The story
Xie Zhi Business Enterprise, the forerunner of Tatung Company, was established in 1918 by Shang-Zhi Lin. It was involved in high-profile construction projects, including the Tamsui River embankment project and the Executive Yuan building.
In 1939, Tatung Iron Works was established as the company ventured into iron and steel manufacturing. Following the arrival of the ROC administration in 1945, Tatung Iron Works was renamed to Tatung Steel and Machinery Manufacturing Company. The company began mass production of electrical motors and appliances 10 years later in 1949.
In 1962 the company became publicly listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange, and was renamed to Tatung Company in 1968. A year later, Tatung began production of color TVs, and adopted the "Tatung Boy" mascot, which became a Taiwanese cultural symbol.
Timeline
1970
Revenues exceeded NT$2.2 billion, making Tatung Taiwan's foremost private company.
1972
W. S. Lin, the grandson of Shang-Zhi Lin, was appointed as president of Tatung. Shortly thereafter he was implicated in a case of embezzlement at Tatung which would take more than ten years to litigate.
1977
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Participated in the Ten Major Construction Projects with the construction of a slag treatment facility for China Steel and provision for Chiang Kai-shek International Airport's power control station
2000
Chunghwa Picture Tubes was listed on the OTC market
2001
Global Management Division set up at the company's headquarters
Chunghwa Picture Tubes was listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange
2003
Mass production of LCD and PDP TVs
Lin Cheng-yuan resigns as head of Chunghwa Picture Tubes.
2004
Set up a new subsidiary Toes Opto-Mechatronics Company
Established SeQual Technologies Co. to produce the oxygen generator for clinical therapy and home health care uses
Established Tatung Compressors (Zhongshan) Co. in China
2005
Consolidated Tatung's Desktop PC Business Unit with Elitegroup Computer Systems (ECS), making Tatung the largest shareholder of ECS
Established Tatung Wire & Cable Technology (Wujiang) Co. in China
Death of T.S. Lin
2006
Mr. W. S. Lin was elected as chairman and president of Tatung
Green Energy Technology started trading on the emerging stock market
2007
Forward Electronics invested in Apollo Solar Energy Co. to expand its scope into the market of solar cell module
2008
Green Energy Technology was listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange as 25 January
Established Tatung Electric Technology (Vietnam) Co. for the manufacturing and sales of wires and cables
2009
Tatung University launched WiMAX network, the first wireless broadband network ever built in campus alike
To help the victims of Typhoon Morakot, Tatung initiated a Special Service Project in which 1,000 technicians and 70 service trucks were mobilized in and around the affected areas to help handle damaged home appliance items. The employees of Tatung Group together with the staff of Tatung University and Tatung High School also donated their one-day earnings totaling to NT$10 million to those in need.
2010
New Energy Business Unit set up a crystal growth center to manufacture multicrystalline silicon bricks, a milestone for HQ's involvement in the crystal-related business
Luxury condominium, "Tatung Noble Residences (Phase II of Tatung Tomorrow World)", the 2nd project in Nangang by Shan Chih Asset Development, was under construction
2011
Mrs. W.Y. Lin was appointed President of Tatung
2012
Lithium iron phosphate cathode material by Tatung Fine Chemicals successfully entered into Japanese market of energy storage
2015
Lin Cheng-yuan, indicted in the US on charges of price fixing.
2020
Lin family loses control of the Tatung board of directors. Lin Wen-yuan (no relation) appointed as chairman of the new board.
2021
Lu Ming-kuang, Lin Wen-yuan's successor as chairman, resigns the position.
From Wikipedia’s article on Tatung Company, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5