Epson Corporate Information

U.S. History

In 1975, Epson America, Inc. entered the U.S. market to supply original equipment manufacturer (OEM) components and peripherals to the computer and electronics market. Four years later, when the personal computer market was being established and there was a need for a competitively priced desktop printer, Epson introduced the MX-80. This successful and widely distributed printer became the 'de-facto' industry standard for serial impact dot matrix printers due to its high performance, quality print output, reliability and affordability. Epson captured a 60% share of the dot matrix printer market as a result of that product introduction.

Today, Epson America, Inc. is responsible for the sales, marketing, distribution, service and support of a wide range of digital imaging products and point-of-sale system solutions throughout the Americas. Under its brand name, Epson offers an extensive array of award-winning image capture and image output products, including color inkjet printers, scanners, LCD multimedia projectors, and monochrome dot matrix printers. Epson's branded products are designed for a variety of customer environments, including business, photography, government, audio visual, graphic arts and the home.

As a leading supplier of diverse system device products, Epson offers point-of-sale solutions for transaction automation in retail and banking industries. The company has a complete line of receipt printers, intelligent terminals and customer displays that are sold to end users or other companies that repackage or resell them as part of their own offering.

Epson America, Inc. has been a voluntary partner of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Energy Star Program since its inception in 1993. Through the partnership, the company reinforces and illustrates its global commitment to introduce and promote energy-efficient products. Today, all Epson printers are Energy Star-compliant in accordance with the EPA's guidelines for low power consumption. EAI is also ISO 14001 certified at its headquarters and North American distribution centers, which are also ISO 9000 certified.

As a good corporate citizen, Epson America recognizes a responsibility toward the health and prosperity of the communities in which it operates. As this philosophy is an integral part of Epson's policy, the company supports a variety of community events and charitable programs through its Focused Giving Program.

Seiko Epson History

Epson America's parent company, Seiko Epson Corporation, had its origins in Suwa Seikosha, one of several manufacturing companies in The Seiko Group. The Seiko Group evolved from K. Hattori & Company, an import/export trading company of clocks and watches that was established in 1881. Suwa Seikosha was responsible for manufacturing men's watches and conducting research and development in the core technologies of CMOS integrated circuits and liquid crystal displays. These are major components in many of today's high-performance desktop, notebook and handheld computers.

In 1964, The Seiko Group was chosen to supply the official timekeeping equipment for the Tokyo Olympics and was asked to design a special timing device for the games. Using their watch-related technologies, Suwa Seikosha developed a high-precision crystal chronometer (timepiece) combined with a printing timer. In 1968, Suwa Seikosha developed the first commercially successful printer mechanism, the EP-101, incorporating technology that would later be found in the MX-80 printer. In 1969, Suwa Seikosha perfected the world's first quartz watch.

Since its establishment, Seiko Epson Corporation has earned a reputation for pioneering original technologies which have led to a number of "firsts" in technological innovation. Seiko Epson enjoys a distinguished reputation as a manufacturer of high-quality products, placing the company in a leadership position in a variety of industries. Some of these firsts include:

Over the past decade, Seiko Epson Corporation has been recognized numerous times by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for their environmental protection activities. For example, in 1992 Seiko Epson received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award in recognition of its contribution toward global efforts to eliminate ozone depleting substances from all manufacturing processes. Seiko Epson's worldwide business activities are guided by a clear understanding of its influence on the local and global community; the company continually strives to make its products and operations more environmentally sound.