By Tomaž Kavšek 3.b

Yamaha Corp.

• Established in 1887 by Torakusu Yamaha

as Nippon Gakki Co. Ltd. (Nippon Gakki Seizō Kabushiki Gaisha; Literally: Japan Musical Instrument Manufacturing Co.) in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka prefecture

• Incorporated on October 12, 1897 • Logo ~ trio of interlocking forks

• Happening after WWII

• School music program http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA/Catalog/Catalog_GSXOXX.html?CTID=217500

Timetable

In October 1987, on its 100th anniversary, the name was changed to The Yamaha Corporation.

• 1955 ~ Company produces its first motorcycle through an affiliated company, Yamaha Motor Company, Ltd.

• 1989 ~ first CD recorder

• 2002 ~ End of Archery business (six archers in five different Olympic Games won gold medals using their products)

• July 2007 Yamaha bought minor shares of the Kemble family

• Dec. 2007/08 Yamaha purchased Bösendorfer (today operates as a subsidiary of Yamaha)

Products

• Musical instruments (pianos, "silent" pianos, drums, guitars, brass instruments, woodwinds, violins, violas, celli, vibraphones, and saxophones)

http://europe.yamaha.com/

• Motorcycles (MotoGP ~ Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo)• Current standings in MotoGP :

http://www.yamaha-racing.com/Racing/motogp/standings/manufacturer_standings/

• Power sports equipment http://www.highgearpowersports.com/

• Electronics http://www.yamaha.com/yec/

• Other (boats, T-shirts ~ advertising stuff,…)

Links:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN95wEf-s7w• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVER0STLp3o• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w229i8UEt30

• http://www.yamaha-racing.com/Racing/motogp/

• http://www.yamaha-motor-europe.com/

• http://www.yamaha-europe.com/yamaha_europe/index.html

• http://www.yamaha.com/drums/home.html

• 1887: Company founder Torakusu Yamaha builds his first reed organ. • 1889: Yamaha founds Yamaha Organ Manufacturing Company, Japan's first maker of Western

musical instruments. • 1897: Company's name is changed to Nippon Gakki Co., Ltd. • 1900: Company produces its first upright piano. • 1902: Production of grand pianos begins. • 1930: Company opens an acoustics lab and research center. • 1948: Japan's Education Ministry mandates musical education for Japanese children, expanding

Yamaha's business. • 1954: Yamaha Music Schools debut. • 1955: Company produces its first motorcycle through an affiliated company, Yamaha Motor

Company, Ltd. • 1958: First overseas subsidiary is established in Mexico. • 1967: First concert grand piano is produced. • 1971: Production of semiconductors begins. • 1982: The first Disklavier pianos are produced. • 1983: Company introduces the DX-7 digital synthesizer, a top seller. • 1987: Company changes its name to Yamaha Corporation to celebrate the 100th anniversary of

the firm. • 1993: The Silent Piano series debuts. • 2000: Yamaha posts a net loss of $384 million for the fiscal year ending in March; newly installed

President Shuji Ito initiates a restructuring program.