COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 334310

Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing

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

34companies1905–1997founding years30still active4no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironment
FoundedDEMCO, Inc.FoundedDEMCO, Inc.
1905
1908
TechnologyThe Ford Model T brings the automobile to the middle class.
FoundedKoninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
1912
1913
EconomyThe Federal Reserve is created.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedSt. Louis Music, Inc.
1922
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression begins.
FoundedBogen Communications International, Inc.
1932
1933
EconomyNew Deal reforms reshape banking and industry.
FoundedMatsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
1935
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedClarion Company Ltd.
1940
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long postwar expansion begins.
FoundedWMS Industries, Inc.
1946
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented at Bell Labs.
FoundedSANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
1950
FoundedWinegard Company
1954
1956
EconomyThe Interstate Highway program remakes commerce.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedRadioShack Corporation
1960
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedQSC Audio Products, Inc.
1968
1970
EnvironmentThe EPA is founded; environmental regulation expands.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; Nasdaq opens.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
FoundedGemini Sound Products Corporation
1974
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins with the Altair.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher.
1980
EnvironmentSuperfund law makes polluters pay for cleanup.
FoundedLogitech International S.A.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedCirrus Logic, Inc.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedViewSonic Corporation
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall 22% in a single day.
FoundedCambridge SoundWorks, Inc.
1988
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.
FoundedApex Digital, Inc.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2001
EconomyThe September 11 attacks; a recession follows.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 begin to take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit.
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.
DEMCO, Inc. →
Active · founded 1905
DEMCO, Inc.
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. →
Active · founded 1912 · The Netherlands
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. →
Active · founded 1912 · The Netherlands
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
St. Louis Music, Inc. →
Active · founded 1922
St.
St. Louis Music, Inc. →
Active · founded 1922
St.
Bogen Communications International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1932
With headquarters in New Jersey, Bogen Communications International, Inc., develops, manufactures, and markets…
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.
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.
Clarion Company Ltd. →
Active · founded 1940 · Japan
Clarion Company Ltd.
WMS Industries, Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1946
WMS Industries, Inc.
WMS Industries, Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1946
WMS Industries, Inc.
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. →
Defunct · founded 1950 · Japan
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. →
Defunct · founded 1950 · Japan
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
Winegard Company →
Active · founded 1954
1980s:John Winegard retires and is succeeded by his son, Randy Winegard.
Winegard Company →
Active · founded 1954
1980s:John Winegard retires and is succeeded by his son, Randy Winegard.
RadioShack Corporation →
Active · founded 1960
RadioShack Corporation--known as Tandy Corporation from its founding in 1960 until mid-2000--is one of the largest…
RadioShack Corporation →
Active · founded 1960
RadioShack Corporation--known as Tandy Corporation from its founding in 1960 until mid-2000--is one of the largest…
QSC Audio Products, Inc. →
Active · founded 1968
QSC Audio Products, Inc.
QSC Audio Products, Inc. →
Active · founded 1968
QSC Audio Products, 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…
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.
Logitech International S.A. →
Active · founded 1981 · Switzerland
Logitech International S.A.
Cirrus Logic, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Cirrus Logic, Inc.
Cirrus Logic, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Cirrus Logic, Inc.
ViewSonic Corporation →
Active · founded 1987
ViewSonic Corporation is a leading provider of cathode ray tube (CRT) and liquid crystal display (LCD) computer…
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.
Cambridge SoundWorks, Inc. →
Active · founded 1988
Located outside of Boston, Massachusetts, Cambridge SoundWorks, Inc.
Apex Digital, Inc. →
Active · founded 1997
Apex Digital, Inc.
Apex Digital, Inc. →
Active · founded 1997
Apex Digital, Inc.
Build It Today

Starting a audio and video equipment manufacturing company now

Each week we rebuild one of these stories for today's tools and capital.