COMPANY·HISTORIES
SIC 3695

Magnetic and Optical Recording Media

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

14companies1887–1996founding years14still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironment
FoundedKao CorporationFoundedKao Corporation
1887
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1908
TechnologyThe Ford Model T brings the automobile to the middle class.
1913
EconomyThe Federal Reserve is created.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression begins.
1933
EconomyNew Deal reforms reshape banking and industry.
FoundedFuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.FoundedFuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
1934
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedAmpex CorporationFoundedAmpex Corporation
1944
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long postwar expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented at Bell Labs.
1956
EconomyThe Interstate Highway program remakes commerce.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedVerbatim CorporationFoundedVerbatim Corporation
1969
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.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins with the Altair.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedKomag, Inc.FoundedKomag, Inc.
1983
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall 22% in a single day.
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.
FoundedImation CorporationFoundedImation CorporationFoundedImation CorporationFoundedImation Corporation
1996
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

Kao Corporation →
Active · founded 1887 · Japan
Kao Corporation, often called the Procter & Gamble of Japan, is one of Japan's leaders in personal care products,…
Kao Corporation →
Active · founded 1887 · Japan
Kao Corporation, often called the Procter & Gamble of Japan, is one of Japan's leaders in personal care products,…
Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1934 · Japan
Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1934 · Japan
Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
Ampex Corporation →
Active · founded 1944
Ampex Corporation is among the world leaders in the fields of magnetic recording, digital image processing, and…
Ampex Corporation →
Active · founded 1944
Ampex Corporation is among the world leaders in the fields of magnetic recording, digital image processing, and…
Verbatim Corporation →
Active · founded 1969
One of the world's leading image and data storage media technology developers, Verbatim Corporation was one of the…
Verbatim Corporation →
Active · founded 1969
One of the world's leading image and data storage media technology developers, Verbatim Corporation was one of the…
Komag, Inc. →
Active · founded 1983
Komag, Inc., is the world's leading manufacturer of magnetic thin-film disks for computer hard drives.
Komag, Inc. →
Active · founded 1983
Komag, Inc., is the world's leading manufacturer of magnetic thin-film disks for computer hard drives.
Imation Corporation →
Active · founded 1996
In the closing months of 1995, Minnesota's 3M Corporation, one of the bluest of America's blue-chip companies,…
Imation Corporation →
Active · founded 1996
In the closing months of 1995, Minnesota's 3M Corporation, one of the bluest of America's blue-chip companies,…
Imation Corporation →
Active · founded 1996
In the closing months of 1995, Minnesota's 3M Corporation, one of the bluest of America's blue-chip companies,…
Imation Corporation →
Active · founded 1996
In the closing months of 1995, Minnesota's 3M Corporation, one of the bluest of America's blue-chip companies,…
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