History

We're striving for growing and changing of electronics.

1948 Nov
  • Established under the name of KATAOKA ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
Dec
  • Started manufacturing and sales of rotary switches.
1949 May
  • Started manufacturing and sales of variable capacitors.
Oct
  • Built OSAKA OFFICE (now Kansai Branch).
1954 Jun
  • Started manufacturing and sales of VHF TVtuners.
    *Exported variable capacitors overseas (Argentina) for the first time.
1958 Dec
  • Started manufacturing and sales of potentiometers.
1960 May
  • Started manufacturing and sales of FM tuners.
Sep
  • Started operation of YOKOHAMA PLANT.
1961 Apr
  • Started public offering of stocks for the first time in the electronic component industry.
1963 Sep
  • Opened NEW YORK OFFICE.
  • Started manufacturing and sales of UHF TVtuners.
1964 Jun
  • Awarded by Ministry of International Trade and Industry as a company contributing to exports (Thereafter, awarded 6 times consecutively).
Aug
  • Established TOHOKU ALPS CO., LTD.
Sep
  • Started operation of FURUKAWA PLANT.
  • Established 1st overseas joint venture company KEL COMPONENTS PRIVATE LTD. in India.
Dec
  • Changed company name to ALPS ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
1966 Jun
  • Started operation of WAKUYA PLANT.
Sep
  • Opened DUESSELDORF OFFICE in West Germany.
    *Started manufacturing and sales of keyboard switches this year.
1967 May
  • Established ALPS-MOTOROLA INC.
    (actual ALPINE ELECTRONICS, INC.),Started manufacturing and sales of tape decks.
Aug
  • Listed on the First Market at Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Nov
  • Hachiman Electronics Co., Ltd. transferred its magnetic head division to ALPS ELECTRIC,started manufacturing and sales.
Dec
  • Started operation of KAKUDA PLANT.
1968 Mar
  • Started operation of SOMA PLANMAT.
Oct
  • Started operation of NIIGATA PLANT.
1969 Jul
  • Increased capital by public offering of new shares at market price (first in Japan).
1970 Mar
  • Established ALPS TRANSPORTATION CO., LTD. (actual ALPS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS CORP.).
Jul
  • Completed CENTRAL LABORATORY in Furukawa Plant.
Aug
  • Established overseas joint venture company GOLD STAR ALPS ELECTRONICS (actual LG ELECTROCOMPONENTS ) in Republic of Korea.
Dec
  • Established overseas joint venture company FORWARD ELECTRONICS CO.,LTD.in Taiwan.
1973 Mar
  • Established ALPS DO BRASIL in Brazil.
1976 Feb
  • Started manufacturing and sales of cassette mechanisms.
Jul
  • Started operation of MORIOKA PLANT.
1977 Apr
  • Started operation of ONAHAMA PLANT.
Nov
  • Established ALPS ELECTRIC (USA) ,INC.
Dec
  • Started manufacturing and sales of micro printers.
1979 Jun
  • Started manufacturing and sales of LCD.
Sep
  • Established ALPS ELECTRIC EUROPE GmbH in West Germany.
1980 Mar
  • Opened HONG KONG OFFICE.
May
  • Started manufacturing and sales of floppy disk drives.
1981 Mar
  • Opened TAIPEI REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE.
Aug
  • Developed electro gyrocator jointly with Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
1983 Jan
  • Started manufacturing and sales of cylinder units for VCRs.
1984 Nov
  • Established ALPS ELECTRIC (UK) in England.
1985 Aug
  • Purchased Garden Grove Plant of Apple Computer Inc.
1987 Feb
  • Established ALPS ELECTRIC KOREA CO., LTD. in Republic of Korea.
    *Started manufacturing and sales of Clock spring for SRS air bag system.
1988 Mar
  • Established ALPS ELECTRIC (IRELAND) in Ireland.
1989 Apr
  • Established ALPS ELECTRIC (MALAYSIA). in Malaysia.
1990 Apr
  • Established ALPS SYSTEM INTEGRATION.
Oct
  • Established ALPS ELECTRIC (SCOTLAND) in England.
1991 Apr
  • Started environmental Protection committee.
Jun
  • Completed NEW CENTRAL LABORATORY.
1992 Oct
  • Onahama Division acquired International Quality Assurance Standard ISO9001 certification;(Other domestic and overseas divisions proceed to acquire certification)
1993 Jun
  • Established NINGBO ALPS ELECTRONICS in P.R. of China.
Dec
  • Established DALIAN ALPS ELECTRONICS and SHANGHAI ALPS ELECTRONICS CO,. LTD. in P.R. of China.
  • Established ALPS ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING MEXICO S.A. de C.V. in Mexico.
  • Entered amusement business.
1994 Jun
  • Established All ALPS Environmental Protection Charter.
Dec
  • Started Densokuno of mail-ordered electronic components by fax.
1995 Jan
