Electroimpact is an

aerospace Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astrona ...

engineering manufacturer founded by Peter Zieve in July 1986 and based in

Mukilteo, Washington Mukilteo ( ) is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is located on the Puget Sound between Edmonds and Everett, approximately north of Seattle. The city had a population of 20,254 at the 2010 census and an estimated 2019 ...

History

Electroimpact was founded by Peter Zieve in July 1986 in

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

after he invented low voltage electromagnetic

riveting A rivet is a permanent mechanical fastener. Before being installed, a rivet consists of a smooth cylindrical shaft with a head on one end. The end opposite to the head is called the ''tail''. On installation, the rivet is placed in a punched o ...

as a doctorate student at the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

. At the time, the company was based on Blakely Street. The first machine was sold to

Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense technology company. With 90,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $30 billion, it is one of the world's largest weapons manufacturers and military techn ...

, and later the company sold machines to

Boeing The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and product ...

and Textron Aerostructures. In 1992, Electoimpact moved its headquarters to

, where it is one of the largest employers in the city. The company is a major supplier for

and

Airbus Airbus SE (; ; ; ) is a European Multinational corporation, multinational aerospace corporation. Airbus designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace manufacturer, aerospace products worldwide and manufactures aircraft througho ...

. The company operates on five continents and maintains a 100-employee location in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

which primarily supports the assembly of Airbus planes.

Controversies

In 2015, Peter Zieve told employees that he would bring a $1,000 check to any wedding he attended, and until 2016, any employee who got married while working at the company received a $1,000

bonus payment A bonus payment is usually made to employees in addition to their base salary as part of their wages or salary. While the base salary usually is a fixed amount per month, bonus payments more often than not vary depending on known criteria, such a ...

, despite a state law prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of marriage. Employees are also given bonus payments for births of children. Electroimpact has also been criticized for its lack of diversity. In June 2016, the

United States Department of Labor The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is responsible for the administration of federal laws governing occupational safety and health, wage and hour standards, unemploym ...

reported that 94.5% of the company’s 474 engineers were white. Only three percent of engineers at the company are women. Additionally, Peter Zieve has been accused of

Islamophobia Islamophobia is the fear of, hatred of, or prejudice against the religion of Islam or Muslims in general, especially when seen as a geopolitical force or a source of terrorism. The scope and precise definition of the term ''Islamophobia'' ...

, harassment, and of fostering a hostile work environment on multiple occasions. In April 2016, Zieve's anti-muslim comments resulted in the Muslim community calling for a boycott of Electroimpact. In March 2017, Electroimpact was criticized for its refusal to hire

Muslims Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...

. According to a complaint filed by the

Attorney General of Washington The Attorney General of Washington is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state of Washington and head of the Washington State Office of the Attorney General. The attorney general represents clients of the state and defends the public interest i ...

, Bob Ferguson, CEO Peter Zieve "asked for a photo of all job applications and then screened out anyone who said they were Muslim or who he believed to be Muslim based on their name, photograph or national origin". In 2016, an employee objected to an anti-Muslim statement sent by Zieve to the company email list and was told to leave the company. Electroimpact agreed to pay a civil rights settlement of $485,000, that Peter Zieve would no longer take part in hiring for non-management positions or review employee complaints, and that the company would not base compensation on marital status.

Awards

* Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance "Aerospace Company of the Year" (2014)

References

{{reflist 1986 establishments in Washington (state) Companies based in Mukilteo, Washington Companies based in Snohomish County, Washington Mukilteo, Washington Manufacturing companies established in 1986 Technology companies established in 1986 Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1986