ROHM was founded in Kyoto in 1958 as a small manufacturer of electronic components. In 1967, production was expanded to include transistors and diodes, and in 1969 IC and other semiconductor products were added. Two years later (1971), in a departure from traditional Japanese business culture, the company entered the American market by establishing a sales office and IC design center in Silicon Valley. Through the hard work and passionate dedication of its young people, the business prospered and attracted the attention of the industry. Rohm's expansion abroad soon became a template for other companies and eventually was accepted as common business practice.