Says Teradyne Inc.. chief executive George Chamillard: 'There's no question that a 12-month period around 2000 was a phenomenal period of time for us, but it's all going the other way now.' (Globe Staff Photo / Jonathan Wiggs)

Demand for chip-testing gear catapults Teradyne to top spot
By Peter J. Howe, Globe Staff, 5/21/2001
very few years, it seems, the stars align perfectly for Teradyne Inc. Five years ago, riding the last great boom in computer chips and in demand for its chip-testing gear, Teradyne placed number one in The Globe 100 ranking. This year, in a testimony to Teradyne's ability to stay at the top of a brutally competitive and rapidly changing industry, the Boston company has grabbed top honors again. Continued

Cashing in the chips: Companies linked to semiconductors blast to the top
By Kimberly Blanton, Globe Staff, 5/21/2001
everal Massachusetts companies, the tech industry's equivalent of buzz-cut engineers, surpassed all expectations last year, too - by updating technologies that allowed them to take advantage of the semiconductor industry's best year in history. Analog Devices Inc., Helix Technology Corp., LTX Corp., and Teradyne Inc., all founded during the 1960s or 1970s - and others - blasted to the top 10 of The Globe 100 rankings with strong overall financial performance. Continued

COMPANY OF THE YEAR Teradyne Inc. Riding a boom in demand for processing chips to power everything from Net routers to cellphones, Teradyne's strength in automated testing gear catapulted it to the top spot, as revenue soared nearly 70 percent and profit margin grew 58.9 percent. Story HIGHEST MARKET VALUE EMC Corp. Perennial demand for its manufactured computer-storage hardware and software allowed EMC to remain the biggest company in the state as of March 31 for the second year in a row, with a stock market value of $64.9 billion. Story FASTEST GROWTH ACT Manufacturing This Hudson-based contract electronics manufacturer has become one of the largest players in the field. Last year it acquired operations overseas, doubled its employment ranks, and more than quadrupled net income. Story BIGGEST STOCK GAIN J. Jill Group In the midst of its evolution into a lifestyle brand of sophisticated, casual clothing for women ages 35 to 55, J. Jill's stock soared 344 percent over the year ended March 31, from $3.94 to $17.50 a share. Story COMEBACK OF THE YEAR Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates A turnaround in the semiconductor equipment industry and the Gloucester company's dominance of ion implantation led Varian to post the state's single biggest dollar improvement in profit, up more than 100 percent to $133.68 million. Story HIGHEST SALES Raytheon Co. Despite revenue dipping almost 2 percent to $16.9 billion, Lexington-based Raytheon once again posted the highest sales of Massachusetts companies for the fourth year in a row. Story

1. Teradyne Inc. 2. Analog Devices Inc. 3. LTX Corp. 4. EMC Corp. 5. Helix Tech. Corp. 6. ACT Manufacturing 7. Millipore Corp. 8. Talbots Inc. 9. Cytyc Corp. 10. FleetBoston The 2001 Globe 100 All the charts The Globe 100 section front page featured little icons for each Top 100 company. See a PDF (405K) Notes Information about how the Globe ranked The Globe 100 this year.