COMPANYHISTORIES
SIC

Semiconductors and Related Devices

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

134companies1846–2000founding years122still active12no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedJenoptik AG
1846
FoundedVorwerk & Co.
1883
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedHartmarx Corporation
1911
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedKomatsu Ltd.
1921
FoundedGould Electronics, Inc.
1928
FoundedMatsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
1935
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedCumberland Packing Corporation
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedOmron Corporation
1948
FoundedAnam Group
1956
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedNational Picture & Frame Company
1964
FoundedInternational Telephone and Telegraph Corporation
1968
FoundedDesc, S.A. de C.V.
1973
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedMicron Technology, Inc.
1978
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedNimbus CD International, Inc.
1982
FoundedDallas Semiconductor Corp.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedCHIPS and Technologies, Inc.
1985
FoundedBrightpoint, Inc.
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.
FoundedAmkor Technology, Inc.
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

Dynatech Corporation →
Active
Dynatech Corporation is one of the world's leading suppliers of products that support voice, video, and data…
Jenoptik AG →
Active · founded 1846 · Germany
Jenoptik AG is a high-technology company, based in Jena, Germany, that specializes in the fields of systems engineering…
Boatmen's Bancshares Inc. →
Active · founded 1847
Boatmen's Bancshares Inc.
The Associated Press →
Active · founded 1848
The Associated Press (AP) describes itself as the largest newsgathering organization in the world.
Société du Louvre →
Defunct · founded 1855 · France
Société du Louvre does not run that Paris museum, but its properties are almost as distinguished.
Crane Co. →
Active · founded 1865
Crane Co.
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company →
Active · founded 1867
Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company is a prominent regional and specialty beer brewer.
Heidelberger Zement AG →
Active · founded 1873 · Germany
Heidelberger Zement AG is one of the world's five largest producers of construction materials.
Vorwerk & Co. →
Active · founded 1883 · Germany
For more than 100 years, Vorwerk & Co.
Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung →
Active · founded 1889 · Germany
The Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung, a 'juridical person' under German civil law, is the sole owner of two industrial enterprises,…
Johnson Matthey PLC →
Active · founded 1891 · United Kingdom
Johnson Matthey PLC has been involved in the processing and marketing of precious metals since its founding in 1817.
Herman Goelitz, Inc. →
Active · founded 1898
Herman Goelitz, Inc.
NEC Corporation →
Active · founded 1899 · Japan
Early 1920s:NEC, IWE, and a division of the Sumitomo group form a joint venture to produce electrical cables, marking…
The King Arthur Flour Company →
Active · founded 1904
The King Arthur Flour Company celebrates its 210th anniversary in the year 2000.
Blue Diamond Growers →
Active · founded 1910
Blue Diamond Growers is the world's largest tree nut marketer and also ranks as one of the largest agricultural…
Hartmarx Corporation →
Active · founded 1911
Hartmarx Corporation is a holding company for a number of clothing companies, including its flagship brands of men's…
NKK Corporation →
Defunct · founded 1912 · Japan
NKK Corporation is one of the world's largest steelmakers and Japan's second largest.
The Lane Co., Inc. →
Active · founded 1912
The Lane Co., Inc.
Schott Brothers, Inc. →
Active · founded 1913
Schott Brothers, Inc.
Wacker-Chemie GmbH →
Active · founded 1914 · Germany
Wacker-Chemie GmbH is a worldwide leader in the manufacture of specialty chemicals.
Lutheran Brotherhood →
Active · founded 1917
Lutheran Brotherhood is the second-largest fraternal benefit society in the United States.
Nikon Corporation →
Active · founded 1917 · Japan
While Nikon Corporation is well known in the consumer world for its cameras, the Japanese firm also produces film…
Shionogi & Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1919 · Japan
Shionogi & Co., Ltd., ranks among Japan's leading developers, producers, and exporters of pharmaceuticals.
Komatsu Ltd. →
Active · founded 1921 · Japan
World War II:[fsps*3.5]The company supplies the Japanese navy with antiaircraft artillery shells and bulldozers.
Zatarain's, Inc. →
Active · founded 1922
Zatarain's, Inc., is a leading producer of rice mixes.
Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1923 · Japan
Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.
Advance Publications Inc. →
Active · founded 1924
Family owned and operated, Advance Publications Inc.
Weis Markets, Inc. →
Active · founded 1924
Weis Markets, Inc.
Harris Corporation →
Active · founded 1926
The origin of the Harris Corporation, a leading American electronics company, is actually to be found in the printing…
Rayonier Inc. →
Active · founded 1926
Rayonier Inc.
Gould Electronics, Inc. →
Active · founded 1928
Gould Electronics, Inc., is a designer and manufacturer of materials and components for use in the electrical and…
Motorola, Inc. →
Active · founded 1928
Electronic communications pioneer Motorola, Inc.
AMETEK, Inc. →
Active · founded 1930
AMETEK, Inc.
Texas Instruments Inc. →
Active · founded 1930
Texas Instruments Inc.
Porsche AG →
Active · founded 1931 · Germany
Porsche AG is legendary for its innovative and beautiful automobile designs.
Value Line, Inc. →
Active · founded 1931
Value Line, Inc.
Besnier SA →
Active · founded 1933 · France
Besnier SA is France's largest dairy products producer and one of the largest dairy products producers in Europe.
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1935 · Japan
The Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
Ricoh Company, Ltd. →
Active · founded 1936 · Japan
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
World's Finest Chocolate Inc. →
Active · founded 1939
World's Finest Chocolate Inc.
Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. →
Active · founded 1942 · Japan
c.
Jos. A. Bank Clothiers, Inc. →
Active · founded 1945
Jos.
Kaman Corp. →
Active · founded 1945
Kaman Corp.
Sub-Zero Freezer Co., Inc. →
Active · founded 1945
Sub-Zero Freezer Co., Inc., is the leading manufacturer of built-in refrigerators, which can be fronted with cabinetry…
Iams Company →
Active · founded 1946
Iams Company is a manufacturer of premium dog and cat foods which are distributed only through veterinarians, animal…
Cumberland Packing Corporation →
Active · founded 1947
Cumberland Packing Corporation is a relatively small, family-run business, yet it has been a major player in the…
Dal-Tile International Inc. →
Active · founded 1947
Dal-Tile International Inc.
EG & G Incorporated →
Active · founded 1947
EG & G Incorporated is a diversified technology company that develops and provides products for public and private…
Hewlett-Packard Company →
Active · founded 1947
Since merging in 2002, Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Compaq have created the new HP (Hewlett-Packard Company), serving more…
International Rectifier Corporation →
Defunct · founded 1947
International Rectifier Corporation (IR) is the oldest independent power semiconductor manufacturer in the world.
Richardson Electronics, Ltd. →
Active · founded 1947
Richardson Electronics, Ltd., is one of the fastest growing, highly specialized international distributors of power…
Johnston Industries, Inc. →
Active · founded 1948
Although it got its start selling auto replacement parts, Johnston Industries, Inc.
Omron Corporation →
Active · founded 1948 · Japan
Omron Corporation is a world leader in the field of automation.
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. →
Defunct · founded 1950 · Japan
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
Consorcio G Grupo Dina, S.A. de C.V. →
Active · founded 1951 · Mexico
Consorcio G Grupo Dina , S.A.
Bayer A.G. →
Active · founded 1952 · Germany
Bayer A.G., along with BASF and Hoechst, is heir to the German chemical cartel known as I.G.
WD-40 Company →
Active · founded 1953
Since the 1950s, the San Diego-based WD-40 Company has dominated the U.S.
Avnet Inc. →
Active · founded 1955
Avnet Inc.
Dover Corporation →
Active · founded 1955
Dover Corporation is a diversified industrial manufacturing holding company composed of about 50 subsidiaries with…
Renault Argentina S.A. →
Active · founded 1955 · Argentina
Of Argentina's ten automakers, almost all are closely held subsidiaries or affiliates of their American, European, or…
Anam Group →
Active · founded 1956
With an estimated one-third of the global semiconductor assembly market, the Anam Group ranks among South Korea's…
Burr-Brown Corporation →
Active · founded 1956
Burr-Brown Corporation designs, manufactures, and sells a broad line of microelectronic components, especially…
Watkins-Johnson Company →
Active · founded 1957
A leading high-technology competitor, Watkins-Johnson Company is a producer of semiconductor-manufacturing equipment…
Kyocera Corporation →
Active · founded 1959 · Japan
Kyocera Corporation, founded in 1959, was one of the first companies to produce fine ceramic components.
