Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. history, company profile (overview) and history video
Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. (住友電気工業株式会社) is a manufacturer of electric wire and optical fiber cables headquartered in Osaka, Japan. It has business operations in five industries: Automotive, Info-communications, Electronics, Energy and Environment, and Industrial Materials.
HISTORY
Sumitomo Electric’s origins date back to 1897 when Sumitomo acquired Nihon Seido Co., Ltd., establishing Sumitomo Copper Rolling Works, the predecessor to Sumitomo Electric, as one of its businesses. It began the production of copper wires, plates, and rods using copper from the Besshi Copper Mine as raw material.
In 1911, the electric wire business of Sumitomo Copper Rolling Works was separated as an independent business, Sumitomo Electric Wire & Cable Works.
In 1920, Sumitomo Electric Wire & Cable Works was incorporated as a limited company.
In 1939, Sumitomo Electric Wire & Cable Works Ltd. was renamed Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
In 1957, the company delivered the first Japan-made television broadcasting antennas.
In 1969, SIAM Electric Industries Co., Ltd., the first overseas factory, was established in Thailand.
In 1970, the production of compound semiconductors started.
In 1999, Sumitomo Electric Fine Polymer, Inc. (fine polymer products) started operation.
In 2001, J-Power Systems Corporation (high-voltage power cables) started operation.
In 2002, Sumitomo Electric Networks, Inc. (network equipment), Sumitomo (SEI) Steel Wire Corp. (special steel wires) and Sumitomo Electric Wintec, Inc. (magnet wires) started operations.
In July 2002, the wiring harness business of Calsonic Kansei Corporation was acquired.
In 2003, Sumiden Hitachi Cable Ltd. (wires and cables for buildings and industrial equipment) and Sumitomo Electric Hardmetal Corp. (powder metal and diamond products) started operations.
In 2004, A.L.M.T. Corp. became a wholly-owned subsidiary.
In 2007, Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd. became a wholly-owned subsidiary and Nissin Electric Co., Ltd. became a consolidated subsidiary.
In 2009, Eudyna Devices Inc. became a wholly-owned subsidiary and changed its trade name to Sumitomo Electric Device Innovations, Inc.
In 2016, the company started the sales of the world’s highest fiber count optical cables.
With more than 280,000 employees, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. is considered one of the Largest Public Companies in the World, according to Forbes.
*Information from Forbes.com, Wikipedia.org, and sumitomoelectric.com.
**Video published on YouTube by “Sumitomo Electric Group“