Our History
Success starts with bold strides: For over 65 years, SPX Communication Technology has been walking the path of innovation, celebrating many milestones along the way.
It started with one man. Dr. Charles "Doc" Brown then-Dielectric founder, engaged in research that helped create transmission lines for early radar systems used during World War II. After the war, this innovative technology was applied in the new civilian field of Television Broadcasting. Dielectric immediately began to invent and supply equipment for all three major television networks.
Dielectric was incorporated in 1942. The company's original name was "Dielectric Products Corporation" (a "dielectric" is a non-conductive electrical insulator). Dielectric became influential in establishing industry-wide standards of innovation for transmission line, dehydrators and other broadcast components.
In 1954 Doc Brown moved the company to his hometown in Raymond, Maine, where it has been headquartered ever since.
In 1977, Dielectric became part of General Signal Corporation.
In 1985 Dielectric expanded their manufacturing and test facility to 125,000 square feet.
In 1986, the growth continued, as Dielectric acquired RCA's TV Antenna operation in New Jersey. This operation moved to Raymond in 1994.
In October of 1998 Dielectric became a division of SPX Corporation, a global, Fortune 500, multi-industry company.
Dielectric acquired Harris' TV Antenna Division in 2000, the same year they built their first triple stacked antenna system for the Sears Tower in Chicago.
Dielectric led the US transition to DTV with the first antenna installed in 1994. When the transition was complete fifteen years later, Dielectric had provided over 1300 broadcasters with DTV solutions - more than all other manufacturers combined.
Dielectric is a prominent player in the development of HD Radio as well, engineering the unique HDFMVee master antenna. This antenna brings HD functionality to a number of stations in the St. Louis area, helping them make the leap into a new era of radio broadcasting.
2010 Dielectric was officially renamed SPX Communication Technology.