Knowles Corp

Overview

Knowles Corporation is a manufacturer of specialty electronic components, including high-performance capacitors, RF filters, advanced microphones, and balanced-armature speakers. Its products serve medtech, defense, industrial, electrification and energy, hearing-health, and specialty-audio applications. The company operates through Precision Devices and MedTech & Specialty Audio.[1]+2

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, Knowles reported approximately 5,200 employees and facilities in 11 countries. Its FY2025 revenue was $593.2 million.[1][4] The company describes its mission as enabling innovation through high-performing electronic components for demanding applications.[5] [1]+4

Products & services

Knowles produces high-performance capacitors and RF filters through its Precision Devices segment. Its capacitors are designed for high-voltage, high-temperature, and high-reliability applications, while its RF-filtering solutions serve a range of applications and frequencies, primarily in defense. Products are used in defense, industrial, medical technology, and electrification and energy markets. The company also provides custom design, engineering, sales, and customer support.[2][6]

Its MedTech & Specialty Audio segment makes balanced-armature speakers and microphones for hearing-health manufacturers and specialty-audio markets. Solutions can be tailored to requirements such as small size, broad frequency response, low power consumption, or custom acoustic modules.[3]

Knowles reported first-half 2026 revenue of $319.9 million: Precision Devices contributed $183.4 million, or approximately 57.3%, and MedTech & Specialty Audio contributed $136.5 million, or approximately 42.7%. These are segment revenue shares, not individual product-category shares.[7] [2]+3

Geographic presence

In FY2025, Knowles reported revenue by customer geography of $248.8 million in the United States (41.9% of total), $226.1 million in Asia (38.1%), $95.4 million in Europe (16.1%), $12.0 million in Other Americas (2.0%), and $10.9 million in Other (1.8%).[8][9]

Knowles’ sales, support, and engineering facilities span North America, Europe, and Asia; manufacturing is located in North America and Asia, with its MSA business manufacturing in Asia. Material sites listed by the company include its headquarters in Itasca, Illinois; U.S. facilities in Cazenovia, New York, New Bedford, Massachusetts, and Liberty, South Carolina; and facilities in Suzhou, China; Cebu, Philippines; Mexicali, Mexico; and Penang, Malaysia.[10][9] The company identifies China and Southeast Asia as the locations of most of its largest manufacturing facilities.[9] [8]+2

Business segments

Knowles reports two business segments: Precision Devices (PD) and MedTech & Specialty Audio (MSA). PD focuses on custom high-performance capacitors and RF solutions for defense, industrial, medtech, and electrification and energy applications. MSA designs and manufactures balanced-armature speakers and microphones for hearing-health and specialty-audio applications in medtech and industrial markets.[11]+2

Based on 2025 revenue, PD contributed approximately 55.4% ($328.9 million) and MSA approximately 44.6% ($264.3 million) of the company’s $593.2 million total.[4] [11]+5

Company history

Knowles traces its origins to 1946, when Hugh S. Knowles formed Industrial Research Products; Knowles Electronics followed in 1954, the year the company says its technology was first used in hearing aids.[1][14] A Knowles microphone was used by Neil Armstrong on the first Apollo mission in 1969, and the company introduced its SiSonic MEMS microphones in 2003.[15][16]

On February 28, 2014, Knowles became an independent, publicly traded company following its spin-off from Dover Corporation.[17][18] It acquired audio-processing company Audience in 2015 and sold its mobile consumer electronics speaker/receiver product line in 2016.[19][20] In 2023, Knowles acquired capacitor manufacturer Cornell Dubilier; in 2024, it sold its Consumer MEMS Microphones business to Syntiant.[21]+3 [1]+11

Sources

• Knowles Corp — Full financial report (2025 Y)
  10 citations

  [1][2][3][4][6][8][10][11][12][13]
• www.knowles.com[5]
• Knowles Corp — Full financial report (2026 Q 2)[7]
• www.sec.gov[9]
• www.nae.edu[14]
• investor.knowles.com[15]
• investor.knowles.com[16]
• Knowles Corp — Full financial report (2015 Y)[17]
• investor.knowles.com[18]
• investor.knowles.com[19]
• www.sec.gov[20]
• Knowles Corp — Full financial report (2023 Y)[21]
• investor.knowles.com[22]
• Knowles Corp — Full financial report (2024 Y)[23][24]
• investor.knowles.com[25]