrooms,” Tom said.
He noted the TI Alumni Association is the first non-profit group to join the Metroplex Technology Business Council. “This means you can attend council programs at a discount, and you could even volunteer to help some small businesses in this area,” Tom said. “I’m sure there are companies that could benefit greatly from your expertise.” On behalf of TI, Tom thanked the retirees for setting a strong foundation of technological leadership and ethical integrity. “A lot of companies have learned the hard way that strong ethics do matter,” Tom said. “Ethics have always been important at TI ever since the day this company was founded. Our founders believed in integrity. You behaved with integrity when you were active employees, and integrity remains a cornerstone of TI today.