Raymarine acquired Raytheon’s Recreational Marine Division in a management buy-out backed by HgCapital in January 2001. At the time of the buy-out the Group rebranded its products under the name 'Raymarine'.
Raytheon has had strong associations with marine technology, dating back to 1923 when it produced the first depth sounders. The acquisitions of Apelco Limited in 1958 and Nautech Limited in 1990 (Nautech’sautopilots products were sold under the Autohelm brand) allowed Raytheon to expand its marine presence.
In addition, Raytheon was able to leverage its work in radar to become a leading leisure brand in the early 1990s with the R Series radars. In 1993, these businesses were consolidated into operations in Portsmouth, UK and in New Hampshire, US and in 1998 they were consolidated under the single brand identity of Raytheon.
Since the management buy-out, the Group has invested significantly in the growth and profitability of the business. In particular, greater focus has been placed on developing new products and on strengthening the Group’s sales and marketing teams.
