Wk1: Canon's Brief History & Mission Satement

Brief History

     It started in 1933 with a small laboratory dedicated to making high-quality cameras set up in a simple apartment room in the Roppongi area of Tokyo. At the time, all high-quality cameras were European. Canon Inc. was founded August 10, 1937. Canon started out as a company with a handful of employees and a burning passion. However, the origins of its success remains unchanged: "the passion of our early years and technological expertise amassed over more than 60 years."
     After its founding, Canon worked hard in 1941 to diversifying itself with the introduction of Japan's first indirect X-ray camera and other products. In 1955, Canon made its first step into the global market with the opening of a U.S. office in New York City. In 1957, Canon set up its sole European distributor, Canon Europa, in Geneva, Switzerland. By 1967 exports already topped 50% of the company's total sales. In the 1960s, the company took further steps toward diversification with their electrical, physical and chemical technologies to its optical and precision technologies. In 1967, the management slogan "cameras in the right hand, business machines in the left" was unveiled and in 1969 the company changed its name from "Canon Camera Co., Inc." to "Canon Inc."
     By 1970, Canon grew to 44.8 billion yen in sales and more than 5,000 employees. But Canon fell on hard times. Like with every company, with every climax comes a downfall. So by the mid-1990s, the business division system that had been in place since the 1970s was showing signs of wear and Canon also carried debt of more than 840 billion yen. With this, it only meant that the company had to improve its "financial constitution."
     Fujio Mitarai became Canon's 6th company president in 1995, and in 1996 the Excellent Global Corporation Plan was launched. Transforming the corporate mindset from "partial" to "total" optimization and from a focus on "sales" to a focus on "profits", the new plan was the start of the innovations that characterize today's Canon Inc. 

Mission Statement

     Canon has successfully maintained a healthy business constitution through such efforts as thoroughly strengthening our supply-chain management, enabling us to make great strides towards the realization of a real-time management structure that allows the company to promptly respond to sudden changes in the global economic changes. While working to further raise management quality, Canon will strive to meet new challenges. Canon seeks to grow and prosper over the next 100, or even 200 years, and is committed to becoming a truly excellent global company who's admired and respected by the world. Canon will continue using its technologies to benefit people as it pursues its objective of becoming a company that is loved by people throughout the world.