Ltd. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. 1935 - 2008

occupation:
Designer, Manufacturer
Nationality:
Japanese
born in:
Japan

In 1935, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. was renamed from Electric Housewares Manufacturing Works. ‘Panasonic’ is the most widely known company brand name and identity for Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd, but the brand names of Matsushita and National (from 1959) were also used in this period.

During 1935, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. was designing and manufacturing televisions. Then, during the Second World War, the company operated factories in Japan and other parts of Asia designing and manufacturing electrical components and appliances including electric light fixtures, electric motors, and irons. Following the Second World War, the company started branching out and began designing and manufacturing bicycles.

In 1950, ‘Panasonic Industrial’ was introduced as a brand name.

In 1961, the company began designing and manufacturing televisions for the American market under the ‘Panasonic’ brand name, and between the 1950s and 1970s were also designing and manufacturing televisions, radios and domestic appliances for markets outside North America. In 1965, the company began designing and manufacturing the ‘Technics’ brand of hi-fidelity audio equipment.

In 1997, the 'National Panasonic' brand name was introduced and in October 2008, the company was renamed again to Panasonic Corporation. Between 2008 and 2009, the company acquired Sanyo which was established as a Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. sub-contractor, by Konosuke Matsushita's brother-in-law.