TDK Ferrites Corporation history

In 1951 the company began to produce ceramic capacitors.

In 1952 TDK introduced its first magnetic recording tape.

1959: Overseas expansion begins with the opening of an office in New York City.

In the meantime, TDK went public in 1961 with a listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

1965: TDK Electronics Corporation, the first overseas subsidiary, is established in New York.

In Japan TDK led the development of recording tape, becoming the first domestic manufacturer of audiocassettes in 1966.

Avilyn videotapes hit the market in 1973.

TDK's floppy disks, first produced in 1982, garnered a respectable market share partly based on the company's excellent reputation in audio and video recording media.

However, in 1983, this name was changed to TDK, taken from the first letters of the first three words (Tokyo, Denki, Kagaku).

In 1984 TDK launched its Components Engineering Laboratory (CEL) in Los Angeles.

In 1987 the company embarked on a joint venture with the Allen-Bradley Company, of the United States, to produce motor magnets for the automobile industry.

In 1988 the company acquired Display Components Inc. (Discom), of Westford, Massachusetts.

In May 1996, TDK announced a plan to shift all its floppy disk manufacturing overseas, some to a California subsidiary, some to several Southeast Asian companies.

Continuing its policy of making strategic acquisitions, TDK acquired Grey Cell Systems Limited in September 1997.

The company reported net income of $1 million on sales of $160 million for 1999.

Another strategy was diversification, and TDK in 2000 moved beyond its traditional position as provider of recording media by branching out into the manufacture of related hardware devices to be sold to consumers.

Semiconductors, including those used in local area network devices, set-top boxes, and modems, accounted for just over 3 percent of 2002 sales.