Amphenol vs Hitachi: Founders, CEOs and History

Company facts

Founders

CEOs and their tenures

Timeline: Amphenol and Hitachi side by side

1. 1910Hitachi

   Founding and First Induction Motor

   Namihei Odaira establishes the machinery repair shop that becomes Hitachi, and develops Japan's first 5-horsepower induction motor, establishing the foundation for the company's dominance in electrical engineering.

2. 1932Amphenol

   Arthur J. Schmitt founds American Phenolic Corporation

   Arthur J. Schmitt incorporates American Phenolic Corporation in Chicago with a patented molded phenolic radio tube socket, establishing the company's foundation in electronic component manufacturing.

3. 1932Hitachi

   Expansion into Railway Technology

   Hitachi begins manufacturing electric locomotives and rail signaling systems, establishing a deep, institutionalized relationship with the Japanese national railway network that would evolve into the modern Hitachi Rail division.

4. 1936Amphenol

   Introduction of industry-standard 75 series microphone connector and lock-in socket

   Amphenol introduces the 75 series uniform microphone connector and a lock-in socket for radio tubes, both becoming industry standards and attracting RCA as a major customer ordering 10,000 sockets daily.

5. 1942Amphenol

   Primary supplier of AN connectors for WWII Allied forces

   Amphenol becomes a critical defense supplier, with its 5015 AN circular connectors becoming standard equipment on military aircraft and communications gear; A-N connector shipments increase 13,572% from January 1941 to March 1943.

6. 1942Amphenol

   Official name change to Amphenol Electronics Corporation

   The company officially changes its name from American Phenolic Corporation to Amphenol Electronics Corporation, formalizing the shorthand name customers had used for years.

7. 1945Amphenol

   Initial public offering

   Amphenol raises $1.5 million from convertible debentures and sells 345,000 shares at $10 per share, giving the company a $4 million market capitalization and providing capital for post-war diversification.

8. 1951Amphenol

   Amphenol engineers develop the BNC connector

   Amphenol engineers Paul Neill and Carl Concelman develop the bayonet coupled BNC coaxial connector, which becomes a standard interface in radio frequency and test equipment applications.

9. 1957Amphenol

   NYSE listing

   Amphenol Electronics Corporation lists on the New York Stock Exchange, marking its transition to a major public industrial company.

10. 1958Amphenol

    Merger with George W. Borg Corporation

    Amphenol completes its largest transaction to date, merging with the George W. Borg Corporation, a maker of automobile clocks, electronic instruments and deep pile fabrics, and is renamed Amphenol-Borg Electronics Corporation.

11. 1959Hitachi

    Entry into Computing and Electronics

    Hitachi develops its first electronic computer, the HITAC, marking the company's strategic entry into the information technology sector and laying the groundwork for its future digital systems business.

12. 1967Amphenol

    Acquisition by Bunker-Ramo Corporation

    Bunker-Ramo Corporation acquires Amphenol, which begins operating as a subsidiary and passes through successive corporate owners for the next 24 years.

13. 1981Amphenol

    Allied Corporation buys Bunker-Ramo for $358 million

    Allied Corporation acquires Bunker-Ramo for $358 million, including the Amphenol division, making Amphenol part of a larger industrial conglomerate.

14. 1987Amphenol

    LPL Investment leveraged buyout for $430 million

    LPL Investment buys Amphenol from Allied in a leveraged buyout valued at $430 million in cash, and the decentralized management style that defines the modern company takes hold. Martin H. Loeffler becomes president in the same year.

15. 1991Amphenol

    Second IPO on NYSE under ticker APH

    Amphenol returns to public markets with a second initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker APH, beginning the modern era of sustained growth and shareholder returns.

16. 2005Amphenol

    Acquisition of Teradyne connector business for $390 million

    Amphenol acquires Teradyne's connection systems business for $390 million in October 2005, expanding its presence in high speed data and backplane connectors for the growing IT datacom market.

