Brooks, Inc.

Brooks Incorporated is a combat vehicle manufacturer in the Free Worlds League.

Overview
Spread across three worlds, Brooks Incorporated is best known for the Galleon light tank but has also developed several other light combat vehicles such as the Harasser hovertank and the forthcoming Bulwark assault vehicle. Components are the largest part of Brooks' business, especially the StarSlab armor commonly employed on League 'Mechs (most often as a field upgrade rather than as part of a new build) and exported to the Magistracy of Canopus and Taurian Concordat. CEO Meschini is a distant relative of Duchess Humphreys and is a regular guest at official functions. He attempted to remain aloof from the friction between Andurien and Atreus, spending much of his time on Irian or Kendall.

Brooks Inc. was able to take advantage of the aftermath of the Jihad to acquire technology from Michaelson Heavy Industries, which by that point was nearly bankrupt; it utilized this technology in the development of the Aeron, a Strike VTOL based upon prototypes and concepts developed by the Word of Blake in the 3060s. In addition to acquiring some technology legitimately, Brooks Inc. was not above using technology acquired through somewhat dubious means, such as the Targeting Computer seen in use in the Aeron, with Brooks Inc. taking a robust attitude towards the potential for legal troubles this might cause. With the production of the Aeron, Brooks Inc. was able to expand its' market to include the Republic of the Sphere and even Clan Hell's Horses, via the auspices of Clan Diamond Shark intermediaries.

In the 3080s the Duchy of Tamarind found itself embroiled in a legal and economic tangle with Brooks Inc. A manufacturer within the Duchy, Maxwell Planetary Defense Consortium (MPDC), had been producing a version of the Thumper Artillery Vehicle since the later years of the Jihad. The Duchy government had given the MPDC a production contract as a means of growing the Duchy's military defense industry, despite the Duchy's lack of experience in such matters. The production had been rife with problems... and the design was also based on Brooks Inc. intellectual property rights. As the Inner Sphere began to return to normal, Brooks Inc. found out about the MPDC vehicle, and immediately filed a civil suit with the Duchy government.

When MPDC and the Duchy of Tamarind rejected the initial suit on grounds of national security, Brooks Inc. used their substantial interstellar economic pull to embargo MPDC sales to other states in the region. Following swift negotiations on all parts, the matter was finally resolved with a token cash payment for royalties to Brooks Inc, recognition of the licensing for the Thumper, and government-furnished construction of plants within the Duchy of Tamarind to produce the chassis and ECM components for the Thumper. In exchange, Brooks Inc used their expertise to assist in the construction of the various plants within Duchy space, and began line production of the new Thumper vehicle from their plants on Irian from 3089. Whether the costs for building the factories came directly from the Duchy or from breach of contract penalties against MPDC is unknown.

Leadership
The CEO of Brooks Inc. in 3067 was Walter Meschini.

Manufacturing
Brooks Incorporated has manufacturing centers on the following planets:

Andurien
The Andurien plant was undamaged and operating at full capacity in 3079.

Security Forces: Brooks Guardians (1 Company of armor)

Kendall
During the Jihad the plant lost 60% of its staff. In 3079 the plant was operating at 70% of its maximum.