Corporate Profile

History

1970
- Founded as a joint venture between the Japanese firm Citizen Watch Co., Ltd. and the U.S.'s Bulova Watch Company, Inc., with paid-in capital of 90 million yen
1971
- Increased paid-in capital to 360 million yen
- Launched electronic tuning-fork watches (Citizen Hisonic, Bulova Accutron)
1977
- Dissolved the joint venture with Bulova Watch and changed the company name to Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd.
1978
- Developed and launched the CB series magnetic micro-buzzers "CITISOUND"
1979
- Established Premier Precision Ltd., as a watch assembly factory in Hong Kong
1980
- Established Funehiki Seimitsu Co., Ltd., as a assembly factory in Fukushima, Japan (present company name: Citizen Electronics Funehiki Co., Ltd.)
1983
- Developed and launched chip LEDs "CITILED" which were the world's first SMD-type LEDs
1988
- Established Wah Kong Precision Ltd, as a manufacturing company in China
1989
- Developed and launched the PR series photoreflectors "CITISENSOR" which are a type of optical sensors
- Developed and launched illuminated switches "LUMISWITCH" which were the world's first compact switches with built-in LEDs
1991
- Established Firstcome Electronics Ltd., as a production control company in Hong Kong
- Established Kansai Sales Office in Osaka
1993
- Established Tokyo Sales Office in Tokyo
- Increased paid-in capital to 372 million yen
1994
- Increased paid-in capital to 496.8 million yen
1995
- Increased paid-in capital to 643.05 million yen
- Established C-E (Hong Kong) Ltd., as a sales company in Hong Kong
1996
- Registered over the counter shares with the Japan Securities Dealers Association and increased paid-in capital to 1,988.55 million yen
1997
- Established Cecol Inc., as a sales company in U.S.A.
1999
- Established C-E (Deutschland) GmbH., as a sales company in Germany
- The headquarters factory acquired "ISO-14001" certification
- Developed and launched the LS10 series, the world's smallest side-press switches, and the LS15 series, the world's thinnest switches
2000
- Developed and launched LED backlight units for color LCDs
2002
- Developed and launched flash LEDs for cellular phones "CITILIGHT"
2003
- Developed and launched the CL-650S series, white high-power LEDs for general lighting
2004
- Established Citizen Electronics (China) Co., Ltd. as a sales company in Shanghai, China
2005
- Became a wholly owned subsidiary of Citizen Watch Co., Ltd. (present company name: Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd.) and delisted
- Changed the company name to Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd. (Japanese name only)
- Imperial Highnesses Prince and Princess Akishino visited the company
2008
- Integrated business with Citizen Displays Co., Ltd.
2011
- Developed and launched LED lighting modules with built-in AC drive circuits capable of being driven directly by a general power supply (AC power source)
- Developed and launched the COB series version 1, the world's first LEDs for high-efficacy lighting providing luminous flux of 17,675 lm
2012
- Increased paid-in capital to 2,988.45 million yen through the allocation of new shares to a third party, Nichia Corporation
2013
- Developed and launched round and variously-shaped backlight units
- Developed and launched the COB series version 2: three types pursuing "quality of light" and one providing luminous flux of 23,549 lm
2014
- Increased paid-in capital to 5,488.45 million yen through the allocation of new shares to a third party, Nichia Corporation
- Developed and launched the COB series version 3 obtaining a UL Standard (North American safety standard) certification of compliance
- Developed and launched the "VIVID Type" and "High Intensity Type" LEDs for lighting of the COB series
2015
- Developed and launched the LS14 series , side-press switches achieving a world top-class thinness and the LS95 series, top-press switches achieving a world top-class miniaturization
- Developed and launched the COB series version 4 increasing the lineup to 13 types and 207 models in total
2017
- Established Sakaigawa Factory of Citizen Electronics Timel Co., Ltd. In Yamanashi, Japan
2019
- Developed and launched the COB series version 8.
2020
- Citizen Electronics and Valoya Oy sign agreement on collaboration to promote development and market entry of LED products for lighting in horticulture
- Developed and launched the LS165 series, top-press switches achieving a world top-class miniaturization