Orion Electric
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Consumer electronics |
| Founded | 1958 in Osaka, Japan |
| Founder | Shigemasa Otake |
| Defunct | May 20, 2019 |
| Fate | Insolvency; assets transferred to Doshisha Corporation |
| Headquarters | Echizen , Japan |
Area served | Worldwide (including Japan, Thailand, Poland, United Kingdom, United States) |
| Products | Televisions, video devices, transistor radios, audiocassette players, CB radio transceivers, 8-track players, automotive audio systems, home stereo equipment |
Number of employees | 9000+ (2010s) |
was a Japanese manufacturer of consumer electronics, established in 1958 in Osaka, Japan, by Shigemasa Otake. The company marketed its products under the "Orion" brand name.
History
Orion's early production focused on transistor radios, audiocassette players, and CB radio transceivers, before broadening its range to include 8-track players, automotive audio systems, and home stereo equipment.
From 1984 until its acquisition, the company was headquartered in Echizen, Fukui, Japan. Orion ranked among the top global OEM producers of television and video devices, supplying prominent OEM clients such as Toshiba, which was its leading customer throughout the 2000s. The firm manufactured roughly six million television units and twelve million combined DVD player/TV sets annually up to 2019.
With a workforce exceeding 9,000 employees, the Orion Group operated manufacturing plants and offices across Japan, Thailand, Poland (under the name Otake), the United Kingdom, and the United States. Its production facilities in Thailand were recognized as some of the nation's largest exporters.
Orion primarily produced goods for brands including Emerson, Memorex, Hitachi, JVC, and Sansui. In North America during the 1980s and 1990s, Orion was a major supplier of televisions and VCRs for Emerson; however, after Emerson Radio declared bankruptcy in 2000, the rights to its brand for home video products were acquired by rival Funai. During the 1990s, Orion's own World brand was sold exclusively through Wal-Mart, offering budget-friendly televisions, TV/VCR combinations, and VHS players.
At its zenith in 2001, Orion collaborated with Toshiba and Sumitomo to produce CRT and LCD televisions, combo units, and DVD/VCR devices in Indonesia targeting the North American market until Toshiba withdrew from this partnership in 2009. This exit led to a production decline exceeding 90%, resulting in significant financial strain and workforce reductions after 2010.
Beginning in 2011, Orion obtained licensing rights to manufacture televisions under the JVC name; all JVC-branded TVs were designed, produced, and serviced by Orion until 2019. Additionally, Orion produced OEM televisions for Hitachi that were primarily retailed at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club. To serve North America under the Sansui and JVC brands, Orion operated Orion Sales based in Olney, Illinois. Due to decreasing sales volumes, Orion Sales closed in 2016 and was subsequently sold to Elitelux Technologies.
On March 31, 2015, facing intense global price competition, Orion Electric Co., Ltd. declared insolvency and appointed provisional liquidators. The following day, April 1, 2015, a new entity named Orion Electric Co., Ltd. was formed to maintain business operations. Later on January 19, 2019, Orion Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Doshisha Corporation headquartered in Osaka, acquired the Orion brands along with related business activities. Nevertheless, by May 20, 2019, Orion Electric Co., Ltd. entered insolvency again and terminated its operations; it is believed that all assets were transferred to Doshisha Corporation.