A incident in which Kyocera began marketing a bioceramic medical implant prior to obtaining the official approval of Japan's Ministry of Health returned to haunt Inamori in when the company was accused of illegal activities by a member of Japan's parliament. Inamori was often a target of the Japanese press, which questioned both his strict managerial style and his judgment in doing such things as establishing a company cemetery. Kyocera's partnership with the California-based LaPine Technology Corporation was another deal that brought bad press.
This arrangement enabled LaPine to obtain the necessary financing it sought from the Prudential-Bache Trade Corporation. Within months, however, the three-way partnership began to crumble, reducing all three companies to arguments over costs and shipment quantities.
As this battle wore on, LaPine customers transferred their orders to other suppliers and employees were laid off in substantial numbers. In the end, Kyocera and Prudential-Bache squared off to fight over what little was left. Nonetheless, Kyocera has been an active participant in its local and national community. The Inamori Foundation, established in , awards the Kyoto Prize annually for achievements in science, technology, the creative arts, and the humanities.
The foundation also funds a number of domestic research projects throughout Japan in a range of technological and cultural specialities. During the late s and early s, Kyocera made major moves to bolster its overseas operations, particularly in Europe and North America.
This particular purchase did not go smoothly at first, as Elco soon lost most of its upper managers, who left after disagreements developed between them and Inamori. AVX, based in South Carolina and with six factories in Europe, manufactured multilayered ceramic and tantalum capacitors used in semiconductors, a perfect fit with Kyocera. Following the acquisition, Kyocera helped AVX cut costs and AVX also benefited from the two companies together being able to offer their customers a full range of electronics components.
That year, DDI went public, after which Kyocera owned a 25 percent stake in it. Kyocera continued to expand its involvement in telecommunications, as evidenced by the debut in Japan of the personal handyphone system PHS , a different type of cellular phone system, one that worked within a smaller area than that of cellular systems and that cost about one-fifth as much as cellular.
Kyocera expanded into multimedia in , with the establishment in August of Kyocera Multimedia Corporation for the marketing via television of software for games, database information, and consumer products. The company also made a series of moves to pursue the burgeoning economy of China. One of the most important developments of the late s came in June when Kyocera's revered entrepreneurial founder, Kazuo Inamori, retired, becoming a Zen Buddhist monk in the Kyoto temple where he had years earlier set up the controversial tomb for Kyocera employees.
Inamori nevertheless remained involved in the company as a board member and chairman emeritus. At this time Kensuke Itoh was serving as president, but he shifted into the chairmanship in mid, when Yasuo Nishiguchi was promoted to president, having previously served as head of the telecommunications business.
In August Kyocera broadened its electronic component line by acquiring a minority interest in Kinseki, Ltd. Kyocera took full control of Kinseki in and subsequently renamed it Kyocera Kinseki Corporation.
In the meantime, Mita Industrial Co. During Kyocera stepped in to help Mita reorganize, hoping to save a major buyer of its electronic components. In April Kyocera merged its printer operations into Kyocera Mita to take advantage of synergies between the two businesses.
One major setback for Kyocera in this period was the high-profile failure of the much-hyped Iridium satellite-based phone system, the development of which had been led by Motorola Corporation. Kyocera was a major producer of Iridium handsets and was also involved in other aspects of the business. By the early s more than 80 percent of Kyocera's revenues were being derived from telecommunications- or information-related operations. The telecommunications side received a huge boost in February when the wireless phone business of Qualcomm Inc.
A new U. This cell phone featured integrated personal digital assistant functions based on the Palm operating system, and it was released to stellar reviews. Kyocera's telecommunications investments paid off in another way in Kyocera's 25 percent stake in DDI was thus transformed into a The Kyocera Document Solutions portfolio does not stop at hardware. A full suite of business applications and consultative services allow customers to optimize and manage their document workflow, unleashing the full potential of their hardware investment.
Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. During the year ended March 31 , Kyocera Corporation's net sales totaled 1. USD May plan : Completion of the second plant for OPC drums Full view of the Plant the orange framed area in the upper right shows the planned site for the second plant. A incident in which Kyocera began marketing a bioceramic medical implant prior to obtaining the official approval of Japan's Ministry of Health returned to haunt Inamori in when the company was accused of illegal activities by a member of Japan's parliament.
Inamori was often a target of the Japanese press, which questioned both his strict managerial style and his judgment in doing such things as establishing a company cemetery. Kyocera's partnership with the California-based LaPine Technology was another deal that brought bad press. This arrangement enabled LaPine to obtain the necessary financing it sought from the Prudential-Bache Trade Corporation. Within months, however, the three-way partnership began to crumble, reducing all three companies to arguments over costs and shipment quantities.
As this battle wore on, LaPine customers transferred their orders to other suppliers and employees were laid off in substantial numbers. In the end, Kyocera and Prudential-Bache squared off to fight over what little was left. Nonetheless, Kyocera has been an active participant in its local and national community. The Inamori Foundation, established in , awards the Kyoto Prize annually for achievements in science, technology, the creative arts, and the humanities.
The foundation also funds a number of domestic research projects throughout Japan in a range of technological and cultural specialities. During the late s and early s, Kyocera made major moves to bolster its overseas operations, particularly in Europe and North America. This particular purchase did not go smoothly at first, as Elco soon lost most of its upper managers, who left after disagreements developed between them and Inamori. AVX, based in South Carolina and with six factories in Europe, manufactured multilayered ceramic and tantalum capacitors used in semiconductors, a perfect fit with Kyocera.
Following the acquisition, Kyocera helped AVX cut costs and AVX also benefited from the two companies together being able to offer their customers a full range of electronics components. That year, DDI went public, after which Kyocera owned a 25 percent stake in it. Kyocera continued to expand its involvement in telecommunications, as evidenced by the debut in Japan of the personal handyphone system PHS , a different type of cellular phone system, one that worked within a smaller area than that of cellular systems and that cost about one-fifth as much as cellular.
Kyocera expanded into multimedia in , with the establishment in August of Kyocera Multimedia Corporation for the marketing via television of software for games, database information, and consumer products. The company also made a series of moves to pursue the burgeoning economy of China. Although still largely an unknown entity, Kyocera Corporation in a span of less than 40 years had developed leading operations in a wide range of cutting-edge high-tech areas.
By fiscal the company's largest sector in terms of sales was information and telecommunications equipment, which accounted for Electronic components comprised Kyocera was also increasingly global in nature and, in particular, planned to target the fast-emerging countries of Asia for future growth.
The Kyocera of the late s and beyond, however, would no longer feature the revered entrepreneur, Kazuo Inamori, who retired in June , becoming a Zen Buddhist monk in the Kyoto temple where he had years earlier set up the controversial tomb for Kyocera employees.
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