AeroVironment, Inc.

Type: Public
On the web: http://www.avinc.com
Employees: 495

AeroVironment is giving US soldiers their own birds-eye view. The company designs, manufactures, and supports a variety of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for the Department of Defense and its component military branches. Small enough for one-man transport, launchable by a single person, and operated through a hand-held control unit, AeroVironment's aircraft can provide intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance for small tactical units or individual soldiers. The company also makes fast-charge systems for industrial vehicle batteries under the PosiCharge brand as well as power processing test equipment through its Energy Technology Center business segment.

Key numbers for fiscal year ending April, 2008:
Sales: $215.8M
One year growth: 24.2%
Net income: $21.4M
Income growth: 3.2%

Officers:
Chairman, President, and CEO: Timothy E. Conver
VP Finance, CFO, and Secretary: Electrical Products
VP Information Systems: Pet Products

Competitors:
L-3 Communications
Lockheed Martin
Northrop Grumman