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About Us - Corporate History

  The Roland Story
A history of innovation introduces many products first.
   
  1972
  • Established in Osaka with capital of ¥33 million.
  • Tokyo and Osaka sales offices opened.
 
   
  1973
  • Hamamatsu factory opened.
  • First NAMM Show appearance in the U.S.
  • First appearance in Japan’s musical instrument fair.
 
   
  1975
  • First appearance in Frankfurt Musikmesse.
 
   
  1976
  • Joint venture set up in Australia.
  • Nagoya sales office opened.
 
   
  1977
  • Takaoka factory opened in Hamamatsu.
 
   
  1978
  • Joint venture set up in the U.S.A.
 
   
  1980
  • Fukuoka sales office opened.
 
   
  1981
  • Joint ventures set up in the U.K., Germany, Denmark and Canada.
  • Capital investment made in Musitronic AG, Switzerland.
  • Hiroshima and Sendai sales offices opened.
 
   
  1982
  • Joint venture set up in Belgium.
  • Yokohama sales office opened
 
   
  1983
  • MIDI accepted as the world standard for inter-electronic musical instrument communication.
  • Sapporo and Omiya sales offices opened.
 
   
  1984
  • Roland Music School opened in Umeda, central Osaka
 
   
  1985
  • Joint venture set up in New Zealand.
  • Roland Music School opened in Shibuya, Tokyo.
  • Roland offers technology and equipment for a pavilion at Tsukuba EXPO ‘85.
 
   
  1986
  • Joint ventures set up in Italy and Taiwan.
  • Hosoe factory completed in Inasa, Shizuoka Prefecture.
 
   
  1987
  • Capital investment made in S.I.EL. S.p.A, Italy.
  • “The First New Age Contest” and concert “In Search of Music’s Future” held.
 
   
  1988
  • Rodgers Instrument Corporation set up in the U.S.A.
  • Joint venture set up in Switzerland.
  • S.I.EL. S.p.A. renamed Roland Europe S.p.A. and introduces E-10 and E-20 Intelligent Synthesizers.
 
   
  1989
  • Rodgers Organ appears on the Japanese market.
  • Company stock listed on the Osaka Stock Exchange SecondSection (December).
  • Capital increased to 7.6 billion yen.
 
   
  1990
  • Production of D-series synthesizers tops 300,000 units.
  • Joint venture set up in Spain.
    Co-sponsorship of a pavilion at Expo ‘90 in Osaka.
  • Hamamatsu distribution center and Hamamatsu laboratory completed.
  • Capital investment made in Intermusica Ltd., Hungary.
  • Roland Audio Development Corp. established in the U.S.A.
 
   
  1991
  • Lake Hamana studio completed.
  • President Kakehashi (now Chairman) awarded an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music.
  • Roland Brasil Ltda. established.
 
   
  1992
  • Celebration of 20th anniversary with new slogan, catchphrase and corporate symbol.
 
   
  1993
  • Head office relocated to Dojimahama, Kita-ku, Osaka.
  • Miyakoda testing laboratory completed.
 
   
  1995
  • Worldwide sales of GS sound modules tops one million
 
   
  1996
  • Roland becomes Japan’s first musical instrument manufacturer to receive ISO 9002 certification.
  • Roland Europe stock listed on the Milan Stock Exchange
 
   
  1997
  • Joint venture set up in Taiwan (Roland Taiwan Enterprise Co., Ltd.).
  • Celebration of 25th anniversary.
  • Miyakoda factory opened.
  • Roland France S.A. established.
 
   
  1998
  • Tecnologias Musica e Audio, Roland Portugal S.A. and Edirol (Europe) Ltd. established.
 
   
  1999
  • Company stock listed on the Tokyo & Osaka Stock Exchange First Section (September)
 
   
  2000
  • Chairman Ikutaro Kakehashi (presently corporate executive advisor) inducted into Hollywood's Rockwalk.
  • Roland DG Corporation stock listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange October).
 
   
  2001
  • Hamamatsu laboratory expansion completed.
  • A manufacturing company established in China.
   

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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