Multinational business founded by Anton Philips and his brother Gerard, originally as a manufacturer of lightbulbs, but then spreading to all sorts of electrical equipment, household appliances, and electronics as well as records and other forms of entertainment. The firm has a far-flung network of factories around the world, and despite Japanese competition and considerable difficulty of late, it remains one of the leading companies of its kind. It has some 160,000 employees in more than 60 countries.
Historical Dictionary of the Netherlands. EdwART. 2012.