It's time for the fucking great stories. This time I will tell you the history of Samsung Corporation, how it started, how and where it went, and what it finally came to. To whom and to what does it owe its formation and how it looks now.
It all started around 1932, when young Lee Byung-chul, the son of fairly well-to-do peasants and a graduate of the University of Tokyo, opened his warehouse in the small city of Daegu, selling rice flour. Yes, yes, if you want to be the biggest phone maker (like Nokia or Samsung) start a business that has nothing to do with it - make paper, sell flour, save kittens.
At that time, all of Korea was a colony of Japan, which in every possible way stifled the spirit of entrepreneurship, because of which the country was in fact a very large garden with a very poor population.
Cheap labor gave out excellent prices for goods, and by 1938 our hero was the first to carry flour to China. Things went well and the peasant began to carry not only flour, but also rice, sugar, fish and other nonsense necessary for people to survive, taking it away from the poor Korean workers. It was then, in 1938, that the trademark Samson Trading (namely, how the name Samsung is pronounced correctly)
Samsung in translation means "three stars", which you can see on all early versions of the logo. There is a beautiful legend that the name was given in honor of his three sons, but the trouble is that in 38 he did not have them yet and he hardly even thought about it.
Things were going uphill and by the beginning of World War II, Lee was fully armed: when American troops landed on the peninsula, his factories that produced all kinds of hats were quickly converted into factories that produce beer and vodka, which good-natured and wealthy Americans were happy to buy at even rather inflated prices, creating wealth for Lee Byung.
In 1950 it began Korean War- North Korea versus South. The entrepreneur's warehouses and factories were burned or looted, and Lee himself is on the northerners' death list for aiding and taking bribes to the then (and first) president of South Korea. Chul, realizing that things are bad, is going to run south.
There is another legend, which gradually grows into two. One by one, he collects all the money and gives it to his driver, whom he sends south, but the driver is caught in the middle of the journey and taken prisoner. However (!) he manages to hide the money in one of the houses, which later (!) burned down, but the chest with the money, by a lucky chance (!) survived and Lee Byung later miraculously (!) finds it.
According to the second legend, Chhun accidentally (!) finds someone else's burnt house and someone else's money in a chest, which he later uses to regenerate his business.
These are the Korean legends.
After the capture and execution of the first, evil president of South Korea, the second, kind, comes to power, who begins a series of industrial and economic reforms. In particular, an attempt was made to replace imports of goods with domestic production. To do this, the president asked the United States thousands of money for development, in fact, brazenly poking them and spending on women and booze. Our hero did not get booze and heifers, but in addition to money, the United States also distributed orders for the production of any product on which the newly recreated Samsung could make good money. It was during this period and under these orders that companies such as Daewoo, LG (formerly GoldStar) and Hyundai were created, rather big companies today.
By the end of the sixties, the founder of Samsung became the most influential and largest entrepreneur in the country. Realizing that the story with the president and his factories could repeat itself, he begins to travel to Japan, establish contacts with local mythiose traders, and Sanyo becomes the first sign, uniting with which Samsung receives the Group prefix and the Samsung Electronics branch.
While the head of Samsung was traveling around Japan, there was another coup in his homeland, and again an evil president was in power! Lee Byung, without losing a moment, talks with the new president and convinces him that it is his company that is able to lead the country out of crisis, wars and bring happiness and joy in the future and throughout the planet. But for this it was necessary to make him the head of the economy, and his company to give the best and largest orders. And the president agreed.
Here it is worth making a note about the personality of the protagonist. He was a cunning, crafty man. Only his desire for profit and life saved his skin and literally begged for such privileges. You should not think that he was a kind entrepreneur who loved his employees and gained respect from the president.
Samsung Group begins to actively engage in the production of paper (the government gave Samsung the only paper factory in charge) and fertilizers (again, the only ones in the country), began to build and restore hospitals, hotels, universities, engage in insurance, and by 70, Samsung took up heavy production. The corporation, in fact, began to serve the country, continuing to increase Li's fortune.
In parallel, the company decides to enter a new market - electronics, starting to collect hair dryers and black-and-white TVs with the help of Sanyo. At some point, realizing that they can do all this without Sanyo, they say goodbye to the company, washing down their own components for TVs and hair dryers.
At the same time, democracy comes to the country (for real this time) and the flow of money and government orders stops, many institutions, such as hospitals and schools, go back to the state, Samsung has to tighten its belts. The entire board, which consisted of close and distant relatives of Lee, was dismissed by his own order and European and Western experts were hired in their places, who could not only preserve the current, but also increase (what was once found on the ashes , lol).
