Racal - Racal Under Harrison

Racal Under Harrison

Harrison joined the company board in 1958, and as deputy managing director from 1961 helped Racal to obtain a Stock Market listing. Harrison became chairman in 1966, when co-founder Ray Brown was lured away by the Ministry of Defence. The major deals he undertook were:

• Negotiation of a British Army battlefield radio contract (initially Larkspur, later part of Clansman) which secured the future of Racal
• Led the merger between Racal and British Communications Corporation, that bolstered Racal’s radio business
• Bought Decca in 1980 in competition from General Electric Company plc, the rival British company led by Lord Weinstock
• Buying the British Rail Telecommunications network, to form the basis of Racal Telecom
• Creation and spin-out of Vodafone
• Stopping the proposed takeover by Williams Holdings by demerging Chubb
• Investing in National Lottery company Camelot Group
• Selling Racal Telecom to Global Crossing
• Selling Racal's remaining defence and industrial electronics divisions to Thomson-CSF of France for £1.8 billion

Under Harrsion, £1,000 invested in Racal in 1961 would have been worth £14.5million when he retired in 2000. Harrison received an estimated £25 million from the sale of Racal in 2000, and is estimated to have died with an accumulated total wealth of £40million.