Konica Minolta is owned and operated by Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc. The Konica company was originally started in 1873 when Rokusaburo Sugiura started selling photographic equipment in Toyko. Minolta company beginnings started in 1928, when Kazuo Tashmima started the Nichi-Doku Company, which would eventually become Minolta.
The two companies started a joint venture in 2000, and officially merged into a holding company in 2003. Currently, Konica Minolta is a global producer of copiers, ink and toner, printing solutions, and business optics.