In 1983, the company begins the production of computers and components.
In 1987, the founder of the company, Lee Byung-chul, dies in Seoul at the age of 77.
By 1991, the production of mobile phones begins.
But most of all, Samsung, of course, “rose” on monitors and TVs, factories were erected in many large countries as soon as possible in order to fully provide domestic markets. So, for example, all Samsung TVs and monitors sold in Russia are manufactured at the company's plant in the Kaluga region.
Now Samsung is not just a multi-billion dollar company, but also a leader in many industries, collecting not only well-known phones and electronics. In addition, Samsung does not hesitate to continue to engage in chemical and heavy industries, build houses, cars, aircraft, ships, as well as issue loans and insurance. Samsung is an elegantly built corporation, with branches in different industries that not only generate income, but also help drive its main directions forward.
For example, the construction department can build factories, the light industry department can sew clothes for workers at these factories, and the finance and credit department can insure life and issue loans. The automobile concern produces cars for various kinds of managers, and the plant itself produces the same monitors and televisions.
The experience that the company gained by lifting the country as it was intended was not forgotten, but, on the contrary, was applied with wisdom.
Slogan: Digitally Yours
Samsung Group- one of the largest conglomerates in the business world, in its homeland, in South Korea, the word "chaebol" is used for such firms. Chobol is a large financial and industrial group, predominantly owned by one family and associated with government circles.
The leading division of the corporation Samsung rightly is Samsung Electronics, a world famous manufacturer of LCD panels, DVD players, mobile phones, memory modules used in computers, phones, players. Corporations Samsung also belong Samsung Life Insurance, Samsung SDS, Samsung Securities, Samsung C&T Corporation. Until 2000, the composition Samsung also included a division Samsung Motors, now owned Renault.
Samsung Group was founded in Daegu, Korea on March 1, 1938. Its founder was businessman Byung-Chull Lee (1910-1987), whose start-up capital was only 30,000 won ($2,000), named the firm Samsung (Samsung Trading Co.), translated from Korean - "three stars", on the first logos of the company, these three stars are present in different variations. One of the most plausible versions about the origin of the name says that the entrepreneur had three sons. (Judging by the further development, none of the three sons turned out to be a fool, which, in fact, distinguishes the Korean fairy tale from the Russian folk tale.) This version is also supported by the fact that the company, in the spirit of many Asian firms, remained a family business, transferring and multiplying capital among the circle of relatives (and making a relative of those who managed to enter the business, stand out: intra-clan marriages are one of the traditions of business in Asia). The entrepreneur, according to some reports, never received a degree, became one of the most famous and most respected people in Korea, a Korean analogue is named after him Nobel Prize- Ho-Am Prize, established by Samsung and awarded for outstanding achievements in the field of science and technology.
The company experienced its second birth in 1951. After the war and predatory actions on the part of the warring parties, the business was completely destroyed, but it is impossible to destroy the entrepreneurial spirit, and starting from scratch, Byong Chul Lee revived the company, achieving even greater prosperity in just a year. Whatever the entrepreneur did, his sphere of interests included: the production of sugar, wool, other consumer goods, retail, insurance, broadcasting, publishing, trade securities. In the 1960s Samsung expecting unprecedented success. In order to revive the Korean economy, a policy of development of large national companies was pursued, the state subsidized, supported and helped selected corporations in every possible way, actually creating hothouse conditions for them, eliminating competition and endowing them with broad powers. Creator Samsung managed to get close to government circles, which provided the corporation with unlimited opportunities for growth and expansion.
In the 1970s, Samsung enters the semiconductor market, seeing the promise of this direction and the rapid development of the industry. Created Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd, a company that included several smaller branches Samsung Group involved in electronics ( Samsung Electron Devices, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Samsung Corning, Samsung Semiconductor and Telecommunications).
In 1969, the division Samsung — Samsung Sanyo launches the first batch of black-and-white TVs. 5 years later, the company begins to produce refrigerators and washing machines. After another 5 years - the release of microwave ovens and air conditioners. In 1978, a representative office of the company was opened in the USA. Having managed to become the first in Korea ( Samsung accounts for one-fifth of Korea's total exports), Samsung begins the path to gaining world leadership. In the 1980s Samsung entering the personal computer market. In 1991, the first mobile phone was developed Samsung, and in 1999 - the first smartphone. In 1992, the company began developing its first DRAM memory chip, then it was about a capacity of 64 MB, now chips with a capacity of 64 GB are being produced. In 1998, the mass production of digital TV sets developed at the company's research center begins. Year after year Samsung expands its presence in the global market, holding the lead in sales cell phones and TVs.
