History
Brother's history began in 1908 when the Yasui Sewing Machine Co. was established in Nagoya, Japan. In 1954, Brother International Corporation (US) was established as their first overseas sales affiliate. In 1958 a European regional sales company was established in Dublin. The corporate name was finally changed to Brother Industries, Ltd. in 1962. Brother entered the printer market during its long association with Centronics.
In 1968 the company moved its UK headquarters to Audenshaw, Manchester, after acquiring the Jones Sewing Machine Company, a long established British sewing machine maker
As of 2012, Brother's annual turnover was in excess of ¥497 billion.
In April 2010, the sewing divisions of Brother Industries around Europe were consolidated into one larger company called "Brother Sewing Machines Europe GmbH". With a turnover in excess of €80 million, it is the 4th biggest company under the Brother Industries Ltd umbrella. Brother Industries manufacture sewing machines in China and Taiwan, with a new factory expected to open in Vietnam by mid 2012.
In November 2012, Brother announced that it had built the last UK-made typewriter at its north Wales factory. Saying that it had made 5.9 million typewriters in its factory in Wrexham since it opened in 1985, the firm donated the last machine to London's Science Museum.
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