Logo for the Panasonic brand

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (松下電器産業株式会社) is an electronics manufacturer based in Kadoma, Osaka prefecture, Japan. Its brands include Panasonic, National, Nais, Quasar and Technics, and they are the controlling stockholder of the Japan Victor Company (JVC). It was founded by Konosuke Matsushita in 1918, with its first product being a bicycle lamp. Since then, it has became the largest Japanese electronics producer and competes mainly with Sony, Toshiba and Philips. In addition to electronics Matsushita offers non-electronic products and services such as home renovation services.

Timeline

• 1918: Company founding
• 1951: First use of the Panasonic brand for export
• 1953: Becomes majority stockholder of Japan Victor Company
• 1959: Matsushita Electronic Corp. of America established
• 1986: Buys the TV division of Motorola and gains ownership of the Quasar brand.
• 1989: Death of Konosuke Matsushita
• 1989: Acquires MCA-Universal
• 1991: Announces MSX-3, the final version of the popular Japanese home computer
• 1995: Sells MCA-Universal to Edgar Bronfman Jr. of Seagram's due to management conflicts.