In 1993, the year of the 55th anniversary of the company, an updated logo appeared. Samsung- an inclined ellipse of blue color, with an inscription inside. The new logo successfully reflected the company's entry into the international arena, a kind of application for world leadership. Visually it seems that the word Samsung located inside the orbit of a celestial body, undoubtedly the corporation is a kind of universe, but at the same time this universe is open to the world, just look at the letters "S" And "G"— they are in contact with the outer space. One of the highlights of the logo is the spelling of letters "A" without a dash, repeated many times later, this technique still remained familiar Samsung.
Today the advanced division Samsung Group - Samsung Electronics became a world leader in the production of electronics and home appliances. Samsung Heavy Industries- division engaged in shipbuilding - the second in the world. The corporation is headed by Lee Kun Hee, son of the founder. It is to him that Samsung owes its success in modern world, taking over the duties of the head of the conglomerate after the death of his father in 1987, Lee Kun-hee abandoned the idea of \u200b\u200bmass production of low-quality goods, the so-called budget quality, and focused the company's efforts on the production of high-quality products that are innovative and ahead of market trends. Brand Samsung benefited a lot from such a decision, because those who considered the company's products to be of insufficient quality, in last years discover the world of household appliances and electronics with an exceptional combination of "price-quality", and if we add here the high level of service provided by the company, then there is practically no alternative to the company's products.
May 2nd, 2015
The image shows a warehouse in the city of Daegu, from which the history of Samsung began.
Few people probably know that Samsung began as a shop selling vegetables. The founder of the company is Lee Byong Chul. Lee's shop sold vegetables and herbs grown in nearby fields. The company was making good money, so Lee decided to move to Seoul, where he worked as a sugar refiner and later founded a textile factory. Lee tried to make the word "diversification" his slogan. Samsung was involved in many things - the insurance business, security, retail.
Now Samsung, in addition to the production of various electronics, is engaged in the production of polymers, oil refining, makes tankers, military equipment and even cars(which are called - Samsung). The company is also engaged in finance, insurance, textile production, owns a chain of hotels, resorts and amusement parks.
Let's remember how it all happened.
The ability to balance on a knife edge, instantly respond to changes and always be on the alert - these are the distinguishing qualities Samsung. Many Korean companies went under, unable to withstand all sorts of “cleansing” and persecution, and Samsung not only survived, but also became a transnational corporation.
According to the biography of the founder of Samsung Lee Byong Chul, you can shoot an action movie in the spirit of Jackie Chan. In 1938, Li Biong named his small trading company " Three Stars» ( Samsung Trading Company). It is said that this was done in honor of Li's three sons.
Samsung Group logo "Three Stars" (late 1980s - 1992)
At that time, this company did not even think about any high technologies, quietly supplying rice, sugar and dried fish to China and Manchuria. It looked like a protest against dependence on Japan, and Samsung gained a reputation as a patriotic entrepreneur. During World War II, the United States landed on the Korean Peninsula and liberated South Korea from the Japanese. By this time, Li Biong had a large production plant rice vodka and beer. These products sold well to the American army and Li Biong's business went uphill. In 1950, a war broke out on the Korean Peninsula between the communist North and the pro-American South. And for this, the North Korean communists put Lee Byong-chul's name on the death list as an accomplice of the puppet regime.
If Lee hadn't smelled the fried food, reinvested all the profits, and turned all the proceeds into cash, then Samsung would have died. How the money stuffed into the wine box survived is a separate story. The car in which they were transported was confiscated, the house in which they were hidden was completely burned down, and the wooden box was only charred! And Samsung, as they say, has risen from the ashes.
The second time Lee was on the death list was under Park Chung Hee. Formally - for illegal enrichment on government supplies and economic sabotage, but in reality for having rubbed shoulders with the Japanese, trying to learn from the experience of the zaibatsu (chaebol in Korean, but in our opinion something like a powerful clan).
After a sincere conversation with General Li, not only was he not shot, but he was appointed head of Korean businessmen. Samsung has become a concern, mastering government orders and enjoying all sorts of subsidies and benefits.
In the 60s, the Li family expanded their business: they built the largest factory in Asia for fertilizer production, founded the Joong-Ang newspaper, built ships, hotels, universities and hospitals, and set up a citizen insurance system.
