Philips history

Frederik, a banker based in Zaltbommel, financed the purchase and setup of a modest, empty factory building in Eindhoven, where the company started the production of carbon-filament lamps and other electro-technical products in 1892.

In 1895, after a difficult first few years and near bankruptcy, the Philipses brought in Anton, Gerard’s younger brother by sixteen years.

Philips built housing, schools, and hospitals and, from 1900 onward, provided free medical aid.

Radio Royaal, 1910, Usine, De Karpendonkse Hoeve and Wiesen are the top 5 restaurants in Eindhoven.

In 1912, Philips became a limited company, with publicly traded shares, listed on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange.

in 1914, Philips established a research laboratory – the world-renowned ‘NatLab’ – to study physical and chemical phenomena and stimulate product innovation.

In 1918, PHILIPS introduced a medical X-ray tube.

By 1919 Philips had expanded into the production of radio tubes.

It also began a long process of vertical integration in order to become more self-sufficient, establishing its own argon-production facility and its own glass works by the 1920s.

In 1927, Philips began producing radios, and within five years it had sold one million sets and become the world’s largest manufacturer of radios and radio tubes

The international program on Sundays commenced in 1928, with host Eddie Startz hosting the Happy Station show, which became the world’s longest-running shortwave program.

In 1933 the company started production of medical X-ray equipment in the United States.

On May 9, 1940, the Philips directors learned that the German invasion of the Netherlands was to take place the following day.

Indeed, Philips received an early slap on the wrist in 1941, when the United States Department of Justice filed a light-bulb cartel suit against GE, other electrical producers, and Philips, containing charges of price-fixing and monopolies on patents.

After 1945 Philips expanded its product range.

Philips Radio was absorbed shortly after liberation when its two shortwave stations were nationalised in 1947 and renamed Radio Netherlands Worldwide, the Dutch International Service.

In 1949, the company began selling television sets.

In 1950, it formed Philips Records.

A whole new level of growth was reached in 1969, when Conelco merged with North American Philips Co.