National Semiconductor Corporation →
Defunct · founded 1959
National Semiconductor Corporation is a leading U.S.
Semtech Corporation →
Active · founded 1960
Semtech Corporation, headquartered in Newbury Park, California, develops and manufactures analog and mixed-signal…
Marie Callender's Restaurant & Bakery, Inc. →
Active · founded 1964
Marie Callender's Restaurant & Bakery, Inc.
National Picture & Frame Company →
Active · founded 1964
National Picture & Frame Company is a major designer, manufacturer, and marketer of a wide variety of low-priced…
Analog Devices, Inc. →
Active · founded 1965
Analog Devices, Inc.
Ruth's Chris Steak House →
Active · founded 1965
Ruth's Chris Steak House is an international chain of upscale restaurants.
Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc. →
Active · founded 1966
Founded in Berkeley, California, in the mid-1960s, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Inc.
Ceradyne, Inc. →
Active · founded 1967
Ceradyne, Inc.
Anthem Electronics, Inc. →
Active · founded 1968
Anthem Electronics, Inc.
Intel Corporation →
Active · founded 1968
Intel Corporation is the largest semiconductor manufacturer in the world, with major facilities in the United States,…
International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation →
Active · founded 1968
Once known primarily as a telecommunications company, the International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation (ITT) has…
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. →
Active · founded 1969
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Flextronics International Ltd. →
Active · founded 1969 · Singapore 408723
Flextronics International Ltd.
Offshore Logistics, Inc. →
Active · founded 1969
Offshore Logistics, Inc., with headquarters in Lafayette, Louisiana, provides a variety of services to the petroleum…
Parlex Corporation →
Active · founded 1970
Parlex Corporation is a world leader in the flexible circuitry and laminated cable assemblies used throughout the…
Exar Corp. →
Active · founded 1971
Exar Corp.
Mitel Corporation →
Active · founded 1971 · Canada
Mitel Corporation is an international supplier of telecommunications products and solutions and a pioneer in…
Standard Microsystems Corporation →
Active · founded 1971
Since being incorporated in 1971, Standard Microsystems Corporation has evolved from a semiconductor supplier to a…
Desc, S.A. de C.V. →
Active · founded 1973 · Mexico
Desc, S.A.
The Yankee Candle Company, Inc. →
Active · founded 1973
The Yankee Candle Company Inc.
The Summit Bancorporation →
Active · founded 1974
The Summit Bancorporation is the holding company for Summit Bank, New Jersey's fourth largest bank.
ZiLOG, Inc. →
Active · founded 1974
ZiLOG, Inc., designs, develops, and manufactures 8-bit micrologic semiconductor devices, also known as embedded control…
Corporacion Nacional del Cobre de Chile →
Active · founded 1976 · Chile
: 212234 Copper Ore & Nickel Ore Mining; 331411 Primary Smelting & Refining of Copper Ore The state-owned Corporacion…
Solectron Corporation →
Defunct · founded 1977
Solectron Corporation operates as the world's largest electronics manufacturing services company.
The Really Useful Group →
Active · founded 1977 · United Kingdom
The Really Useful Group is the umbrella corporation over a welter of entertainment and leisure companies that operate…
Micron Technology, Inc. →
Active · founded 1978
Micron Technology, Inc., is a holding company for subsidiaries engaged in the design and production of computers,…
Applied Micro Circuits Corporation →
Defunct · founded 1979
Originally established to provide integrated circuits (ICs) to the military, Applied Micro Circuits Corporation (AMCC)…
Seagate Technology, Inc. →
Active · founded 1979
Seagate Technology, Inc.
VLSI Technology, Inc. →
Active · founded 1979
VLSI Technology, Inc.
LSI Logic Corporation →
Active · founded 1980
A leading competitor in the customized semiconductor market, LSI Logic Corporation represents a defining force in a…
Riklis Family Corp. →
Active · founded 1980
Riklis Family Corp.