In 1965 South Korea restored diplomatic relations with Japan. Lee Byong-chul reached an agreement with the Japanese leadership on technological support electronic industry that originated at that time in South Korea. As a result, in 1969, together with the Japanese company Sanyo, Samsung-Sanyo Electronics (SEC). She began to specialize in the production of semiconductors and a few years later became the property of Samsung. In 1970, cooperation with Sanyo Electric led to the merger of companies and the creation of a corporation Samsung Electronics.
In general, everything that happened before the 70s somehow poorly correlates with the image of a modern corporation, and Samsung-Sanyo Electronics, the first joint Korean-Japanese enterprise, can rightly be called its real predecessor. True, cooperation with those same zaibatsu turned out to be not the most successful - the Japanese clamped down on the latest technologies and shared only obsolete ones, and the prices for components turned up. This is one of the reasons Sanyo was removed from the company's name - it's just that Koreans have learned how to make semiconductors themselves.
Since August 1973, the company's head office began to be located in Suwon (South Korea), and in November the construction of a plant for the production of household appliances was completed. At the same time, the Korean company Semiconductor Co.. joins the corporation, as a result of which the mass production of washing machines and refrigerators began.
In 1977, the company's export volumes exceeded 100 million US dollars. In 1978, the first Samsung office in the United States opens. In 1979, the first home video recorders were released. However, half of the cost of goods had to be given to the Japanese for the use of their technology and design. In addition, in other countries, Samsung products were sold under foreign brands or at very low prices.
As a result of the economic crisis that swept South Korea in the late 70s, Samsung Electronics started making losses. In response to this, Lee Kun-hee, the son of the founder of the company, decided to reform the company. He reduced the number of subsidiaries, stopped subsidizing departments, put the quality of products at the forefront. These transformations had a positive impact on the company's financial condition - revenues of Samsung Electronics grew again. At this time, the company joined Korea Telecommunications Co., which was renamed Samsung Semiconductor & Telecommunications Co.
By the end of the 70s, Samsung Electronics had become the flagship enterprise of the Lee empire, and in the late 80s, an economic crisis occurred in Korea, and the company became unprofitable.
Samsung again had every chance to cease to exist, but this did not happen, since Lee the second (Kun Hee) developed a rescue plan long before the crisis. It was planned to change everything, with the exception of wives and children. The key point in the restructuring was a shift in priorities - quality became more important than quantity. Perestroika lasted 10 years and was crowned with success. One company after another went bankrupt: Hanbo, Daewoo, Huyndai, and Samsung increased exports and established itself in the global high-tech market.
Samsung announced its first computer in 1983.
In 1983, Samsung Electronics launched its first personal computers (Model: SPC-1000). In the same year, the following were released: a 64M DRAM chip with a memory capacity of 64 MB; a player that could read regular CDs, CD-ROM, VIDEO-CD, PHOTO-CD, CD-OK. In 1984, a sales office was opened in England, a plant for the production of audio and video equipment in the USA, as well as a plant for the production microwave ovens(2.4 million pieces per year).
In 1986, Samsung Electronics received the title of " Best company of the year» from the Korea Management Association. In the same year, the company produced the ten millionth color TV set, opened sales offices in Canada and Australia, research laboratories in California and Tokyo. From 1988 to 1989, the company opened representative offices in France, Thailand and Malaysia. By 1989, Samsung Electronics was ranked 13th in the world in semiconductor manufacturing. In autumn 1988, the corporation merged with Samsung Semiconductor & Telecommunications Co..
In the 90s, Samsung Electronics intensively expanded its activities. In order to improve the management structure, in December 1992, a unified presidential management system was introduced at Samsung Electronics. In 1991-1992, the development of the personal mobile devices, and also developed mobile phone system. In 1994, the sales volume reaches 5 billion US dollars, and in 1995 the export volume exceeded 10 billion US dollars.
1995 can be called a turning point in the history of Samsung - the beginning of the transformation of the company into a high-quality brand. The symbol of this moment is a photograph in which 2,000 employees smash defective Samsung products to smithereens - 150,000 fax machines, mobile phones and other devices. Samsung Group survived the last Asian crisis in 1997 with a new president, Jong-Yong Yun. Sacrificing his tail to save lives, Yoon liquidated dozens of secondary businesses, fired a third of the staff, breaking the practice of hiring for life, and staked on emerging digital technologies.
