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Molex

Organization

An electrical connector company acquired by Koch Industries that successfully adopted its management principles.


First Mentioned

5/19/2026, 5:11:03 AM

Last Updated

5/19/2026, 5:23:23 AM

Research Retrieved

5/19/2026, 5:23:23 AM

Summary

Molex, LLC, founded in 1938 by Frederick Krehbiel, is a leading global manufacturer of electronic, electrical, and fiber optic connectivity systems, headquartered in Lisle, Illinois. The company produces over 100,000 products for industries including automotive, medical, and data communications, and is renowned for the "Molex connector," a universal standard in personal computing. As the second-largest electronic connector company worldwide, Molex was acquired by Koch Industries in 2013. Following the acquisition, the company underwent a significant cultural turnaround through the implementation of Principal-Based Management (PBM). This framework, championed by Charles Koch, replaced traditional top-down bureaucratic control with a meritocratic system focused on bottom-up empowerment and experimental discovery, successfully revitalizing the organization.

Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
  • Founded

    1938-01-01

  • Founder

    Frederick Krehbiel

  • Revenue

    $3.6 billion (measures annual sales as of 2013-06-30)

  • Headquarters

    Lisle, Illinois, United States

  • Product Count

    100,000+ (measures product variety)

  • Employee Count

    45,000 (measures total workforce)

  • Market Position

    Second largest electronic connector company globally

Timeline
  • Molex was established by Frederick Krehbiel; the company initially manufactured flowerpots from a proprietary plastic byproduct to launch the business. (Source: undefined)

    1938-01-01

  • Molex acquired Woodhead Industries to expand its industrial product offerings, marking the largest acquisition in the company's history at that time. (Source: undefined)

    2006-01-01

  • The company reported a fiscal year revenue of $3.6 billion and a net income of $243 million. (Source: undefined)

    2013-06-30

  • Koch Industries acquired Molex, leading to a significant cultural turnaround by replacing bureaucratic hierarchies with the Principal-Based Management framework. (Source: undefined)

    2013-12-01

Molex

Molex, LLC is a manufacturer of electronic, electrical, and fiber optic connectivity systems. Molex produces over 100,000 products for a variety of industries, including data communications, medical, industrial, automotive and consumer electronics. They are notable for pioneering their Molex connector, which has seen universal adoption in personal computing. The company is considered the second largest electronic connector company in the world.

Web Search Results
  • Molex - Wikipedia

    Molex, LLC is a manufacturer of electronic, electrical, and fiber optic connectivity systems. Molex produces over 100,000 products for a variety of industries, including data communications, medical, industrial, automotive and consumer electronics. They are notable for pioneering their Molex connector, which has seen universal adoption in personal computing. The company is considered the second largest electronic connector company in the world. ## History [edit] [...] ## History [edit] Molex was established in 1938 by Frederick Krehbiel. The company began by making flowerpots out of an industrial byproduct plastic called Molex. Krehbiel developed this material by combining asbestos tailings, coal tar pitch, and limestone. Aside from flower pots, Molex also sold salt shakers before it expanded into electrical connectors and sensors. Later they made connectors for General Electric and other appliance manufacturers out of the same plastic. Molex acquired Woodhead Industries in 2006; the largest acquisition in the former's history at the time. [...] Molex, LLC | Company type | Subsidiary | | Traded as | Nasdaq: MOLX | | Industry | Electronics | | Founded | 1938; 88 years ago (1938) | | Headquarters | Lisle, Illinois , United States | | Products | Electrical connectors, Molex connector, Optical fiber connectors, Switches | | Revenue | $3.6bn (June 30, 2013) | | Net income | $243m (June 30, 2013) | | Number of employees | 45,000 | | Parent | Koch Industries | | Website | www.molex.com Edit this at Wikidata | | Footnotes / references |

