Hitachi has been producing equipment and advancing technology across a variety of industries since it’s inception in 1910, taking it’s company name from the city in the Ibaraki Prefecture of Japan, Hitachi. In the beginning, electrical engineer and found Namihei Odaira had only one product – a 4-kilowatt induction motor that was the first of it’s kind in Japan. This motor was used for copper mining and after 8 years working “in house” for a mining company, Odaira relocated Hitachi headquarters to Tokyo in 1918. As with virtually every industry on earth, World War II had tremendous effects on the operations of Hitachi. It was a common strategy of Allied forces to bomb manufacturing factories, as many of them were working to produce parts for war machines and weapons. Ironically enough, Hitachi was able to recover from the detriments of WW2 by landing defense contract from the United States during the Korean War. Following this new development, Hitachi established a headquarters in the US in 1959 and eventually Europe in 1982. Over the years Hitachi has participated in industries ranging from communication, consulting, electronics, defense sytems and metal all the way to nuclear and rail. Hitachi regularly participates in philanthropic causes such as donating microscopes to five universities in Indonesia in 2011. In 2019, Hitachi continues to be a leading producer of construction equipment for job sites all over the world.