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Contributed by Irene Hahn **Garmin Company Description ** Creating navigation and communication devices that enrich their customer’s lives is what Garmin is all about. One year after a brain storming session around a card table with a small group of engineers, Garmin launched its first product in 1990. The GPS 100, a panel-mounted receiver intended for the marine market, debuted at the 1990 International Marine Technology Exposition in Chicago. The unit, which cost $2,500, was an immediate hit and Garmin left the exposition with an order backlog of 5,000 units.

Garmin’s next product was a handheld GPS receiver used by military personnel serving during the first Gulf War in 1991. The company expanded industry application of these devices for the fitness and sports industries next. One of their most popular product lines are the eTrek series of handheld GPS devices. The original eTrek offered a lightweight, waterproof, palm-sized 12-channel GPS receiver. It was enthusiastically received by backpackers, hikers, and others who made their way into remote areas. The battery life of the eTrek was an impressive 22 hours on two AA-size batteries. The eTrek product line continues today and the technology offered within these units has continued to evolve over time providing advanced functionality such as an altimeter, digital compass, detailed road maps and more.  Garmin’s focus on continual innovation, along with a desire to meet their loyal customer’s expectations, has fueled an ever-growing list of products. Today, application of Garmin’s products span a wide range of industries to include automotive, aviation, marine, fitness, outdoor recreation, and wireless. One of Garmin’s strategies is to offer alternatives for their customers utilizing different price points to their products. This provides a broader base of enthusiasts an opportunity to take advantage of the GPS technology Garmin has to offer regardless of their budget. The company designs, manufactures, markets, and sells its own products. This is viewed by Garmin as a significant competitive advantage because they live and breathe their solutions. Research and development is paramount to Garmin’s long-term success. Within ten years, the company went from a handful of employees in 1989 to 7,000 in 2007. The company is of the mindset that their employees must not only design, market and sell the product but also use it in all of its applications. This enables Garmin to remain focused on the continual improvement of their products. At the end of the day, their products must be easy to use, intuitive and to simple to navigate in order to meet their objective – to remove as much of the stress related to travel as possible.

Garmin sells over 100 products that can be found in all shapes and sizes, such as OEM installations on motorcycles and sonar fish-finders on boats. Garmin is also leveraging their software and selling the product for laptop computers. Most recently, Garmin announced they are launching a new smart-phone, the “Nuvi” phone. They plan to partner with an exclusive wireless telephone company when they become available for purchase.

Sources: Retrieved September 25, 2009, from Garmin Website: [|**http://www8.garmin.com/aboutGarmin**] Retrieved September 25, 2009, from Garmin Website: [] Retrieved September 25, 2009, from Wikipedia Website: [] Retrieved September 25, 2009, from Wichita Business Journal Website: [] By Ben Charney; Retrieved September 25, 2009, from Wichita Business Journal Website: []
 * //Garmin Company: About Us// (2009).**
 * //Garmin Culture: Stories from the Inside// (2009).**
 * //Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia: Garmin// (Sept 18, 2009).**
 * //Wichita Business Journal: Report: Garmin smartphone will cost $500// (Sept 22, 2009).**
 * //Wall Street Journal: Garmin Tried to Find Ways Around Smartphone Threat//** **(Sept 22, 2009).**

