History Timeline

1963 - 1965:  ARMCO RADIO MANUFACTURING CO LTD – ARMCO is formed by ICDC which manufactures its own design of valve radios.

1966 – 1969: AFCOT LTD –The SANYO agents in Kenya get into a joint venture with ARMCO to manufacture SANYO radio sets in Kenya.

1970: ARMCO expands with a 4000 radio sets a month and a workforce of 35 employees.

1971: Plans to build a modern factory get underway in Nairobi’s Industrial Area after a grant of 2.34 Acres from the Lands Office.

1972: ARMCO’s Factory premises are built. The biggest and most modern Factory premises are operational by October. ARMCO exports its first batch of Radiograms and record players to Ethiopia.

The head of the SANYO Group of Companies, Mr. K. Iue and the Managing Director Mr. E. Kamuro visit the Sanyo ARMCO Factory in Nairobi and pay a courtesy call to President of Kenya Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.

1973: President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta officially opens the SANYO ARMCO FACTORY – now employing staff of200.

1974 - 1975: ARMCO starts assembling HI-FI equipment and cassette tape recorders.

1976: ARMCO starts assembling TV Sets with 17”, 20” and 24” wide screens.

1977: ARMCO launches its Kshs. 5million expansion plan towards another assembly line with the workforce rising to 300.

1978: ARMCO starts assembling home appliances. Mr. E. Kamuro – Vice President of SANYO in Japan visits ARMCO FACTORY and taken aback by the progress.

1979: ARMCO celebrates 10 years of operation. Preparations for the production of colour TVs are finalized.

1980 - 1994: ARMCO starts assembling colour TVs sets in Kenya.

1995 – 1999: Government policy change leads to management change. ICDC pulls out of SANYO ARMCO and the company embarks on importation and distribution of finished SANYO products in East Africa region.