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Gould Electronics GmbH
IndustrySemiconductors
Founded1928; 96 years ago (1928)
Defunct2014; 10 years ago (2014)
Fateclosed by its corporate owner, JX Nippon Mining & Metals
HeadquartersEichstetten, Germany
Area served
United States, Asia, Europe
OwnerJX Nippon Mining & Metals
ParentJX Holdings
Websitewww.gould.com

Gould Electronics Inc. was a manufacturer of electronics and batteries that branched into other fields before being partially absorbed in 1988 by Nippon Mining (now JX Holdings) and closed by them in 2014.

History

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Gould was founded in 1928 and at some point was based in Chandler, Arizona. Some time in the 1950s or beyond it became involved in the semiconductor industry, making printed circuit materials for use by electronics manufacturers. Having acquired Systems Engineering Laboratories Gould became involved in the Superminicomputer computer business.

From 1977 to the mid-1980s the company owned the Modicon brand of programmable logic controller, today owned by Schneider Electric. This was in a phase where the company became a mini-conglomerate, with a diverse portfolio of industrial interests. In 1985, Gould, Inc. employed 21,000 worldwide and had sales of 1.4 billion, most of which came from its electrical and electronics products and components, and its defense systems.[1]

Gould's non-defense businesses were acquired in 1988 by Nippon Mining (now JX Holdings). As part of the U.S. government approval of the 1988 deal, Nippon Mining was required to divest the Gould divisions then doing work for the Department of Defense, including the Computer Systems Division.[2] Later, in 1989, Encore Computer Corporation (about 250 employees) bought the computer division (about 2500 employees) from Nippon Mining.

At some point it became headquartered in Eichstetten, Germany.

Sports sponsorship

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The Gould sponsored IndyCar used to win the 1979 Indianapolis 500

During the late 1970s, Gould served as a sponsor for Penske Racing in American open wheel racing.[3] This included being the primary sponsor of the winning car of the 1979 Indianapolis 500.

Closure

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In July 2014, Gould's then current corporate parent, JX Nippon Mining & Metals Corporation (a part of JX Holdings), announced that it would be closing down the company as a part of JX Nippon Metals & Mining's restructuring, involving closing down several facilities in Japan, the Philippines, and in Germany, where Gould was headquartered. The restructuring was in response to, according to their press release about Gould's closure, "a shrinking market in Europe, high overcapacity and an ongoing erosion of prices, partly triggered by subsidized manufacturers from China and other Asian countries."[4]

Gould is the current owner of a lead-contaminated parcel of land in Throop, Pennsylvania, which it bought in the early 1980s from the former Marjol Battery and Equipment Company.[citation needed]

The CGI title credits of the 1980s television show Amazing Stories was created using a Gould Powernode 9080 computer.

References

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  1. ^ "Gould Electronics History - Zippia". www.zippia.com. 2020-08-27. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  2. ^ Markoff, John (31 August 1988). "Gould To Be Acquired By Nippon Mining". New York Times. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  3. ^ Katz, Michael (May 22, 1978). "Penske and Co.: Big Wheels at Indy". The New York Times. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  4. ^ Gould Electronics' website (captured on 2/19/2015 by the Wayback Machine), [1], Gould Electronics announces plant closure by the end of 2014, followed by liquidation of the company
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