As you can see, while other companies were doing research and one after another released the world's first novelties - a CD, a transistor receiver, a video camera, etc., Samsung survived, struggled and developed. So it cannot be said about this company that in some distant year it came up with something innovative, and everyone fell in love with it. Hit Samsung products fall precisely on the current millennium.
It's even hard to imagine that this company once produced B/W TVs and other products at "reasonable" prices. Today, Samsung has become one of the most innovative and successful players in the consumer electronics and semiconductor market. It is the world's leading manufacturer of memory chips, flat panel displays and color televisions.
The company was a pioneer in the development of SDRAM, the ultra-fast memory chips used in personal computers, and the special memory chip used in the Sony PlayStation 2 game console. A credit card-sized camera phone! Third generation phone that receives satellite TV programs! World's smallest multifunction printer! And what is most surprising, in the summer of 2005, the value of the Samsung brand surpassed Sony for the first time! This was calculated by one of the British research companies.
By 1998, Samsung Electronics held the largest share of the LCD monitor market and began mass production of digital televisions.
In January 1999, Forbes Global magazine awarded Samsung Electronics annual prize awarded Best Consumer Electronics Company».
On the market Samsung TVs Definitely bypassed not only Sony, but also Philips, and did it back in 2003. At CeBIT in 2004, Samsung wiped everyone's nose by presenting the world's largest 102-inch plasma panel (more than two meters!), In line for which even the head of Oracle Larry Alison signed up. The LCD TVs of the new models were reviewed by magazines and experts, noting this in various categories such as "Best Buy" and "5 points". And the LN-57F51 BD LCD TV was even called the representative of a new era of TVs. Still, with it, even the room does not need to be darkened, since the quality of the picture does not depend on the ambient light.
It didn't take a week for Samsung to announce something outstanding. Like the world's first mobile phone with a built-in five-megapixel camera (now, of course, this is no longer shocking) or the same.
No company has such a set of proprietary technologies as Samsung. A little boastful, but it seems to be true, since Samsung is a real manufacturing company, not a sticker label on other people's products. Suffice it to say that Samsung is the only company in the world that manufactures laptops and monitors in its own factories, without relying on OEMs.
But Samsung is not only a high-tech factory, as it may seem, but also a recognized R & D center.
Byong Chul Lee, Founder Samsung Trading Co.
Byong Chul Lee died in 1987 of lung cancer. In honor of the blessed memory of its founder, a commemorative bust made of bronze and marble was installed in one of the Samsung offices.
Commemorative bust of the founder of the company
From the date of Byong Chul Lee's death to the present (with a break in 2008-2010), the board of directors of Samsung is headed by the founder's youngest son, Lee Gon Hee. His appointment to the post of head of the board of directors went against all Eastern traditions, according to which the eldest son inherits most of the family property.
Founder's son - Lee Gun Hee
At the end of 2012, Lee Gun Hee appointed his son Jay Lee to the post of deputy board of directors, effectively recognizing him as the heir to the Samsung empire.
Jay Lee is the heir to the Samsung empire
The post of CEO and Vice President of Samsung Electronics Co is held by Kwon Oh Hyun, who took office by decision of the company's Board of Directors on June 8, 2012.
Kwon o Hyun - CEO and vice presidentSamsung Electronics Co.
Today Samsung Electronics is a transnational corporation with offices in 47 countries and employing 70,000 people. The company occupies a leading position in the production of semiconductor and telecommunications equipment, as well as in the field of digital convergence technologies. The company consists of four main divisions: Digital Media Network Business, Device Solution Network Business, Telecommunication Network Business and Digital Appliance Network Business. In 2005, the company's sales were $56.7 billion and net income was $7.5 billion.
But look how history could turn. After all, Samsung could be the first to buy Android!
Let's remember 2005. There are no smartphones yet (at least not as we know them now), operators control all content, a complete mess with operating system versions, and what works for Motorola is unlikely to run on Samsung. App developers are running from smartphones like wildfire, and those who want to do it are forced to literally write new code for each model separately, often more than 100 variants at once.
The revolution, however, is in the air. Andy Rubin begins work on an operating system that was originally intended for digital cameras, but then captured smartphones. He started as an engineer at Carl Zeiss but then worked on operating systems for pocket computers. He had the experience and support of several other engineers. In October 2003, he launches the Android project, but a year later the startup runs out of money and begins looking for investors.
We all now know that eventually Ruby comes to Google and everyone lives happily ever after. But few people know that at first Rubin went with the newborn Android to Samsung. The entire team of eight Android engineers flew to Seoul for a meeting with what was then the largest phone maker.
