Canon this week is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the company’s operations in Australia. Canon Oceania Group now employs 2,400 people across 22 locations.
The company’s roots date back to 1973 when it established a joint venture, Repco Canon in Melbourne focussed on the photocopier business. In 1978, after five years of growth, Canon Australia was established and shortly after relocated its headquarters to Sydney, where it began to manage all Canon products, expanding to imaging, which included cameras and printers.
The company later added to its operations Canon New Zealand and Canon Business Services, which has come to be known as Canon Oceania. Today, Canon Oceania Group employs 2,400 people across 22 locations.
"Much of the Group’s success in the past 50 years is attributed to its stakeholders in the Oceania region; there will be continued reliance on them for greater support in the future," said a press release.
"Canon continues to leverage its technology, brand and customer base to provide solutions that will advance the way people in the Oceania region live and work in the future. This vision is founded on Canon's corporate philosophy of Kyosei. This philosophy aims for all people to live in harmony and work together for the common good, regardless of culture, customs, language or race.
"Driven by this ethos, Canon continues to expand and grow in more global markets. Beyond imaging (cameras and printers), Canon now assumes vital roles in the medical care, industrial equipment, surveillance and commercial printing sectors, underscored by strategic partnerships and mergers & acquisitions."
Kotaro Fukushima (pictured), managing director of Canon Oceania, said: “As an organisation, we want to grow alongside our communities – when they thrive, we do too. Celebrating Canon’s 50th year in Oceania is the perfect backdrop against which to honour those who have shared in our journey.
"Today [July 11], I am honoured to lead a company with a proud history. Building on the hard work of our predecessors, we are determined to focus our efforts to continue creating a brighter future.”
Canon has several projects planned throughout the year "to express gratitude for the 50 years of strong relationships with stakeholders and customers."
