Yokogawa celebrates 50 years of business

October 23, 2007
Yokogawa Corporation of America
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Summary

October 23, 2007 - Yokogawa Corporation of America will commemorate 50 years of business in North America at its Newnan, Ga., headquarters on October 18, 2007.Yokogawa today is a four billion US dollar company focused on measurement, control, and information. The Group consists of 20,000 employees at the Yokogawa Headquarters and 5 Regional Headquarters, covering 33 countries with 84 group companies.It was founded in 1915, 92 years ago, in Tokyo, with the founding principles of Quality First, Pioneer Spirit, and Contribution to Society. Throughout its history, it has placed its first priority on the development of leading-edge measurement and control technology.In October 1957, Yokogawa opened a small sales, service and marketing office in New York. It was registered as Yokogawa Electric Works Inc., and was located in a small, leased office building at 40 Worth Street in New York City. At the time, it was considered an epoch event to the Japan Electric Measuring Instruments Manufacturers’ Association for one of its members to have an office outside of Japan – especially one in New York City.The Company’s business began to grow in America when, in 1962, a US-Japan joint project launched a rocket into space to measure the ionosphere and Yokogawa’s measurement instruments were on board. In order to better emphasize Yokogawa’s capabilities as a technology leader, the company’s name was changed to Yewtec Corporation in 1968. By the time the company name was changed to Yokogawa Corporation of America in 1975, Yokogawa expanded its product offering and had gained a certain momentum in reaching its market share goals.As the customer base increased, there was an ever greater demand for some products to be manufactured in the United States. At that time, one of Yokogawa’s American consultants introduced a golden opportunity, informing the Tokyo headquarters that Coweta County in Georgia was planning an industrial park and inviting manufacturers like Yokogawa with good incentives.In 1980, Yokogawa opened a manufacturing facility in Newnan, Georgia, and the Company’s business in the United States began a new expansion phase.Hoping to achieve an increase in its systems business similar to that of the Asian market, Yokogawa established a joint venture company with the American-based company, Johnson Controls Incorporated, in 1989. At the same time, it divided its operations in the United States was divided into two divisions -- YCA for the Test & Measurement business and JYC (Johnson Yokogawa Corporation) for the Industrial Automation business. This JV was dissolved in 1997 and Yokogawa began to make steady progress in preparation for a full-scale system business by the Yokogawa Group, especially in the areas of engineering, manufacturing, and marketing. The role of Yokogawa Corporation of America went beyond that of just being the America branch office, it also became a core member of the Yokogawa Group, sharing the common know how of all the Group companies.The growth for Yokogawa in America began at the ISA in 2003 with the announcement of a full scale global business marketing concept – Vigilance®. Then, in February 2005 at the ARC Forum in Orlando, Fla., Yokogawa Electric Corporation Chairman Isao Uchida announced that Yokogawa would become the global number one player in the industrial automation business in 2010.To help towards this goal and to show its commitment to its customers, Yokogawa officially opened a new facility in Sugar Land, Texas, on September 16, 2005. In November 2007, Yokogawa Corporation of America opened its doors to more than 900 current and future customers at its Technology Innovations Fair held in Houston. Now, under the presidency of Dave Johnson, the first American to be named President and & CEO of Yokogawa, the Company is achieving tremendous growth. During the past year, it two years it has incorporated branch in both Canada and Mexico and is planning an additional 300,000 square foot expansion to its Sugar Land, TX, facility.About Yokogawa Corporation of AmericaYokogawa's global network of 18 manufacturing facilities, 84 companies, and over 650 sales and engineering offices spans 33 countries. Since its founding in 1915, the US$4 billion company has been engaged in cutting-edge research and innovation, securing more than 7,000 patents and registrations, including the world's first digital sensors for flow and pressure measurement. Industrial automation and control, test and measurement, information systems and industry support are the core businesses of Yokogawa. Learn More

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