Linear Technology, Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
Linear Technology, Inc.
Cypress Semiconductor Corporation →
Active · founded 1982
Cypress Semiconductor Corporation designs, manufactures, and distributes a range of integrated circuits for the…
Nimbus CD International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1982
In the mid-1990s Nimbus CD International, Inc.
Grameen Bank →
Active · founded 1983 · Bangladesh
Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus pioneered the concept of 'micro-credit'--minuscule loans to the very poor.
Lattice Semiconductor Corp. →
Active · founded 1983
Lattice Semiconductor Corp.
Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. →
Active · founded 1983
Maxim Integrated Products, Inc., is a leading developer, manufacturer, and seller of linear as well as mixed (linear…
Altera Corporation →
Active · founded 1984
Founded in 1983, Altera Corporation is a leading maker of high-density programmable logic devices (PLDs), based on…
Atmel Corporation →
Active · founded 1984
One of the fastest growing semiconductor companies in the United States, Atmel Corporation designs, develops, and…
Cirrus Logic, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Cirrus Logic, Inc.
Dallas Semiconductor Corp. →
Active · founded 1984
Dallas Semiconductor Corp.
ESS Technology, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
ESS Technology, Inc.
Novellus Systems, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Based in San Jose, California, Novellus Systems, Inc.
Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc.
Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation →
Active · founded 1984
Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation is an integrated circuit, or chip, manufacturer with a difference: its ICs are made…
Xilinx, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Xilinx, Inc.
American Classic Voyages Company →
Active · founded 1985
American Classic Voyages Company is parent company to two pleasure cruise companies, the Delta Queen Steamboat Company,…
CHIPS and Technologies, Inc. →
Active · founded 1985
Founded in 1985, CHIPS and Technologies, Inc., supplies advanced semiconductor devices to the worldwide personal…
TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1985
TriQuint Semiconductor, Inc.
Cree Inc. →
Active · founded 1987
Cree Inc.
Oak Technology, Inc. →
Active · founded 1987
Born in Xian, China, at the height of World War II, Oak Technology, Inc.
STMicroelectronics NV →
Active · founded 1987 · Switzerland
STMicroelectronics NV is one of the world's leading semiconductor manufacturing companies.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. →
Active · founded 1987 · Taiwan
When Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd.
C-Cube Microsystems, Inc. →
Active · founded 1988
C-Cube Microsystems, Inc.
Gemplus International S.A. →
Defunct · founded 1988 · Luxembourg
Gemplus International S.A.
Brightpoint, Inc. →
Active · founded 1989
Brightpoint, Inc.
Rooms To Go Inc. →
Active · founded 1990
Rooms To Go Inc., a low- to mid-priced furniture store chain, has rapidly expanded to more than 60 stores since opening…
Veeco Instruments Inc. →
Active · founded 1990
Veeco Instruments Inc.
Broadcom Corporation →
Active · founded 1991
Broadcom Corporation is one of several companies contributing to the infrastructure that will bring high-speed Internet…
Caliper Life Sciences, Inc. →
Active · founded 1995
Caliper Life Sciences, Inc.
Lucent Technologies Inc. →
Active · founded 1995
Lucent Technologies Inc.
Footstar, Incorporated →
Active · founded 1996
Footstar, Incorporated is a holding company whose two subsidiaries, Footaction and Meldisco, are leading shoe retailers…
Amkor Technology, Inc. →
Active · founded 1997
Amkor Technology, Inc.
Pixelworks, Inc. →
Active · founded 1997
Pixelworks, Inc.
Weatherford International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1998
Houston-based Weatherford International, Inc.
Agilent Technologies Inc. →
Active · founded 1999
Agilent Technologies Inc.
Conexant Systems, Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1999
As a unit of Rockwell International, the predecessor of Conexant Systems, Inc.
JDS Uniphase Corporation →
Defunct · founded 1999
JDS Uniphase Corporation is a high technology company that designs, develops, manufactures, and distributes a wide…
Agere Systems Inc. →
Defunct · founded 2000
Agere Systems Inc.
Infineon Technologies AG →
Active · founded 2000 · Germany
During Infineon Technologies AG's short life as an independent company, it has become the fourth largest DRAM…
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