Western Digital has prospered by living dangerously. While disk-drive rivals Seagate, Maxtor, and Toshiba target big iron, consumer gear, and portable electronics, Lake Forest, (Calif.)-based Western Digital relies heavily on selling to the basic desktop PC market.
That’s saying something, given the cut-throat economics and slower growth of desktops compared with laptops, MP3 players, and other booming new areas. The company’s revenues climbed 12% in fiscal year 2004, which ended in July, and jumped 17% through the first three quarters of this year, to $2.7 billion. The question now: As Western Digital enters these faster growth markets -- laptop drives and 1-inch drives used in cell phones and MP3 players -- can it operate as efficiently as it has in desktops?
All figures are for the most recent available 12 months.
* Latest available data for the 12-month period ended Dec. 31, Jan. 31, Feb. 29, Mar. 31, or Apr. 30. For companies that do not report quarterly, the most recent annual data were used.
Data provided by Standard & Poor's Compustat, BusinessWeek
Western Digital Corp. engages in the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of hard disk drives. Its hard disk drives are used in desktop personal computers; enterprise servers; network attached storage devices; consumer electronics products, such as video-game consoles, personal/digital video recorders, satellite, and cable set-top boxes; and as external storage devices. The company sells its products to computer manufacturers for inclusion in their computer systems or subsystems; consumer electronics manufacturers for inclusion into their devices; and distributors, resellers, and retailers. Its hard disk drive products are manufactured in Malaysia and Thailand; design facilities are located in Southern California and Northern California; and sales offices are maintained globally. Western Digital sells its products globally to system manufacturers, distributors, resellers, systems integrators, and retailers. The company was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in Lake Forest, Calif.
No. of Employees
17,376
Data provided by
Matthew E. Massengill
Bio
Matthew E. Massengill has been Chief Executive Officer of Western Digital Corp., since January 2000 and has been its Chairman of the Board of Directors since November 2001. Mr. Massengill served as Chief Operating Officer of Western Digital Corp. from October 1999 to January 2000 and Co-Chief Operating Officer from August 1999 to October 1999. Prior to that time, he served for more than five years in various executive capacities within Western Digital Corp. Mr. Massengill served as President of Western Digital Corp., from January 2000 until January 2002. Mr. Massengill has been a Director of Western Digital Corp., since January 2000 and Viewsonic Corp. since December 2003. Mr. Massengill holds a B.S. in Engineering from Purdue University.
* Latest available fiscal year
** The sum of the net value of options exercised and held in the latest available fiscal year
Key Executives
Matthew E. Massengill, Arif Shakeel, Raymond M. Bukaty, Stephen D. Milligan, David C. Fetah
Board Members
Matthew E. Massengill, Peter D. Behrendt, Kathleen A. Cote, Henry T. DeNero, William L. Kimsey, Michael D. Lambert, Roger H. Moore, Thomas E. Pardun, Arif Shakeel