  • Molex Llc Company Profile - Molex Llc Overview - GlobalData

    Molex LLC (Molex), a subsidiary of Koch Industries, manufactures and sells electronic components. The company’s product portfolio includes switches, electrical products, cables, cable assemblies, antennas, sockets, lighting products, noise suppression sheets and connectors. It also offers optical solutions, RF solutions, business infrastructure solution, sensor solutions, industrial and flexible printed circuit solution. The company sells its products to a wide range of industries, including defense, automotive, consumer, data communications, industrial automation, home appliance, commercial vehicle, industrial, electrical, medical, scientific, mobile devices and telecommunications industries. It has business presence across North America, Europe, Africa, South America, the Middle East, [...] America, Europe, Africa, South America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. Molex is headquartered in Lisle, Illinois, the US. [...] Gain a 360-degree view of Molex LLC and make more informed decisions for your business Gain a 360-degree view of Molex LLC and make more informed decisions for your business Learn more Headquarters United States of America Address 2222 Wellington Court, Lisle, Chicago, Illinois, 60532 Website www.molex.com Telephone 1 800 7866539 No of Employees 38,000 Industry Technology and Communications Gain access to our premium signals and make informed decisions for your business Gain access to our premium signals and make informed decisions for your business Learn more ## Molex LLC premium industry data and analytics ## 140+ #### Install Base

  • MOLEX Profile - Business Structure, Industry & Snapshot

    ## Company Overview Molex designs, develops, and manufactures electronic components and solutions. The company offers connectors, sockets and edge cards, cable assemblies, antennas/wireless solutions, optical solutions, printed circuit boards, automation and industrial products, and lighting products. It offers its service to aerospace and defense, 5G, automotive, alternative energy source, consumer/home appliance, commercial vehicles, data/computing, industrial, industrial automation, industrial electrical, medical, scientific, smart phones and mobile devices, solid-state lighting, telecommunications/networking, and wireless infrastructure markets in the United States and across the globe. The company works as a subsidiary of Koch Industries Inc. [...] Resources e-Course Spotlights Library Megatrends Association Exclusives About About BCC Research Press Releases Events Careers Contact Excellence Awards Beacon Search 1. Company Index 2. MOLEX 3. Overview # MOLEX Overview In Reports Products History News ## Company Snapshot Founded: 1938 Entity Type: Private Region: U.S. Headquarter: Illinois, U.S. Key Geographics: U.S. Corporate Address: 2222 Wellington Ct Lisle, Illinois 60532 U.S. Tel: +1-800-786-6539 www.molex.com ## Company Overview

  • Molex

    View All ## About Molex Molex believes in the transformative power of creating connections. As a leading global provider of connector solutions, Molex brings engineering excellence, trusted relationships and an unparalleled commitment to quality and reliability to help customers across industries improve lives. Trusted for more than 80 years, Molex offers world-class design, manufacturing and a portfolio of 100,000+ innovative products. We’re doing more than developing solutions, we’re Creating Connections for Life.

  • All About Molex: Company Overview — Allied Electronics & Automation

    [Music] we deliver total solutions solutions that bring people and technology together at molex we partner with the world's innovators the pioneers the visionaries to provide the interconnect systems of today while building the complex electronic solutions of tomorrow as a part of coke industries molex is one of the largest connector companies in a 54 billion dollar global marketplace but our goal is simple to help our customers solve their toughest challenges they rely on us to design and develop solutions for technologies that people use to improve their lives and businesses use to improve their products and performance at molex our experience spans a wide range of demanding industries including automotive industrial and medical consumer electronics telecommunications and mobile devices [...] # All About Molex: Company Overview — Allied Electronics & Automation ## RS Americas 3660 subscribers 176 likes ### Description 24864 views Posted: 10 Sep 2020 Shop Molex at Allied: As a leading provider of electronic components and solutions, Molex views innovation as a tool for solving complex customer challenges. This philosophy has helped not only create many pioneering electronic solutions, but also build a globally recognized company. Through standard-setting products, high-performance people, and a globally collaborative process, Molex is committed to anticipating tomorrow's needs and helping customers engineer breakthroughs that make the world better. [...] consumer electronics telecommunications and mobile devices and we do this with a strong sense of responsibility going above and beyond regulatory compliance to protect human health and the environment from our headquarters in north america we do business in over 40 countries worldwide bringing our expertise to a whole new generation delivering total solutions that are changing the world you

Location Data

Molex, 223, Colonnade Road South, Knoxdale-Merivale, Nepean, Ottawa, Eastern Ontario, Ontario, K2E 7J6, Canada

company

Coordinates: 45.3406800, -75.7187015

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