History of TAMRON

The present corporate name is derived from the name of Mr. Uhyoue Tamura, who was a prominently recognized optical designer and laid the technological foundations of the company.

1950s - 1970s

November, 1950 Taisei Optical Equipment Manufacturing is established in Urawa-city by Mr. Fujio Watanabe and Mr. Takeyuki Arai
Manufacture of cameras and binocular lenses starts
October, 1952 Taisei Optical Equipment Manufacturing Inc. is established with capital of 2.5 million yen
1957 135mm F/4.5 is developed for 35mm single-lens reflex cameras
The 'T' mount, the world's first interchangeable lenses for 35mm single-lens reflex cameras, is developed
August, 1958 TAMRON Brand is registered as trademark
September, 1959 Head office and main plant are established in Hasunuma, Omiya-city
Mass production of 95-205mm F/6.3 the first affordable telephoto zoom lens for single-lens reflex cameras, starts a zoom lenses
May, 1966 Production of test plates, ultra-precision lenses and prisms begins
Production of 'TAMRON Adapt-A-Matic' range of interchangeable mount lenses, providing auto-focus capabilities for various single-lens reflex cameras begins
Production of television broadcasting lenses for ITV begins
May, 1969 Hirosaki Plant is established in Aomori Prefecture
Production of interchangeable lenses for single-lens reflex cameras, television lenses and photocopier lenses, etc., begins
April, 1970 The Company name is changed to Tamron Co., Ltd.
September, 1976 Head Office transferred to Takinogawa, Kita-ku, Tokyo
1976 The TAMRON Adaptall Lens' range with built-in lightweight macro-mechanism and exclusive quick-focus system is introduced
April, 1979 U.S. subsidiary, Tamron Industries, Inc., is established in New York
'Super-Performance (SP)' series is introduced

1980s - 2000s

January, 1981 No. 2 Production Building is established at Hirosaki Plant
September, 1982 Tamron Vertriebsges, GmbH. is established in Germany
November, 1982 TAMRON INDUSTRIES (HONKG KONG) LIMITED is established
1983 Integrated video camera lens is developed
February, 1984 Optech Tamron Co., Ltd. is established in Namioka-machi, Aomori Prefecture
August, 1984 TAMRON registers with the Tokyo stock Exchange for over-the-counter trading and capital is increased to 3,835,575,000 yen
December, 1985 Tamron Fine-Giken Co., Ltd. is established to produce molds and dies for precision moldings
January, 1986 Molding plant is established in Owani-machi, Aomori Prefecture
April, 1995 Tamron U.K. Ltd. is established in the United Kingdom
July, 1995 TAMRON enters the medium-format camera business after acquiring shares in the long-established Bronica Co., Ltd.
November, 1995 Hirosaki Plant achieve ISO9001 certification
May, 1997 TAMRON INDUSTRIES (HONKG KONG) LIMITED is established in Hong Kong
July, 1997 Tamron Optical (Foshan) Co. Ltd. is established in Foshan, Quang Dong, Peoples Republic of China
July, 1998 Bronica Co., Ltd. is merged into Tamron Co., Ltd.
June, 2000 TAMRON France EURL. is established
September, 2000 Head office achieves ISO 9001 certification
December, 2000 Tamron's Hirosaki Plant achieves ISO 14001 certification
September, 2001 TAMRON OPTICAL (FOSHAN) CO.,LTD. achieve ISO9001 & ISO14001 certification
October, 2001 Head Office achieve ISO14001 certification
November, 2003 Namioka Plant and Owani Plant achieve ISO14001 certification
January, 2004 Namioka Plant and Owani Plant achieve ISO9001 certification
April, 2005 Head Office transferred to Hasunuma, Minuma-ku, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture
October, 2005 TAMRON OPTICAL (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD. is established
November, 2006 TAMRON listed on the 1st Section of Tokyo Stock Exchange
November, 2007 New production plant of TAMRON OPTICAL (FOSHAN) CO., LTD. Begins Operation
August, 2009 Acquires certification of ISO/TS16949, a quality management system for the automotive industry

2010s - Present

March, 2012 TAMRON (Russia) LLC., is established
May, 2012 TAMRON OPTICAL (VIETNAM) CO., LTD. is established
March, 2013 TAMRON INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED is established
March, 2015 Kouyu Kosan Co., Ltd. stock acquisition, becoming a Tamron Co., Ltd. Subsidiary
June, 2015 Kouyu Kosan Co., Ltd. merged into Tamron Co., Ltd.
May, 2017 TOUMEIGIKEN Co., Ltd. stock acquisition, becoming a Tamron Co., Ltd. Subsidiary
March, 2020 New Well Co., Ltd. stock acquisition, becoming a Tamron Co., Ltd. Subsidiary
July, 2020 Tamron Co., Ltd. liquidates New Well Co., Ltd.
June, 2021 Acquires certification of ISO 13485:2016, the international standard of quality management systems for medical devices
April, 2022 Tamron Co., Ltd. moves to the Prime Market of Tokyo Stock Exchange