Amphenol vs Burlington: Founders, CEOs and History

Company facts

Founders

CEOs and their tenures

Timeline: Amphenol and Burlington side by side

1. 1932Amphenol

   Arthur J. Schmitt founds American Phenolic Corporation

   Arthur J. Schmitt incorporates American Phenolic Corporation in Chicago with a patented molded phenolic radio tube socket, establishing the company's foundation in electronic component manufacturing.

2. 1936Amphenol

   Introduction of industry-standard 75 series microphone connector and lock-in socket

   Amphenol introduces the 75 series uniform microphone connector and a lock-in socket for radio tubes, both becoming industry standards and attracting RCA as a major customer ordering 10,000 sockets daily.

3. 1942Amphenol

   Primary supplier of AN connectors for WWII Allied forces

   Amphenol becomes a critical defense supplier, with its 5015 AN circular connectors becoming standard equipment on military aircraft and communications gear; A-N connector shipments increase 13,572% from January 1941 to March 1943.

4. 1942Amphenol

   Official name change to Amphenol Electronics Corporation

   The company officially changes its name from American Phenolic Corporation to Amphenol Electronics Corporation, formalizing the shorthand name customers had used for years.

5. 1945Amphenol

   Initial public offering

   Amphenol raises $1.5 million from convertible debentures and sells 345,000 shares at $10 per share, giving the company a $4 million market capitalization and providing capital for post-war diversification.

6. 1951Amphenol

   Amphenol engineers develop the BNC connector

   Amphenol engineers Paul Neill and Carl Concelman develop the bayonet coupled BNC coaxial connector, which becomes a standard interface in radio frequency and test equipment applications.

7. 1957Amphenol

   NYSE listing

   Amphenol Electronics Corporation lists on the New York Stock Exchange, marking its transition to a major public industrial company.

8. 1958Amphenol

   Merger with George W. Borg Corporation

   Amphenol completes its largest transaction to date, merging with the George W. Borg Corporation, a maker of automobile clocks, electronic instruments and deep pile fabrics, and is renamed Amphenol-Borg Electronics Corporation.

9. 1967Amphenol

   Acquisition by Bunker-Ramo Corporation

   Bunker-Ramo Corporation acquires Amphenol, which begins operating as a subsidiary and passes through successive corporate owners for the next 24 years.

10. 1972Burlington

    Burlington Coat Factory opens

    Monroe Milstein bought a coat outlet in a former factory building in Burlington, New Jersey, and sold brand-name coats at discount prices, the start of Burlington Coat Factory.

11. 1981Amphenol

    Allied Corporation buys Bunker-Ramo for $358 million

    Allied Corporation acquires Bunker-Ramo for $358 million, including the Amphenol division, making Amphenol part of a larger industrial conglomerate.

12. 1983Burlington

    First public offering

    Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse Corporation went public for the first time, funding expansion from a regional discounter into a national chain with year-round apparel, shoes, baby and home departments.

13. 1987Amphenol

    LPL Investment leveraged buyout for $430 million

    LPL Investment buys Amphenol from Allied in a leveraged buyout valued at $430 million in cash, and the decentralized management style that defines the modern company takes hold. Martin H. Loeffler becomes president in the same year.

14. 1989Burlington

    Cohoes Specialty Stores acquired

    Burlington bought the Cohoes Specialty Stores off-price chain from upstate New York, including a 50 percent stake in the Cohoes Commons building; a few stores still traded as Cohoes Fashions decades later.

15. 1991Amphenol

    Second IPO on NYSE under ticker APH

    Amphenol returns to public markets with a second initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker APH, beginning the modern era of sustained growth and shareholder returns.

16. 2005Amphenol

    Acquisition of Teradyne connector business for $390 million

    Amphenol acquires Teradyne's connection systems business for $390 million in October 2005, expanding its presence in high speed data and backplane connectors for the growing IT datacom market.

17. 2006Burlington

    Bain Capital takes Burlington private

    Bain Capital acquired Burlington Coat Factory for about $2.06 billion, ending 34 years of Milstein family control. Long-time executive Mark Nesci became chief executive.

