Xerox

Headquarters: 800 Long Ridge Road
Stamford, CT 06904
Employees: 58,000 worldwide
CEO: Anne Mulcahy
Stock Symbol: XRX

Website: http://www.xerox.com

Xerox is the world's leading manufacturer of copy machines, color printers, fax machines and scanners for offices and businesses. It also offers consulting and outsourcing services to help companies better manage their documents, mail and printing rooms.

Digital systems include color and black-and-white printing and publishing systems, digital presses and "book factories," multifunction devices, laser and solid ink network printers, copiers and fax machines. Xerox's services help businesses develop online document archives, analyzing how employees can most efficiently share documents and knowledge in the office, operating in-house print shops or mailrooms, and building Web-based processes for personalizing direct mail, invoices, brochures and more. Xerox also offers software, support and supplies such as toner, paper and ink.

In 2007, Xerox reported revenue of $17.1 billion and net income of $1.1 billion. The company spent $912 million in 2007 on research and development.

Xerox announced in October it will cut 3,000 jobs or 5% of its workforce. All departments will be affected except for sales.

History

Chester Carlson developed the technology to make copies of paper in 1938 which he originally called "electrophotography." The Haloid Company, a maker of photographic paper in Rochester, N.Y., approached Battelle and obtained a license to develop and market a copying machine based on Carlson's technology. Haloid later obtained all rights to Carlson's invention. Carlson and Haloid agreed the word "electrophotography" was too cumbersome. A professor of classical languages at Ohio State University suggested "xerography," derived from the Greek words for "dry" and "writing."

Haloid coined the word "Xerox" for the new copiers, and in 1948, the word Xerox was trademarked. Inspired by the early, modest success of its Xerox copiers, Haloid changed its name in 1958 to Haloid Xerox Inc. The company became Xerox Corporation in 1961 after wide acceptance of the Xerox 914, the first automatic office copier to use ordinary paper.

Employees

Xerox employs 35,600 workers in the U.S. According to the company, the U.S. work force in 2003 was 15.4 percent African-American, 8.2 percent Hispanic, 5.4 percent Asian and 0.8 percent Native American. Women made up 33 percent of the total U.S. work force. About 43 percent of Xerox senior executives are women or people of color or both.

The company is headquartered in Stamford, CT. The marketing division is located in Rochester, NY with 9,000 employees. The Office Printing Business Group is located in Portland, OR and the company's famed research and development is at the Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) in Palo Alto, CA. Customer support positions are available in almost every major U.S. city.

Employees receive health, dental, vision and life insurance effective on their first day of work. Xerox offers a pension plan that is fully vested after five years. A 401(k) plan is offered and the company matches 50 cents on the dollar up to the first 6% of employee contributions.

New employees receive vacation after six months of service. Most employees start with an annual vacation of two weeks. The number of vacation days increases in the fifth anniversary year (three weeks), 10th year (four weeks), 20th year (five weeks), and 25th year (six weeks).

Xerox has 10 paid holidays per year and two personal holidays are available. Tuition assistance is also provided.

Updated October 24, 2008