Quasar (brand)
Encyclopedia
Quasar is a North America
n brand
of electronics, first used by Motorola
in 1967 for a model line of transistor
ized color televisions. These televisions were well-known for containing all serviceable parts in a drawer beneath the television's cabinet. Soon, it was established as its own brand, with all Motorola-manufactured televisions being sold as Quasar by Motorola.
, Illinois
; Franklin Park, Illinois
; and Markham, Ontario
— to Matsushita
, who continued production of home television receivers under a newly incorporated entity, Quasar Electronics, Inc., an American managed subsidiary of Matsushita Electronic Corporation of America (MECA). Motorola continued to operate its plant in Quincy, Illinois
for two years (until 1976) at which time ownership of the plant passed to the new company. Later, Quasar Company, the sales company, was split off from Matsushita Industrial Company, the manufacturing entity.
Corporate names
CEOs of Quasar
Many American managers who transferred from Motorola felt like the objects of discrimination
. Almon Clegg, a former manager at Quasar, stated, "In some companies, in fact in some parts of Matsushita, I saw complete separation. The Japanese had their own organization, the Americans had theirs, and they virtually didn't communicate with each other." After a mass layoff
of American managers from Quasar in 1986, a discrimination lawsuit was filed against Matsushita.
As of 2005, the Quasar name has limited use in North America
, either being affixed to discontinued products from the Panasonic
line or more value-oriented products than Matsushita's Panasonic brand, being sold in such places such as drug stores and supermarkets. It is rumored that Matsushita plans to discontinue the Quasar brand. Quasar Company ceased to exist in 2004.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n brand
Brand
The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a "Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers."...
of electronics, first used by Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
in 1967 for a model line of transistor
Transistor
A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and power. It is composed of a semiconductor material with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals changes the current...
ized color televisions. These televisions were well-known for containing all serviceable parts in a drawer beneath the television's cabinet. Soon, it was established as its own brand, with all Motorola-manufactured televisions being sold as Quasar by Motorola.
Quasar Electronics, Inc.
On May 29, 1974, Motorola, Inc., sold its television manufacturing division — including its plants in PontiacPontiac, Illinois
Pontiac is a city in Livingston County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,931 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Livingston County...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
; Franklin Park, Illinois
Franklin Park, Illinois
Franklin Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,800 at the 2004 census.-Geography:Franklin Park is located at ....
; and Markham, Ontario
Markham, Ontario
Markham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...
— to Matsushita
Matsushita
Matsushita is a Japanese place name and surname which means "below the pine tree" and may refer to:-Companies:*Matsushita Electric Industrial, now Panasonic Corporation, a multinational electronics corporation based in Kadoma, Japan...
, who continued production of home television receivers under a newly incorporated entity, Quasar Electronics, Inc., an American managed subsidiary of Matsushita Electronic Corporation of America (MECA). Motorola continued to operate its plant in Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, Illinois
Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...
for two years (until 1976) at which time ownership of the plant passed to the new company. Later, Quasar Company, the sales company, was split off from Matsushita Industrial Company, the manufacturing entity.
Corporate names
- Quasar Electronics Corporation — incorporated January 12, 1976, in Delaware
- Quasar Electronics Corporation — incorporated January 22, 1976, in Illinois
- Panasonic Corporation of North America; incorporated January 14, 1974, in Delaware
CEOs of Quasar
- Alex Stone
- F. Jack Pluckhan
In the media
A 1990 episode of Frontline, the PBS news program, claims that the Matsushita acquisition of Motorola's Consumer Division was the beginning of the downfall of the US television industry. The program claimed that Matsushita's acquisition was nothing more than a ruse designed for Japanese-made sets, and sets assembled of Japanese parts, to avoid tariffs, with sets under the Quasar brand still being considered "domestically made", although Quasar's engineering and manufacturing division was being scaled-down.Many American managers who transferred from Motorola felt like the objects of discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
. Almon Clegg, a former manager at Quasar, stated, "In some companies, in fact in some parts of Matsushita, I saw complete separation. The Japanese had their own organization, the Americans had theirs, and they virtually didn't communicate with each other." After a mass layoff
Layoff
Layoff , also called redundancy in the UK, is the temporary suspension or permanent termination of employment of an employee or a group of employees for business reasons, such as when certain positions are no longer necessary or when a business slow-down occurs...
of American managers from Quasar in 1986, a discrimination lawsuit was filed against Matsushita.
As of 2005, the Quasar name has limited use in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, either being affixed to discontinued products from the Panasonic
Panasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
line or more value-oriented products than Matsushita's Panasonic brand, being sold in such places such as drug stores and supermarkets. It is rumored that Matsushita plans to discontinue the Quasar brand. Quasar Company ceased to exist in 2004.
External links
- A transcript of the 1990 Frontline episode (transcribed by Tom Mathes and Louis LeClerc)