Ibiquity Hires Sanyo Trading as Japanese OEM Rep

Ibiquity Digital Corp. is putting more pieces in place to get IBOC radios in Japanese cars. The IBOC developer has contracted with an international trader and sales rep firm to support and expand Ibiquity’s presence in Japan.
Sanyo Trading General Manager Masaaki Masumoto says his company has long-term relationships with Japanese automakers such as Toyota and Honda. Sanyo Trading, he said, will supplement Ibiquity’s efforts by providing in-country support to OEMs deploying HD Radio in vehicles.
Although there’s been no publicly stated commitment from Japanese automakers about offering HD Radios as optional or standard equipment, Ibiquity has said it has pledges from eight automakers, in addition to BMW, to install IBOC radios in new vehicles over the next few years.
Ibiquity COO Jeff Jury said IBOC’s growth, both here and overseas, has sparked interest in Japan, where efforts with Japanese automotive OEMs have been “steadily increasing.”
Privately held Sanyo Trading imports and exports products such as industrial chemicals, machinery and food in addition to acting as a representative for U.S. and European automotive parts companies, including U.S.-owned GST AutoLeather and Leggett and Platt Automotive and German-owned WET Automotive systems.
Sanyo Trading has operations in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya, Japan; New York; Detroit; Cincinnati; Amsterdam; Shanghai, Guangzhou and Tianjin, China, and Bangkok.