Seiko Instruments Inc. had formed the Austin division in July 2000 to market its hand-held products while closing an identical division at Seiko's Torrance, CA location. Seiko still operates several divisions out of its Torrance complex, including industrial products, fiber optics and robotics, and a home/office equipment division.

There are 12 employees now carrying out sales and marketing responsibilities for Seiko's only Austin location, a contact has told GlobeSt.com. Seiko Instruments Austin Inc. will focus heavily on customer service, and support its new product development with customer ideas and feedback, the contact says of the division's immediate goals.

The Seiko group began in 1881 as a watch company founded by the Hattori family of Japan. In 1981, Seiko Instruments Inc. had been established to apply the company's technology to the needs of end-users and OEM customers. The Austin operation handles sales and marketing for such high-tech products as personal organizers, electronic dictionaries, multi-language translators and children's palmtops. Seiko Instruments Inc. is a privately held US corporation affiliated with Seiko Instruments Inc. of Japan and one of four companies within the Seiko group.