Word: toshiba
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Embittered manufacturers in the U.S. contend that Japanese makers have managed this coup by selling semiconductors at a loss, with the aim of pushing their U.S. competitors out of the market. The Japanese chipmakers tend to be diversified electronics giants (the big three: NEC, Hitachi and Toshiba) that can afford to lose money temporarily on semiconductors because they can rely on other revenue to tide them over. In contrast, U.S. chipmakers tend to be specialized, entrepreneurial companies that are more sensitive to profit slumps. An exception is IBM, the world's largest semiconductor maker, but the computer giant sells none...
...both sides of the Pacific last week. Pennsylvania Senator John Heinz was strident. Said he: "We need to retaliate against Japan. They deserve it." One step suggested by a growing number of politicians: a surcharge on Japanese imports that could raise prices of everything from Toyota cars to Toshiba calculators...
Things haven't been going well down at the factory. Hitachi was the last big Japanese company to start making tellys in Britain. It got here after Sony, Matsushita and Toshiba. The factory at Hirwaun makes 300,000 sets a year, but Hitachi is losing money...
Father: The age of the factory's work force is very important to the Japanese bosses. For them, the younger the better. They say that at Toshiba in Plymouth, the average age is only 24. Hitachi sent out a letter explaining why it wants a lower age. I have it right here. It says: "We can all accept that as we get older we become more susceptible to sickness, our reflexes become slower, our eyesight less keen and our attitudes difficult to change...
This approaching battle among U.S. giants in the home-video-equipment field is a mere reflection of the war between Japanese companies. The Kodak and GE 8-mm camcorders are both made by Matsushita, while Toshiba created Polaroid's, and Hitachi is the source of RCA's. As many as ten Japanese manufacturers, including Sony and JVC, reportedly have their own version of the new video gear. They are closely watching American reaction to the introductions to decide when to bring out their products...