Philips Phonografische Industrie (PPI)

Subsidiary of the "Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V." that created the Philips label. Active from 1945 until 1962, when it continued as Phonogram. History of the company: In 1945, right after the Second World War, the Dutch Philips company combined it's various music-related businesses, which included recording, manufacturing, export, distribution, research & development, into a subsidiary called Philips Phonografische Industrie (PPI). This subsidiary created the Philips label in 1950. To encourage their growth, Philips tried from an early stage to cooperate & merge with other major record companies: In 1942 Philips Electronics took over the Hollandsche Decca Distributie (HDD), who was the exclusive distributor for the UK Decca label for the Netherlands, and all its colonies, until 1950. By 1945, The Decca Record Company Limited rejected a proposal by Philips Phonographic Industries for a merge. Shortly after PPI was created, an alliance was already formed with the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft, a label owned by Siemens AG. They manufactured each others records and abstained from stealing each others artists or from up-bidding against each other for new musical talents. In 1962, the Philips Phonographische Industrie and the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft formed GPG: the Gramophon-Philips Group. The Philips company took a 50% share in DGG, and Siemens a 50% share in PPI. Together with this venture, Philips Phonografische Industrie (PPI) was renamed to Phonogram. 10 years later, in 1972, the Phonogram & DGG formally merged together and formed Polygram, in which Philips Electronics & Siemens both had a 50% share. By 1977 the two organisations were also operationally merged. Recording, manufacturing, distribution and marketing were integrated into one single organisation. Labels managed the company: Philips, started in 1950 Fontana, started in the late 1950's Owners of the company: 1945-1962 - Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.