Quasar (brand)
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| Industry | Electronics |
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| Founded | 1967 |
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Key people
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Bob Greenberg CEO Alex Stone CEO F. Jack Pluckhan CEO |
| Products | Televisions, VCRs, Record Players, Cassette Players, Air Conditioners, Palmcorders, and Microwave Ovens |
Quasar is an American brand of electronics, first used by Motorola in 1967 for a model line of transistorized color televisions. These TVs were marketed as containing all serviceable parts in a drawer beside the picture tube. It was then established as a subsidiary brand, with all Motorola-manufactured televisions being sold as Quasar by Motorola. Motorola later sold its consumer electronics division to Matsushita Electric, who continued producing and marketing televisions under the Quasar brand until 2005. In 2013, Panasonic (Matsushita's new corporate name as of 2008) resurrected the name as a value brand.
Quasar was established as a television brand in 1967 by Motorola, who wanted to emphasize the simplified design of their all-transistor television sets; the chassis was designed in such a way that the electronic components were contained within a drawer that could be slid out by a technician for easy replacement or repair.
On May 29, 1974, Motorola, Inc., sold its television manufacturing division — including its plants in Pontiac, Illinois; Franklin Park, Illinois; and Markham, Ontario — to Matsushita. Production of home television receivers continued under a newly incorporated entity, Quasar Electronics, Inc., an American-managed subsidiary of Matsushita Electronic Corporation of America (MECA). Motorola continued to operate a plant in Quincy, Illinois until 1976, when this also was transferred to Matsushita. In the late 1970s Quasar Company was established as a sales operation, with Quasar Electronics, Inc. manufacturing both televisions and microwave ovens in Franklin Park, Illinois. In 1981, improved production operations at this plant were praised by the media and management specialists, and quality control employees noted that they rarely were required to repair manufacturing defects, which had been a problem previously. The Franklin Park plant and Matushita's management and manufacturing processes were discussed in a best-selling book by University of California Los Angeles management professor William Ouchi.
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