Rubin had a meeting with 20 Samsung executives where he introduced Android, but instead of being enthusiastic or just asking questions, the answer was silence.
What army do you want to create this with? You only have six people. Are you stoned? - that's what they said. They made fun of me in the boardroom. This happened two weeks before Google bought us, writes Rubin.
In early 2005, Larry Page agreed to meet with Andy, and after the presentation of Android, he not only agreed to help with money - he decided that Google would buy Android. The entire mobile industry was changing before our eyes, and Page and Brin watched with concern, afraid that giants like Microsoft would seize the initiative.
The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -Everyone uses mobile devices, TVs, various household appliances: microwave ovens, refrigerators, washing machines. And if you ask who is the best in this sector, many will answer - Samsung.
Yes this is true. is a well-known global brand, under which almost any equipment used daily in everyday life is produced. You can hear about this company in advertising. You can read interesting facts about it on various sites. It can be seen in any thematic ratings, where it takes far from the last place. But few people know how it all began, and even about which country is the manufacturer of Samsung.
The country of origin of Samsung is Korea, since it was here in 1938, in the city of Daegu, that the company was founded. Its founder was Byung-Chull Lee, a Korean entrepreneur whose financial fortune was only 30,000 won ($2,000 at the time).
At the time of its founding, the company was named Samsung (Korean for "three stars"), in honor of Byong's three sons. But there is other information about Samsung and the origin of its name. Which one is true is unknown.
Although Samsung is now considered the world leader in the production of various equipment and electronics, at the time of foundation, the company's employees were engaged in completely different matters, namely, the production of rice flour. Only in 1969 did the company make a breakthrough in the technical field.
At the very beginning, the company, together with Sanyo (a Japanese electronics manufacturer), began to produce semiconductors. Later, a shop was opened where they assembled black-and-white TVs.
Since 1973, production has gradually shifted to the large-scale production of household appliances. And the cooperation of two opposing companies has turned into a whole corporation called Samsung Electronics.
In the same year, Samsung Electronics moved from Daegu to Suwon (a city in South Korea), where a home appliance factory was erected in early December. A year later, Semiconductor Co. joined the corporation. (Korean company). This was the beginning of the large-scale production of refrigerators and washing machines.
Since 1979, the company began to produce video recorders. And since 1983 - PC. In the same year, the manufacturing country of Samsung is not only South Korea, but also the United States. The fact is that production moved here in order to open a plant for the manufacture of microwave ovens.
In 1998, the production of digital TVs and DVD players was launched. And in 1999 the company created the first mobile phone.
Today it is difficult to say which country is the manufacturer of Samsung, because the company's factories are located all over the world. The corporation has given jobs to more than half a million citizens in 60 countries around the world. And plans to expand further in the future.
Almost everything is produced under this brand: from stereos and TVs to refrigerators and washing machines. Even such specific household appliances as sandwich makers or waffle makers are mass-produced at Samsung Group factories. That is why now in almost any area of life you can come across the Samsung brand, which is constantly developing, introducing innovations in order to conquer new heights of the electronic industry.
The Russian spelling, according to the norms of practical transcription, is “samson”) in Korean means “three stars”. It is possible that this name is associated with the three sons of Samsung founder Lee Byung-chul (이병철), whose youngest son Lee Gong-hee (이건희) headed the company until 2008, in violation of all Eastern inheritance traditions, in accordance with which the eldest son inherits most of the family property.
We use the human and technological resources of the company to create products and services of superior quality, thereby contributing to the improvement of the global state of society.
Thus, 30 large companies (chaebols - "money families") were created. Among them, in addition to Samsung, were Hyundai, Goldstar (LG), etc. Each "money family" had its own direction: Daewoo - car production, Goldstar - household appliances, Samsung - electronics, Hyundai - construction, etc.
The merger of Sanyo and Samsung marked the beginning of one of the largest sectors of the Samsung Group, Samsung Electronics. The company managed, albeit at heavy losses, to survive the economic crisis of the 1980s. The price of the crisis is several non-core divisions, a sharp reduction in the number of subsidiaries. With the advent of Lee Kung Hee, a whole range of reforms was proposed, which included not only a complete restructuring of the company, but also a change in the very foundations of management: the company had to fully comply with the conditions of the law on free trade. The proposals to change the policy towards external investors were supposed to increase the company's attractiveness for subsidies, as the conglomerate lost financial support from the state.