18. 2008Burlington

    Tom Kingsbury named CEO

    Former Kohl's executive Thomas Kingsbury became president and CEO in December 2008, succeeding Mark Nesci, and began overhauling buying, inventory management and the supply chain.

19. 2013Burlington

    Return to the stock market

    Burlington Stores priced its IPO on October 2, 2013, selling 13.3 million shares at $17 each for about $226 million, and listed under the ticker BURL.

20. 2016Amphenol

    Acquisition of FCI Asia for $1.275 billion

    Amphenol acquires FCI Asia from affiliates of Bain Capital for $1.275 billion in January 2016, strengthening its global connector footprint and adding high speed backplane and board-to-board capability.

21. 2019Burlington

    Michael O'Sullivan becomes CEO

    Former Ross Stores president and COO Michael O'Sullivan succeeded Tom Kingsbury as CEO around September 16, 2019, and later launched the Burlington 2.0 plan of leaner inventories and smaller stores.

22. 2020Burlington

    Online sales end and stores close for the pandemic

    On March 5, 2020, Burlington said it would shut its e-commerce business. Days later pandemic lockdowns closed its stores, and fiscal 2020 revenue fell to $5.76 billion with a $216.5 million net loss.

23. 2021Amphenol

    Acquisition of MTS Systems Corporation for $1.7 billion

    Amphenol acquires MTS Systems for $1.7 billion in April 2021, adding advanced sensor capability that deepens its position in industrial and automotive sensing.

24. 2023Burlington

    Bed Bath & Beyond leases

    Burlington won 44 Bed Bath & Beyond leases for $12 million at the June 2023 bankruptcy auction, the largest share of the 109 sold, and later reported 62 former Bed Bath & Beyond leases in total.

25. 2024Amphenol

    Acquisition of Carlisle Interconnect Technologies for about $2.0 billion

    Amphenol completes the purchase of Carlisle Interconnect Technologies from Carlisle Companies in May 2024 for about $2.0 billion, expanding aerospace, defense and medical harsh environment interconnect capability.

26. 2025Amphenol

    Completion of the $2.1 billion CommScope outdoor wireless and DAS purchase

    Amphenol completes the acquisition of CommScope's Outdoor Wireless Networks and Distributed Antenna Systems businesses, including Andrew, for $2.1 billion in cash. The businesses had about $1.2 billion of 2024 sales.

27. 2025Amphenol

    Record fiscal 2025 revenue of $23.09 billion, up 52%

    Amphenol reports record full year 2025 net sales of $23.09 billion, up 52% year over year and 38% organically, with a 25.4% GAAP operating margin, $4.4 billion of free cash flow and Communications Solutions sales up 91% to about $12.1 billion.

28. 2025Burlington

    Joann leases

    After Joann's second bankruptcy, Burlington agreed in April 2025 to take over 45 Joann store leases, many of which became part of its fiscal 2026 opening program.

29. 2026Amphenol

    Completion of the $10.5 billion CommScope CCS acquisition

    Amphenol closes its largest acquisition, buying CommScope's Connectivity and Cable Solutions business for $10.5 billion on January 12, 2026. Amphenol also acquired the CommScope name and expects the business to generate about $4.1 billion of sales in 2026.

30. 2026Amphenol

    Norwitt named chairman as Loeffler retires from the board

    Amphenol announces on February 4, 2026 that chief executive R. Adam Norwitt will also become chairman of the board at the May 2026 annual meeting, as Martin H. Loeffler retires from the board after more than five decades with the company.

31. 2026Burlington

    Record fiscal 2025 results

    Burlington reported fiscal 2025 total revenue of $11.57 billion and net income of $610.2 million, and ended the year on January 31, 2026, with 1,212 stores.

32. 2026Burlington

    Tariff refunds put into prices

    In the second quarter of fiscal 2026, sales rose 11 percent to $2.998 billion. Burlington received $55 million in tariff refunds and said it would reinvest them in lower prices; the store count reached 1,287.

33. 2026Burlington

    Headquarters move to Philadelphia announced

    On September 3, 2026, Burlington said it will invest $370 million to move its headquarters from Burlington Township, New Jersey, to Schuylkill Yards in Philadelphia, in phases from late 2028 or early 2029.

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