17. 2016Amphenol

    Acquisition of FCI Asia for $1.275 billion

    Amphenol acquires FCI Asia from affiliates of Bain Capital for $1.275 billion in January 2016, strengthening its global connector footprint and adding high speed backplane and board-to-board capability.

18. 2016Hitachi

    Toshiaki Higashihara becomes CEO

    Toshiaki Higashihara became CEO of Hitachi in 2016. Shifted Hitachi from a sprawling conglomerate toward infrastructure and digital businesses.

19. 2020Hitachi

    Acquisition of ABB's Power Grids Business

    Hitachi executes the $11 billion acquisition of ABB's Power Grids business, renaming it Hitachi Energy and instantly establishing the company as the global leader in HVDC transmission and grid infrastructure.

20. 2021Amphenol

    Acquisition of MTS Systems Corporation for $1.7 billion

    Amphenol acquires MTS Systems for $1.7 billion in April 2021, adding advanced sensor capability that deepens its position in industrial and automotive sensing.

21. 2021Hitachi

    Acquisition of GlobalLogic

    The company acquires the global digital engineering firm GlobalLogic for $9.6 billion, instantly establishing Hitachi as a top-tier provider of advanced software and product design services for the automotive and telecommunications sectors.

22. 2022Hitachi

    Hitachi Construction Machinery Stake Sale

    Hitachi sold a controlling stake in Hitachi Construction Machinery to Itochu and Japan Industrial Partners, part of its exit from cyclical listed subsidiaries.

23. 2024Amphenol

    Acquisition of Carlisle Interconnect Technologies for about $2.0 billion

    Amphenol completes the purchase of Carlisle Interconnect Technologies from Carlisle Companies in May 2024 for about $2.0 billion, expanding aerospace, defense and medical harsh environment interconnect capability.

24. 2024Hitachi

    Acquired Thales Ground Transportation Systems

    Hitachi acquired Thales Ground Transportation Systems. Hitachi Rail completed its ~$1.88 billion (EUR 1.66 billion) acquisition of Thales's Ground Transportation Systems business, its rail signalling division, expanding Hitachi Rail to 51 countries and shiftin…

25. 2025Amphenol

    Completion of the $2.1 billion CommScope outdoor wireless and DAS purchase

    Amphenol completes the acquisition of CommScope's Outdoor Wireless Networks and Distributed Antenna Systems businesses, including Andrew, for $2.1 billion in cash. The businesses had about $1.2 billion of 2024 sales.

26. 2025Amphenol

    Record fiscal 2025 revenue of $23.09 billion, up 52%

    Amphenol reports record full year 2025 net sales of $23.09 billion, up 52% year over year and 38% organically, with a 25.4% GAAP operating margin, $4.4 billion of free cash flow and Communications Solutions sales up 91% to about $12.1 billion.

27. 2025Hitachi

    Toshiaki Tokunaga Becomes CEO

    Toshiaki Tokunaga became President and CEO on April 1, 2025, succeeding Keiji Kojima, who became Executive Chairman.

28. 2026Amphenol

    Completion of the $10.5 billion CommScope CCS acquisition

    Amphenol closes its largest acquisition, buying CommScope's Connectivity and Cable Solutions business for $10.5 billion on January 12, 2026. Amphenol also acquired the CommScope name and expects the business to generate about $4.1 billion of sales in 2026.

29. 2026Amphenol

    Norwitt named chairman as Loeffler retires from the board

    Amphenol announces on February 4, 2026 that chief executive R. Adam Norwitt will also become chairman of the board at the May 2026 annual meeting, as Martin H. Loeffler retires from the board after more than five decades with the company.

30. 2026Hitachi

    Record Results and Home Appliance Sale

    Hitachi reported record FY2025 profit in April 2026 and agreed to sell 80.1% of its home appliance business to Nojima for about $737 million (¥110 billion).

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