COMPANY·HISTORIES
SIC 3651

Household Audio and Video Equipment

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

36companies1897–1988founding years34still active2no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedYamaha Corporation
1897
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedVictor Company of Japan, Limited
1927
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedMuzak, Inc.
1934
FoundedFujitsu LimitedFoundedSharp Corporation
1935
FoundedMinolta Co., Ltd.
1937
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedAmpex Corporation
1944
FoundedGrundig AG
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedSony Corporation
1946
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedAnam GroupFoundedAnam Group
1956
FoundedCasio Computer Co., Ltd.
1957
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedPhilips Electronics North America Corp.
1959
FoundedCobra Electronics Corporation
1961
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedPeavey Electronics Corporation
1965
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedBoston Acoustics, Inc.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
FoundedHarman International Industries Inc.
1980
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
FoundedMidway Games, Inc.
1988
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Yamaha Corporation →
Active · founded 1897 · Japan
Yamaha Corporation, one of Japan's most diversified companies, is the world's largest maker of musical instruments.
Yamaha Corporation →
Active · founded 1897 · Japan
Yamaha Corporation, one of Japan's most diversified companies, is the world's largest maker of musical instruments.
Victor Company of Japan, Limited →
Active · founded 1927 · Japan
Victor Company of Japan, Limited (JVC) is one of several Japanese companies that has evolved to dominate the…
Victor Company of Japan, Limited →
Active · founded 1927 · Japan
Victor Company of Japan, Limited (JVC) is one of several Japanese companies that has evolved to dominate the…
Muzak, Inc. →
Active · founded 1934
A fixture of the American soundscape, Muzak, Inc.
Muzak, Inc. →
Active · founded 1934
A fixture of the American soundscape, Muzak, Inc.
Fujitsu Limited →
Active · founded 1935 · Japan
Perhaps the most dramatic example of Japan's ability to overcome long odds in a short space of time has been the growth…
Fujitsu Limited →
Active · founded 1935 · Japan
Perhaps the most dramatic example of Japan's ability to overcome long odds in a short space of time has been the growth…
Sharp Corporation →
Active · founded 1935 · Japan
The Sharp Corporation is one of the largest and oldest Japanese consumer goods manufacturers.
Sharp Corporation →
Active · founded 1935 · Japan
The Sharp Corporation is one of the largest and oldest Japanese consumer goods manufacturers.
Minolta Co., Ltd. →
Defunct · founded 1937 · Japan
Since Kazuo Tashima began using German technology to produce one camera a day in 1928, Minolta Co., Ltd.
Minolta Co., Ltd. →
Defunct · founded 1937 · Japan
Since Kazuo Tashima began using German technology to produce one camera a day in 1928, Minolta Co., Ltd.
Ampex Corporation →
Active · founded 1944
Ampex Corporation is among the world leaders in the fields of magnetic recording, digital image processing, and…
Ampex Corporation →
Active · founded 1944
Ampex Corporation is among the world leaders in the fields of magnetic recording, digital image processing, and…
Grundig AG →
Active · founded 1945 · Germany
Grundig AG is a German consumer electronics manufacturer with significant shares in the market for television sets,…
Grundig AG →
Active · founded 1945 · Germany
Grundig AG is a German consumer electronics manufacturer with significant shares in the market for television sets,…
Sony Corporation →
Active · founded 1946 · Japan
The Sony Corporation is one of the best-known names in consumer electronics.
Sony Corporation →
Active · founded 1946 · Japan
The Sony Corporation is one of the best-known names in consumer electronics.
Anam Group →
Active · founded 1956
With an estimated one-third of the global semiconductor assembly market, the Anam Group ranks among South Korea's…
Anam Group →
Active · founded 1956
With an estimated one-third of the global semiconductor assembly market, the Anam Group ranks among South Korea's…
Anam Group →
Active · founded 1956
With an estimated one-third of the global semiconductor assembly market, the Anam Group ranks among South Korea's…
Anam Group →
Active · founded 1956
With an estimated one-third of the global semiconductor assembly market, the Anam Group ranks among South Korea's…
Casio Computer Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1957 · Japan
Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
Casio Computer Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1957 · Japan
Casio Computer Co., Ltd.
Philips Electronics North America Corp. →
Active · founded 1959
Philips Electronics North America Corp.
Philips Electronics North America Corp. →
Active · founded 1959
Philips Electronics North America Corp.
Cobra Electronics Corporation →
Active · founded 1961
Cobra Electronics Corporation designs and markets consumer electronics products like cordless telephones, telephone…
Cobra Electronics Corporation →
Active · founded 1961
Cobra Electronics Corporation designs and markets consumer electronics products like cordless telephones, telephone…
Peavey Electronics Corporation →
Active · founded 1965
The Peavey Electronics Corporation, founded in 1965 by Hartley Peavey, is a major manufacturer of guitars, amplifiers,…
Peavey Electronics Corporation →
Active · founded 1965
The Peavey Electronics Corporation, founded in 1965 by Hartley Peavey, is a major manufacturer of guitars, amplifiers,…
Boston Acoustics, Inc. →
Active · founded 1979
Operating within the fiercely contested market for stereo speakers, Boston Acoustics, Inc.
Boston Acoustics, Inc. →
Active · founded 1979
Operating within the fiercely contested market for stereo speakers, Boston Acoustics, Inc.
Harman International Industries Inc. →
Active · founded 1980
Harman International Industries, Inc.
Harman International Industries Inc. →
Active · founded 1980
Harman International Industries, Inc.
Midway Games, Inc. →
Active · founded 1988
Midway Games, Inc., is one of the world's leading producers of video games.
Midway Games, Inc. →
Active · founded 1988
Midway Games, Inc., is one of the world's leading producers of video games.
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