COMPANY·HISTORIES
NAIC 333313

Office Machine Manufacturing

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

13companies1896–1992founding years13still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedDe La Rue plc
1896
FoundedNCR Corporation
1900
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedFortune Brands, Inc.
1904
FoundedOlivetti S.p.A.
1908
FoundedEsselte
1913
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedPitney Bowes Inc.
1920
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
FoundedKonica CorporationFoundedRicoh Company, Ltd.
1936
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
FoundedHewlett-Packard Company
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedOmron Corporation
1948
FoundedSANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
1950
FoundedWincor Nixdorf Holding GmbH
1952
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
FoundedNeopost S.A.
1992
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
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

De La Rue plc →
Active · founded 1896 · United Kingdom
The world's largest commercial banknote printer and banknote paper manufacturer, De La Rue plc has a presence in…
NCR Corporation →
Active · founded 1900
When National Cash Register Company was formed during the last two decades of the 19th century, it had one…
Fortune Brands, Inc. →
Active · founded 1904
Fortune Brands, Inc., is a widely diversified conglomerate with principal businesses in distilled spirits, home…
Olivetti S.p.A. →
Active · founded 1908 · Italy
Olivetti S.p.A.
Esselte →
Active · founded 1913
Esselte is the world's leading office supply manufacturer with customers in 120 countries across the globe.
Pitney Bowes Inc. →
Active · founded 1920
Pitney Bowes Inc.
Konica Corporation →
Active · founded 1936 · Japan
Konica Corporation produces a wide range of products, mainly within the imaging sphere.
Ricoh Company, Ltd. →
Active · founded 1936 · Japan
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
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…
Omron Corporation →
Active · founded 1948 · Japan
Omron Corporation is a world leader in the field of automation.
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1950 · Japan
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
Wincor Nixdorf Holding GmbH →
Active · founded 1952 · Germany
Wincor Nixdorf Holding GmbH is one of the world's leading manufacturers of automated teller (ATM) and electronic…
Neopost S.A. →
Active · founded 1992 · France
Neopost S.A.
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