Until the 1980s, the shares of the companies belonging to the concern were circulated only in South Korea, while they were in rather low demand from investors. The reason is the traditionally Asian administration according to the principles of Confucianism: only representatives of the Li family were at the head of the board. The levers of influence on decision-making in the field of company management were completely absent from external investors. In addition, traditional management meant lifelong employment and career advancement for years of service.
Marketing changes were introduced, a complete reworking of the company's mission and a change in its symbol. The first two company logos featured three red stars. But the management of Samsung, considering the former logo inappropriate for the image of an international corporation, decided to replace it. It was then that the modern emblem saw the light - a dynamically inclined blue ellipse with the name of the company written inside. Excellent design and a large-scale advertising campaign have done their job: the logo has become one of the most recognizable in the world. Advertising students at leading universities are now studying the Samsung logo change as an example of an exceptionally successful rebrand.
When developing a new emblem, it was not without oriental philosophy. According to the representatives of the company, "the elliptical shape of the logo symbolizes movement in the global space, expressing the idea of renewal and improvement." These changes continued until the 1990s.
Samsung Group financial report for 2006:
Group sales growth trends according to the company's annual reports:
General view of the profit distribution structure of the Samsung Group according to the report for 2006:
| Area of activity of the division | Subdivision name | Division sales, billion USD | % of total sales |
| Electronics industry | Samsung Electronics Samsung SDI Samsung Electro-Mechanics Samsung SDS Samsung Networks |
63,4 7,15 2,58 2,26 0,598 |
39,90 4,50 1,62 1,42 0,38 |
| Chemical industry | Samsung Total Petrochemicals Samsung Petrochemicals Samsung Fine Chemicals Samsung BP Chemicals |
3,5 1,5 0,802 0,292 |
2,20 0,94 0,50 0,18 |
| Finance and insurance | Samsung Life Insurance Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Samsung Card Samsung Securities Samsung Investment Trust Management |
29,1 8,76 2,36 1,31 0,08 |
18,31 5,51 1,49 0,82 0,05 |
| heavy industry | Samsung Heavy Industries samsung techwin |
6,83 3,095 |
4,03 1,95 |
| other activities | Samsung Corporation Samsung Engineering |
10,18 2,18 1,55 1,47 0,469 |
6,41 1,37 0,98 0,93 0,30 |
The structure of the Samsung Group (according to the distribution of the company's profit from various areas activities, 2006)
The companies that are part of the Samsung Group are engaged in electronics and microelectronics, the chemical industry, the automotive industry, heavy industry, finance and credit, and insurance. The structure of the concern includes a full cycle of electronics production, from the extraction of resources, their processing and ending with finished products. Most of the divisions of the conglomerate perform subordinate functions in relation to companies directly involved in the manufacture of finished electronic products, and work exclusively for the concern or only within South Korea. This feature is clearly visible from the distribution of profits by divisions, thus, the main income of the concern comes from the electronics industry.
More than 70% of the Group's sales are in the electronics industry.
Companies in this division:
The electronics industry divisions of the company operate worldwide, most of the products are exported. The distribution of Samsung electronics business by region is as follows:
The divisions are engaged in the production of hard disk drives (HDD), RAM, liquid crystal monitors, liquid crystal and plasma TVs, mobile phones of GSM, CDMA, 3G and WiMAX standards, equipment for IP telephony, laptops, printers, MFPs, household appliances, etc. etc., development of wireless telecommunication networks of the third and fourth generation, WiMAX.
Distribution of Samsung electronics business by technology areas:
It is worth noting the company's success in the US telecommunications market. In the third quarter of 2008, Samsung managed to take first place in sales of mobile phones, ahead of its main competitor, Nokia.
According to the statistics of research company DisplaySearch (Q1 2007), Samsung Electronics occupies a leading position among the leading TV brands in the global market, similarly, Samsung remains in first place in the markets of Western and Eastern Europe and the North American region separately:
One of the most important areas, as already noted, is the creation of LCD panels (monitors) and TV, this is evidenced by the ubiquity of production. Samsung Electronics monitor manufacturing plants are located in South Korea (Suwon) (), Hungary (), Malaysia (), Great Britain (1995), Mexico (), China (1998), Brazil (1998), Slovakia (2002), India (2001), Vietnam (2001), Thailand (2001), Spain (2001).
In 2008, a TV production plant was opened in Russia (Kaluga region), the enterprise assembles LCD and plasma TVs of small diagonals (up to 42 ") of budget series. The plant has a workshop for the production of plastic parts of the product case, but the line is not fully loaded and the main part of the devices is assembled from imported parts (mainly made in China) (November 2008).
