COMPANYHISTORIES
NAIC 33431

Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing

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

33companies1905–1997founding years31still active2no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedDEMCO, Inc.
1905
FoundedKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
1912
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedSam Ash Music Corporation
1924
FoundedShure Inc.
1925
FoundedMatsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
1935
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedSennheiser Electronic GmbH & Co. KG
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedWMS Industries, Inc.
1946
FoundedAKG Acoustics GmbH
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedBlonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc.
1950
FoundedAiwa Co., Ltd.
1951
FoundedWinegard Company
1954
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedBose Corporation
1964
FoundedQSC Audio Products, Inc.
1968
FoundedPolk Audio, Inc.
1972
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedLogitech International S.A.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedSensory Science Corporation
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedViewSonic Corporation
1987
FoundedMackie Designs 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
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

DEMCO, Inc. →
Active · founded 1905
DEMCO, Inc.
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. →
Active · founded 1912 · The Netherlands
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
St. Louis Music, Inc. →
Active · founded 1922
St.
Sam Ash Music Corporation →
Active · founded 1924
Sam Ash Music Corporation is the second largest musical instrument retailer in the United States.
Bang & Olufsen Holding A/S →
Active · founded 1925 · Denmark
Bang & Olufsen Holding A/S (B & O) is a leading consumer electronics firm, manufacturing a complete line of…
Shure Inc. →
Active · founded 1925
Shure Inc.
Bogen Communications International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1932
With headquarters in New Jersey, Bogen Communications International, Inc., develops, manufactures, and markets…
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1935 · Japan
The Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
Clarion Company Ltd. →
Active · founded 1940 · Japan
Clarion Company Ltd.
Sennheiser Electronic GmbH & Co. KG →
Active · founded 1945 · Germany
Based near Hannover, Germany, Sennheiser Electronic GmbH & Co.
Kenwood Corporation →
Active · founded 1946 · Japan
Kenwood Corporation is one of Japan's largest and most successful consumer-oriented electronics companies.
WMS Industries, Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1946
WMS Industries, Inc.
AKG Acoustics GmbH →
Active · founded 1947 · Austria
For more than five decades AKG Acoustics GmbH has enjoyed a reputation among professional recording engineers, sound…
Pioneer Electronic Corporation →
Active · founded 1947 · Japan
Pioneer Electronic Corporation is one of the leading electronics firms in the world.
Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc. →
Active · founded 1950
Blonder Tongue Laboratories, Inc., located in Old Bridge, New Jersey, manufacturers a comprehensive line of electronic…
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. →
Defunct · founded 1950 · Japan
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
Aiwa Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1951 · Japan
Aiwa Co., Ltd.
Koss Corporation →
Active · founded 1953
Koss Corporation is the leading U.S.
Winegard Company →
Active · founded 1954
Based in Burlington, Iowa, Winegard Company manufactures a wide variety of reception equipment for home, commercial,…
RadioShack Corporation →
Active · founded 1960
RadioShack Corporation--known as Tandy Corporation from its founding in 1960 until mid-2000--is one of the largest…
Bose Corporation →
Active · founded 1964
Ranking 220th on Fortune's Private 500 list, Bose Corporation is engaged in the development, manufacture, and marketing…
Imax Corporation →
Active · founded 1967 · Canada
Imax Corporation, founded in 1967 and headquartered in Mississauga, Canada, is the pioneer and leader of giant-screen,…
QSC Audio Products, Inc. →
Active · founded 1968
QSC Audio Products, Inc.
Polk Audio, Inc. →
Active · founded 1972
Polk Audio, Inc.
Gemini Sound Products Corporation →
Active · founded 1974
Gemini Sound Products Corporation, based in Edison, New Jersey, is a family-owned business specializing in the…
Logitech International S.A. →
Active · founded 1981 · Switzerland
Logitech International S.A.
Cirrus Logic, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Cirrus Logic, Inc.
Sensory Science Corporation →
Active · founded 1984
Sensory Science Corporation designs, develops, and markets electronic video and audio products, concentrating on…
Universal Electronics Inc. →
Active · founded 1986
Universal Electronics Inc.
ViewSonic Corporation →
Active · founded 1987
ViewSonic Corporation is a leading provider of cathode ray tube (CRT) and liquid crystal display (LCD) computer…
Cambridge SoundWorks, Inc. →
Active · founded 1988
Located outside of Boston, Massachusetts, Cambridge SoundWorks, Inc.
Mackie Designs Inc. →
Active · founded 1988
Mackie Designs Inc.
Apex Digital, Inc. →
Active · founded 1997
Apex Digital, Inc.
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