On 17 May Epson was 70 years old. The company began life in 1942 as a watch components manufacturer named Daiwa Kogyo in the Japanese city of Suwa, in the Nagano Prefecture. Since then, its has grown to become a globally recognised brand, with a high profile in printing and digital projectors as well as its original market in time pieces, as well as less familiar areas such as sensors and robotics.
The company started with nine employees operating in a modified storehouse used for miso seasoning. The Epson brand was created comparatively recently, in June 1975. The parent organisation was named Seiko Epson in November 1985. Today the group employs more than 75,000 people in 97 companies around the world.
Along its journey, milestone products and industry firsts include:
* 1968 – EP-101: Claimed to be the world’s first compact, lightweight digital printer and the origin of Epson’s printer business – representing a breakthrough in printer size.
* 1969 – Seiko Quartz Astron 35SQ: the first quartz timepiece small enough to fit on a wrist instead of a table.
* 1987 – SG-615 crystal oscillator: The quartz device industry’s first crystal oscillator to come in a plastic Surface Mount Device (SMD) package.
* 1994 – ELP-3000: A projector with dramatic reductions in size and weight, and the ability to connect to a PC with just one cable.
* 1996 – Epson Stylus Photo: Micro piezo ink jet head technology is used to generate high image quality at a respectable speed at prices affordable to the home and office for the first time.
‘Epson’s origins as a watch manufacturer are indicative of its commitment to products of quality and precision,’ said Tony Petford, managing director of Epson UK. ‘Over the last seven decades, we’ve pioneered some of the most exciting imaging technologies, coupled with strong energy-saving credentials. As the industry continues to change, we’re looking forward to showcasing future products and innovations.’
Contact: www.epson.co.uk