The head production in the suburbs of Seoul became loaded with the manufacture of the highest quality displays (of all those produced by the concern), a 6 sigma control system was introduced at this enterprise. Here they develop new models, test, create the first series of products, and after successful implementation, they distribute the workload for the manufacture of a new product between factories around the world. This standard has been introduced at most of the concern's factories, for example, it is a corporate strategy for the operation of the Samsung SDI division.
Unit structure chemical industry includes five enterprises:
The industry brings the concern about $ 5 billion a year. Samsung Total Petrochemicals is the group's largest chemical company and is a joint venture between the Samsung Group and Total Group's French energy and chemical company. The petrochemical complex consists of 15 factories located in Daesang (South Korea), which produce household chemicals, general chemicals, basic chemicals:
In the field of heavy industry, there are two divisions of the concern:
The division brings about 10% of the concern's profits, as it works mainly for the domestic market of South Korea, in addition, part of the export goes to the USA and China. Among the main areas of activity of this division, it is worth noting the work on security structures, the development of new types of weapons, and the -, gas pipelines, tankers. Major projects include the development of the KTX2 multipurpose training aircraft, the K9 self-propelled howitzer, the world's largest liquefied gas tanker, and the Xin Los Angeles container ship.
The construction is carried out by one company of the concern:
The industry brings the concern about $ 2 billion a year. The division is engaged in the construction of offices and factories for the Samsung Group around the world, the implementation of third-party orders is very rare. Among the buildings developed and designed by this company, it is worth noting the Samsung Group head office building in Seoul, the tallest building in the world - Burj Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, twin towers in Malaysia, Taipei 101 in Taiwan.
Samsung Group head office building in Seoul
Tallest building in the world Burj Dubai United Arab Emirates
twin towers in malaysia
Taipei 101 in Taiwan
One of the non-core divisions of the concern is the automotive industry, one enterprise is engaged in this area:
Until 2008, the company provided only the domestic market. In the near future, the concern plans to enter the market of the Asia-Pacific region (2009). In 2007, the production volume amounted to 179,272 vehicles.
Samsung Cheil Industries, founded in 1954 as a textile manufactory, has been successfully transformed into a fashion industry leader in the South Korean market, as well as a manufacturer of chemical materials: synthetic resins (ABS, PS) and semiconductor display compounds. This company produces such fashionable Korean clothing brands as Bean Pole, Galaxy, Rogatis and LANSMERE.
The entertainment and leisure industry is represented in the conglomerate by two companies:
Everland Resort is located in Yongin, a suburb of Seoul. It is the largest entertainment complex in South Korea. The Shilla Hotels & Resorts is a five-star hotel chain operating in a strategic alliance with Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces (India). According to various travel agencies Shilla is one of the ten best hotels in the world.
In the Russian market, out of the entire Samsung Group concern, electronic industry divisions are mainly represented:
1. Samsung Electronics - household appliances (refrigerators, washing machines, vacuum cleaners, built-in appliances), audio-video devices (LCD and plasma TVs, projection TVs, home theaters, mini and micro systems), mobile phones, office equipment (monitors, laptops , printers, MFPs).
2. Toshiba-Samsung - hard drives, optical drives
3. SDS - RAM
President of the CIS and Baltic Headquarters, General Director of Samsung Electronics Rus - Chiwon Suh (appointed in February 2009).
The international analytical agency GfK provides the following sales statistics for Samsung Electronics in Russia:
According to the research company ITResearch for 2007:
Samsung Electronics has been the title sponsor of Chelsea Football Club since 2005. The official signing ceremony took place between Samsung European President Ying-soo Kim and football club chief executive Peter Knn at Stamford Bridge. So, since 2005, the football club has been playing in blue (white) jerseys with the Samsung Mobile logo on the chest. The five - year contract will cost £50 million .
The decision to cooperate was made in order to strengthen the position of the company in the field of telecommunication technologies in the European market.
Literary Prize. L. Tolstoy "Yasnaya Polyana"
Samsung acted as a co-founder of the Yasnaya Polyana award. The winners of the award are the authors whose works awaken the ideals of morality and mercy in readers. The award is one of the most prestigious literary awards in Russia, designed to support writers, followers of the morality and ideals of L. Tolstoy, the ideals of humanistic prose and poetry, which express the centuries-old traditions of Russian culture.
Sponsorship of the Bolshoi Theater
