I started my career when Reagan was president at TRW. During the flat budgets of the 90s, there were a lot of mergers, but TRW held out for a while until they were finally bought by Northrop Grumman. I had to go there for a meeting after they had been bought, and it was strange to see NG logos all over the company. I’ve seen many other large companies come and go, and it’s happening at the lower levels too.
Some of these companies are so large, that when dealing with different groups within a company, it’s almost like dealing with different companies. I’ve heard stories of certain companies submitting more than one proposal, thereby competing with themselves.