In 1964, Epson won a contract to make precision timers for the Olympic Games. The timers required electronic printers in order to print out the results of their timekeeping during the games. The company started development of the EP-101, a small printer that was built into calculators.
In 1975, the company introduced a new version of the EP printer to the market. Later that year, the company opened a branch in America under the name Epson America, Inc.
Epson began developing and selling dot-matrix printers to the American market soon after. One of their earliest printers, the TX-80, served as a printer for the Commodore PET, one of the world’s first personal computers. A later version, the MX-80, became one of the country’s best-selling printers.
Epson didn’t go public on the Japanese stock exchange until June of 2003. When it did, the Hattori family—the founders of Epson, as well as Seiko Holdings and Seiko Instruments—retained a major share of the company. As of 2007, the family still retains the majority of control over Epson.
Epson has grown to be one of its industry’s primary innovators. With its strong track record, it’s likely that the company will continue to be an important influence on its industry well into the 21st century.
About the author
J Sollars is director of Stinky Ink – the ink cartridge and toner specialists based in Shropshire UK. For a wide range of Epson Ink cartridges visit http://www.stinkyinkshop.co.uk/acatalog/Epson_Printers.html