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Corporation<br>,
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Panasonic ideas for life
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Osaka , Japan ( 1918 )
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Kadoma , Osaka , Japan
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Kunio Nakamura , President
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334,752 (Consolidated, as of March 31, 2005)
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745 billion US (Fiscal year ended March 31, 2005)
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Electronics
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AVC networks, Home appliances, Components and devices, others
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Panasonic Global Site
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(, ) is a
Japan ese
Electronics manufacturer based in
Kadoma ,
Osaka Prefecture ,
Japan .
The company was founded by
Konosuke Matsushita in 1918 to sell duplex lamp sockets. In 1927, it produced a bicycle lamp, the first product it marketed under the brand name ''National.'' Since then, it has become the largest Japanese electronics producer. In addition to electronics, Matsushita offers non-electronic products and services such as home renovation services.
Matsushita was ranked the 59th company in the world in 2007 by the Forbes Global 500 and is among the
Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders .
Fortune Global 500 Profile ,
CNN, retrieved 7 September 2007
The common English mispronunciation is /ˌmɑtsuːˈʃiːtə/, while the proper Japanese pronunciation for the company is .
Matsushita was founded in
1918 by
Konosuke Matsushita and operated
Factories in Japan and
Asia through the end of
World War II , producing
Electrical components and appliances such as
Light Fixtures ,
Motor s, and
Electric Irons .
After World War II, Matsushita regrouped and began to supply the post war boom in Japan with radios and appliances. Matsushita's brother-in-law,
Toshio Iue founded
Sanyo as a subcontractor for components after WWII. Sanyo grew to become a competitor to Matsushita.
In
1961 ,
Konosuke Matsushita traveled to the
United States and met with American
Dealer s. Matsushita began producing
Television sets for the U.S. market under the ''Panasonic''
Brand name, and expanded the use of the brand to Europe in 1979.
Matsushita expands use of Panasonic brand name globally in April, 2003
The company used the National trademark outside of North America during the 1950s through the 1970s. It sold televisions, radios, and home appliances in some markets. The company began opening manufacturing plants around the world. It quickly developed a reputation for well-made reliable products.
The company debuted a hi-fi speaker in Japan in 1965 with the brand ''Technics''. This line of high quality stereo components became worldwide favorites. The most famous product still made today is the
SL-1200 record player known for its high performance and durability.
During the
1970s , Matsushita expanded further in the U.S. market, purchasing
Quasar from
Motorola in
1974 and purchasing
MCA-Universal in
1989 . Many American employees who transferred over from Motorola felt that they were discriminated against and filed a lawsuit in
1986 after three-quarters of American managers from the Quasar division were let go.
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The company then became a major target of anti-Japanese sentiment among , including Universal to
Edgar Bronfman, Jr. of
Seagram 's.
In November 1999, the
Japan Times reported that Matsushita planned to develop a "next generation
First Aid kit" called the Electronic Health Checker. At the time, the target market was said to be
Elderly people, especially those living in rural areas where medical help might not be immediataly available, so it was planned that the kit would include support for
Telemedicine . The kits were then in the testing stage, with plans for eventual overseas distribution, to include the United States.
In recent years the company has been involved with the development of high-density optical disc standards intended to eventually replace the
DVD and the SD memory card.
Since the spring of 2004, Matsushita has used ''Panasonic'' as its primary global brand. The matsushita.co.jp website now redirects to panasonic.co.jp.
On
January 19 ,
2006 Matsushita announced that, starting in February, it will stop producing analog televisions (currently 30% of its total TV business) to concentrate on digital TVs.
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Matsushita produces electronic products under a variety of names, including:
- (home appliances for the overseas market, personal electronics, audio/video equipment, microchips, automotive components)
- (home appliances for the Japanese market)
- (components for automated systems, replaced by Panasonic in 2004)
- (lower-priced televisions, video equipment and appliances in the North American market—being phased out)
- (audio equipment)
- (professional audio equipment)
- (as of 1994, home appliances for the Chinese market).
