COMPANYHISTORIES
NAIC 336321

Vehicular Lighting Equipment Manufacturing

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

6companies1892–1987founding years5still active1no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedGeneral Electric Company
1892
FoundedHella KGaA Hueck & Co.
1899
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedDonnelly Corporation
1936
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedMark IV Industries, Inc.
1970
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedSLI, Inc.
1985
FoundedB/E Aerospace, Inc.
1987
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
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
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

General Electric Company →
Active · founded 1892
The history of General Electric Company is a significant part of the history of technology in the United States.
Hella KGaA Hueck & Co. →
Active · founded 1899 · Germany
Hella KG Hueck & Co.
Donnelly Corporation →
Active · founded 1936
Donnelly Corporation is a supplier of automotive components, ranking as the largest manufacturer of automotive mirrors…
Mark IV Industries, Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1970
Mark IV Industries, Inc.
SLI, Inc. →
Active · founded 1985
For the past 29 years, SLI, Inc.
B/E Aerospace, Inc. →
Active · founded 1987
In just a decade, B/E Aerospace, Inc.
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