Panasonic
Panasonic Corporation (Japaneseパナソニック 株式会社, Panasonikku Kabushiki - gaisha, in short: Panasonic KK), listed on the Nikkei 225, is a Japanese electronics company headquartered in Kadoma ( Osaka / Japan), the and its products among others under the Panasonic brand name Technics sells. Until 30 September 2008, he operated under the name Matsushita Denki Sangyo KK (松下 电器 产业 株式会社, Eng. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd.. ). The fund company Dodge & Cox holds a stake of 5.87%.
History
Panasonic Corporation was as Matsushita Denki Kigu Seisakujo (松下 电 気 器具 制作 所, dt " Matsushita Electric Equipment Plant "; [ ˌ ma tsɯ̥ɕi̥ta ] ) founded in March 1918 by Konosuke Matsushita as a family and converted into a registered company in December 1935.
The production initially included the production of light bulb sockets. In 1922 the first factory was built ( 50 employees ). In the following years the product range to include bicycle lamps (1923 ), has been extended Iron (1927 ), tube radio receiver (1931, three products) and electric motors ( 1933). 1939 first successful tests were also carried out by television broadcasts.
In 1927 led the company's founder, the brand "National" (ナショナル, Nashonaru; registered 1925) and for a new bicycle light bulb - as a product, not the Matsushita ..
After the Second World War Matsushita brought out a new range of household products, including washing machines (1951 ), TVs (in cooperation with Philips, 1952 Presentation of the first black and white television ) and microwave oven ( 1966). Beginning in 1945, Matsushita also produced quality bikes (until the end of the 1980s ). The reason for the somewhat unusual product extension is called that company founder Konosuke Matsushita a doctrine made ten years old with an employer, who owned a bike shop, and had to live with his family as well as his own family was destitute.
In 1955, Matsushita, speakers, and lights began under the newly introduced brand "Panasonic" to export abroad .. 1965 then saw the introduction of the third brand " Technics ".
Under these brand names Matsushita sales of different products for the audio and video section. In the 1970s and 1980s, the company developed many innovations, such as the Direct Drive Turntable (1970 ) or the video standard VHS (1977, developed by Matsushita subsidiary JVC), who eventually prevailed worldwide in the home user sector. Matsushita was with at that company consortium that developed the CD standard. Among the innovations since 1990, where Matsushita / Panasonic was actively involved include: the DVD standard video systems DV and DVC -Pro and plasma screens in HD quality.
The annual turnover of 31 March 2004 amounted to 7.479 trillion yen, according to 62.3 billion U.S. dollars. The company is one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer electronics and electrical appliances. Abroad work around 290,500 people for Panasonic. President of Matsushita 's Kunio Nakamura. On 1 October 2008, the name change to Panasonic Corporation was made. This is mainly due to the fact that the company was better known abroad under the name Panasonic.
In December 2009, Panasonic took over through the acquisition of a majority stake Sanyo.
Group structure
The Group consists of the following divisions:
- Semiconductor
- Panasonic AVC Networks
- Panasonic Automotive Systems
- Panasonic System Solutions
- Matsushita Home Appliances
- Health
- Bulbs
- Motors
- Products for Factory Automation
- Relay
- Passives
- Computer peripherals
In addition to the Panasonic brand name, which simultaneously is the global core brand name and designation of the group in the public, the company markets products under the name Technics ( hi-fi components ), National ( household electrical appliances, only in Japan and China), Quasar ( TVs, VCRs, microwave ovens, only in the U.S.) and NAIS ( to April 1, 2004 for factory automation ). Kotobuki is a subsidiary of OEM products in the computer field. Victor Company of Japan, Limited ( JVC) was another subsidiary in the field of consumer electronics.
Offices in Germany
In Germany Matsushita Opened in 1962, the first European sales office in Hamburg, the business quickly grew and in 1984 named Panasonic Germany GmbH. The company employs approximately 350 employees and annual sales (2003 ) of over 700 million euros.
Has European headquarters of Panasonic Electric Works with 300 employees as Panasonic Electric Works Europe AG headquartered in wooden churches (Upper Bavaria), the production facility is located as Panasonic Electric Works Europe AG, German Factory in Pfaffenhofen. The German market is served by Panasonic Electric Works Europe AG directly with components and systems for factory automation. The German Factory manufactures high quality relay for clients in the following industries: telecommunications, instrumentation, and control equipment, household goods, consumer electronics, mechanical engineering and automotive industry.
Research and development in the areas of future mobile communication, video compression and digital audio and video broadcast for mobile devices (DAB, DVB -H) operates the Panasonic R & D Center Germany GmbH in Langen (Hessen).
The Panasonic Robot and Welding Systems Europe is the European sales and technical center for industrial robots and welding technology, headquartered in Neuss.
The National Brand
National is a brand name of Matsushita for domestic appliances and industrial applications, and was the first brand name that the electrical company from Konosuke Matsushita used to their battery-powered bicycle lamps to sell, with the brand name expressed the hope that the products would be used by the entire Japanese nation. She was perhaps the first well-known brand of Japanese electronics.
National was formerly the premium brand of most of Matsushita products including audio and video technology and was used after the worldwide success of the Panasonic brand in the combination " National Panasonic ".
After 1980, Matsushita used the National brand in Europe no longer sold and audiovisual products only under the brands Panasonic and Technics.
In North America the name National was already occupied by a U.S. manufacturer of high quality radio. Therefore, the first radio and television sets were sold under the name of Matsushita. The success was moderate, only a new beginning with the trade name "Panasonic" was the breakthrough. Only for some household appliances such as rice cookers in the U.S. Asiamärkten Matsushita used the name National.
National is in Asia as a brand manufacturer of household appliances such as rice cookers and fans, known. 2004 was also in Asia this brand replaced (usually by Panasonic), as it was been repeated problems with other companies on the world market, who used "National" in their name. Also Matsushita's desire to focus on the brand Panasonic with their greater awareness played a role in the decision.
Because of its historical importance and popularity was in Japan, the National brand for non-audiovisual products, especially household appliances, to 2008 continue to be used.
National bicycles were exported as Panasonic in the United States. The brand was known for high quality bikes at a relatively low price, which was a result of high automation of production and resulting low labor costs.
The Brand National and Matsushita be abolished and all products sold in the future under the brand name Panasonic.