Garmin

Garmin manufactures marine, aviation, and consumer technologies suitable to run on global positioning systems. Garmin is a manufacturer of marine, aviation, and consumer technologies suitable to run on the Global Positioning System (GPS). 

It has delivered more than 100 million products, most of them enabled with GPS, which is far more than any other navigation provider. Customers ranked high on Garmin products because they are easy to use and high quality. It was established in 1989 and is based in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.

1989: The pair founded Garmin in Lenexa, Kansas, as ProNav. What started out with a handful of dedicated engineers and a great idea for a product has grown into the Global Positioning System (GPS) leader. Both in sales and critical acclaim.

1990: Garmin Corporation was formed in Taiwan in January by two electrical engineers, Gary Burrell and Doctor Min Kao. The GPS 100 debuted and was a panel-mounted GPS receiver.

1991: In it got the United States Army as its first customer.

1992: GPS devices were a $100 million-a-year market.

1993: Portable GPS with moving map GPS 95.

1994: IFR A-1 non-precision approach certified GPS GPS 155.

1996: Garmin International, the United States unit, moved to a new $8 million, 100,000-square-foot headquarters.

1997: GPS III, Garmin's first automotive product, is introduced.

1998: StreetPilot, an auto navigation product, is introduced.

1999: On May 13, AirCell and Garmin International announced an alliance to develop new products that use AirCell’s unique cellular air-ground link to bring affordable flight communications, navigation and safety to general aviation aircraft. Sales had reached $233 million and a profit of $64 million.

2000: Before the IPO, a Cayman Islands-based holding company called Garmin Ltd. was created in July. The company was founded and is headquartered in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.  Garmin Ltd. became a public company on December 8, with one of the best IPOs following the dot-com bust. The company began public trading on NASDAQ.

2001: "Olathe, Kan.-Based Firm Reports Decline in Sales of Air Navigation Devices," Kansas City Star, November 2.

2002: Co-Founder of Olathe, Kan., International Manufacturer to Retire as Co-CEO. Nevertheless, Garmin was able to open the year with its best first quarter results to date net income of $26.8 million on revenues of $100.9 million.

2003: The combined handheld unit, called the iQue 3600, used the popular Palm operating system and was introduced at a trade show. Garmin International acquired UPS Aviation Technologies, Inc. from United Parcel Service, Inc. in August for $38 million. The Chicago-Sun Times reported that GPS began to hit the mass market, versus the gadget enthusiasts. Aviation industry's first integrated avionics unit to be certified for WAAS/GPS navigation - CNX80.

2004: The Kansas facility was slated for another expansion to be completed.

2005: Forbes estimated Kao’s net worth at $1.5 billion.

2006: Garmin released all of its software for Mac OS X. Also, Garmin introduced a new corporate logo, and the opening of its first retail store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois.

2011: In July, Garmin finished its acquisition of the German satellite navigation company Navigon. Garmin introduced the NTU map in 2011.40.

2016: A member of Garmin's line, this luxury, metal-clad 5-inch GPS comes with free map and traffic (HD) updates, a powered dash mount, voice activation, and most of the latest Garmin functions, such as smartphone notifications.

“To be an enduring company by creating superior products for automotive, aviation, marine, outdoor, and sports that are an essential part of our customers' lives.”

“We will be the global leader in every market we serve, and our products will be sought after for their compelling design, superior quality, and best value.”