  • Established WUXI ALPS ELECTRONICS in P.R. of China.
Jun
  • Established ALPS ELECTRONICS (CHINA) in P.R. of China.
Aug
  • Established TIANJIN ALPS ELECTRONICS in P.R. of China.
Nov
  • Established ALPS CZECH in Czech Republic.
1996 Nov
  • System Devices Division acquired ISO14001 certification. All domestic manufacturing facilities had acquired certification by 1999.
Dec
  • LG ELECTRO-COMPONENTS and ALPS ELECTRIC KOREA (Republic of Korea)set for new starts after liquidqtion of joint venture agreements.
1997 Feb
  • Car Electronics Business Unit acquires QS 9000 certification. (Mechatronic Devices Division 1 and 2 acquire certification)
Oct
  • Establishment of the ALPS Corporate Vision.
1998 Mar
  • Acquisition of ISO9001 certification for the Magnetic Devices Division.(Certification extends to the Division as a whole throughout Japan.)
May
  • Started operation of Precision Machine & Tool Center Kitahara Plant (Miyagi Pref.).
Nov
  • 50th Anniversary of ALPS ELECTRIC. Commemorative Ceremony and Celebrations of the Half-Centenary.
1999 Feb
  • Alps Electric (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. merged with Alps Precision (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
Apr
  • Established Technical Master Training Center at the Precision Machine & Tool Center.
  • Joint establishment of Cryodevice Inc. with Denso Corporation.
Sep
  • AKC changes name to Alps Accounting Center.
2000 Mar
  • Thirty-year joint venture ended with Forward Electronics Co., Ltd. of Taiwan in share transfer.
Apr
  • Fourth exhibition vehicle completed and operations started.
  • Alps Business Creation Fukushima Co., Ltd. established.
  • Makoto Kosan Co., Ltd. changes name to Alps Finance Service Corp.
Sep
  • AIS Co. Ltd formed through joint financing in merger of six LCD component manufacturing companies in Aomori Prefecture.
  • Alps stock incorporated in Nikkei 225 index.
  • Mechatronic Devices Division established by combining Mechatronic Devices Division 1 and Mechatronic Devices Division 2.
2001 Apr
  • Company employed zero emission initiative.
Oct
  • Established ALPS (Shanghai) International Trading Co., Ltd. in China.
Nov
  • Joint establishment of "PREMINET" with Kinden Corporation and others.
2002 Feb
  • Started operation of a new plant of DALIAN ALPS ELECTRONICS.
Apr
  • Renewal of our organization due to the Structural Reform.
Jun
  • Established ALPS COMMUNICATION DEVICES TECHNOLOGY (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD. in P.R. of China.
Jul
  • Established Green Supply Charter.
Nov
  • Established IP TRADING JAPAN CO., LTD.
  • Established "ALPS Group Scholarship" in Neusoft Insutitute of Information Technology in China.
2003 Jun
  • Issued ¥30 billion in corporate bonds in overseas markets.
Oct
  • Integrated TOHOKU ALPS CO., LTD. with ALPS ELECTRIC.
  • Created Compliance Charter, Basic Rules, and Committee Rules.
Dec
  • Submitted request for delisting from Osaka Securities Exchange and Nagoya Stock Exchange.
  • ALPS DE BRAZIL transferred operations to Primotech-21 Industria e Comercio de Componetes Ltda.
  • IPTJ announced establishment of the IP Incubation Fund.
2004 Sep
  • DALIAN ALPS ELECTRONICS CO., LTD. celebrated 10th anniversary of its founding.
Oct
  • The Mid Niigata Prefecture Earthquake struck. Entire Alps Group supported recovery operations.
  • Concluded research contract with Cambridge University and two private companies.
Nov
  • Operations commenced at a new plant of Tianjin Alps Electronics Co., Ltd.
2005 Aug
  • Changed stock trading unit from 1000 to 100.
Oct
  • Moved and started operation of a new plant of NINGBO ALPS ELECTRONICS.
Nov
  • WUXI ALPS ELECTRONICS CO., LTD. celebrated 10th anniversary of its founding.
2006 Feb
  • Established DANGDONG ALPS ELECTRONICS CO.,LTD.
  • Moved to new plant of SHANGHAI ALPS CO.,LTD.
Oct
  • Acquisition of ISO9001 certification(2004 version) for the DANGDONG ALPS ELECTRONICS CO.,LTD.
2007 Mar
  • Concluded basic agreement upon transfer of facilities and intellectual property rights of HDD head business to TDK Corporation.
Dec
  • Concluded basic agreement upon partial transfer of trimmer potentiometer business to Teikoku Tsushin Kogyo Co., Ltd.
  • Designated for the first time in Japan as Compliance Customs Clearance (Approved Special Importer and Approved Special Exporter for outstanding compliance with Japanese laws and regulations), at the same time.

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