Japan’s Toshiba Corp. said on Thursday it’s set to combine two consumer electronics divisions, which includes a big business unit in Irvine, beginning in July.
Irvine’s Toshiba America Information Systems Inc., which designs and markets laptop computers, is set to be combined with Wayne, N.J.-based Toshiba America Consumer Products LLC, which makes flat TVs, Blu-ray players, TV/DVD combo products and portable DVD players.
“The strategic move is designed to take full advantage of the ongoing digital convergence in the U.S. market by combining the resources of each company to provide the industry’s broadest and strongest range of digital products,” the company said in a statement.
The television unit is set to be folded into what’s called the digital products division as a unit of Toshiba America Information Systems in Irvine as of July 1. It’s unclear what, if anything, will happen to the New Jersey site.
It also is unclear what the move means for Toshiba’s Irvine campus, which has some 1,500 workers here spread across four business units that make printers, fax machines, projectors, telecommunications gear, external portable storage drives and other office products.
Toshiba’s local operations also “offer easier access to overseas manufacturing facilities” and Toshiba’s global headquarters in Tokyo, the company said.
