Company history and summary reports

Business - Canon, Inc.

COMPANY SUMMARY REPORT: CANON, INC

Company History, Products and Market: The Canon company was founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1937, from where it currently operates a worldwide business throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas (Canon Global, Inc., 2008). Its American subsidiary is Canon U.S.A., Inc., with a national corporate headquarters is in Lake Success, New York, approximately fifteen miles from New York City.

The company designs, develops, manufactures, and markets a comprehensive line of professional business and consumer imaging equipment and information systems intended to enable its customers to produce and publish information in multiple media.

The Canon product line includes copiers, printers, image filing systems, fax machines, photographic and optical equipment and accessories, camcorders, scanners, and components for semiconductor and broadcast components, in addition to customized special industrial equipment in similar areas.

According to its promotional literature and public website, Canon U.S.A., Inc. is ranked 35 among Fortune magazine's "Top 100 Brands" and is also considered one of America's most admired companies (Business Wire, 2006). Its President and CEO is Yoroku Adachi (Canon U.S.A., Inc., 2008). In 2006, Canon reported #34.1 billion in revenues, representing a 6.3% increase from the previous year (CNN.com, 2006). Since it corporate inception, Canon has been an innovator in the field of business information equipment and transmission technology.

Corporate Mission and Primary Values: In terms of its products, Canon is dedicated to the continual evolution and development of digital solutions and technologies that allow its customers to create, create, manage, and share digital information and visual images faster and more efficiently. One of its specialties is in the area of integrating different information technology formats, such as the seamless connection of digital cameras and photograph- grade digital printers, as a direct function of the company's pioneering both system technologies individually (Canon U.S.A., Inc., 2008). The Canon corporation promotes a comprehensive corporate philosophy of kyosei, which, according to the company's website is a Japanese concept referring to the commitment to achieving corporate growth and development "while contributing to the prosperity of the world..." And working toward a global community in which "all people, regardless of race, religion, or culture, harmoniously live and work together into the future."

Canon also maintains a corporate environmental assurance philosophy dedicated to the pursuit of optimal resource efficiency and to contributing to societal practices consistent with sustainable development (Canon U.S.A., Inc., 2008). In addition to conducting all of its business operations in a manner consistent with kyosei principles, Canon also funds educational grants and social programs throughout the local and regional communities where its offices are located. In general, the Canon corporation strives to minimize the negative global impact of its entire field of business operations on the global environment. Toward that end, the company actively promotes and funds local environmental awareness campaigns and community initiatives, including programs designed to involve children through a segment of its corporate website called Canon4kids (Canon U.S.A., Inc., 2008).

Social Responsibility:

At Canon, the commitment to social and environmental responsibility goes back to its founding principles more than forty years ago, long before global consciousness became a widespread social concern in the last decade. According to the company, the concept of kyosei. extends to all of its business enterprises, including research and development, product manufacturing, marketing, sales, and product distribution.

Specifically, Canon strives to conserve energy, resources, and the minimization of potentially dangerous chemicals and industrial by-products. In principle, Canon hopes to preserve the environment and the earth's physical resources through implementing industrial conservation efforts and practices, recycling programs and policies, educational programs, and social initiatives consistent with the overall goal of "... building a better world for future generations" (Canon U.S.A., Inc., 2008).

The entire Canon corporate philosophy is expressed in eight fundamental tenants of corporate social responsibility: To continuously improve environmental assurance and performance throughout corporate operations at every level;

To comply fully with all applicable environmental laws and regulations and additional mandates of its corporate stakeholders;

To aggressively pursue pollution-prevention and minimization strategies and apply those equally to energy and other natural resource conservation;

To improve awareness of environmental issues and concerns among its employees and encourage responsible individual practices in that regard;

To promote and conduct ongoing research into methods of minimizing negative global environmental impact at all stages of the product life cycle from inception and design through disposal;