Omron Celebrates 75th Anniversary

Business Wire, May 13, 2008

Company Marks Milestone with Worldwide "Eco-Volun" Campaign of Environmental and Other Volunteer Activities, Charitable Donations

KYOTO, Japan -- To commemorate its 75th anniversary on May 10, OMRON Corporation (TOKYO:6645; ADR:OMRNY; 'Omron') has announced the start of "Eco-Volun," a five-month program of environmental initiatives and volunteer work by OMRON Group employees around the world. The campaign, which encourages employees to incorporate volunteerism into their day-to-day lives, will run until September 30, 2008.

Through Eco-Volun, the OMRON Group's 35,000 employees will receive points for their volunteer efforts, to be tallied by area. The five areas in which OMRON maintains operations -- the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Greater China and Japan/South Korea -- will compete to reach point targets(1), and each area will donate a substantial sum to a nominated charity based on the total number of points achieved vis-a-vis these targets.

Points will be awarded for both individual and group efforts, with point values determined by the scope of each activity. Activities are tailored to each area; in Japan, employees can receive points for reducing their use of disposable chopsticks, whereas in the US and Europe many of the eco activities center around reducing the environmental impact of vehicles, for example by carpooling or using alternative means of transportation to commute to and from work(2).

As part of the program, OMRON has developed an Eco-Volun website through which employees can enter points and keep track of their own and others' progress. The Company hopes that the site will encourage friendly competition and drive employees to contribute as much as possible to their local communities and the environment.

By marking its 75th anniversary with this extensive program of volunteer work, OMRON is reaffirming its corporate core value, "working for the benefit of society," and its long-standing commitment to the creation of a better world.

In a message to employees, President & CEO Hisao Sakuta said, "I hope that each and every one of you proactively incorporates these volunteer activities into your day-to-day lives. Eco-Volun should be seen as a challenge that we undertake together in order to improve the world around us and the lives of people in it as part of our commitment to our core corporate value."

Origins of "Eco-Volun"

"Eco-Volun" was developed by an employee at Omron's Tokyo head office and introduced as a site-wide activity in fiscal 2006. Previously, employees had taken part in various volunteer activities on a one-off basis; through Eco-Volun, volunteerism was integrated into their day-to-day work. As with the global Eco-Volun program, employees at the Tokyo head office received points for various volunteer activities, for which the Company made donations to local charities.

OMRON hopes that expanding Eco-Volun to offices around the world as part of the 75th anniversary celebration will further increase employees' pride and motivation.

Founder's Day

OMRON's tradition of volunteerism predates the development of Eco-Volun. Every year since 1991, employees have commemorated the anniversary of the Company's establishment with "Founder's Day" volunteer activities carried out at Group offices and factories around the world.

These activities typically include local beautification and reforestation initiatives, visits to schools, orphanages and homes for the elderly, and participation in blood drives, among others. This year, employees took part in such diverse projects as handing out re-useable shopping bags at a supermarket in Beijing (China), beautifying a vacation retreat for patients with serious medical conditions (Netherlands) and cleaning up the shores of Manila Bay (Philippines).

About OMRON

Headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, OMRON Corporation is a global leader in the field of automation. Established in 1933 and headed by President and CEO Hisao Sakuta, OMRON has over 35,000 employees in 38 countries working to provide products and services to customers in a variety of fields, including industrial automation, electronic components, social systems (ticket gate machines, ticket vending machines and traffic control) and healthcare. For more information, visit OMRON's website at www.omron.com.

Reference

1. Point Targets by Area  <

Americas:                 <
1,370,000 points
Asia Pacific:             <
2,030,000 points
Europe:                   <
1,180,000 points
Greater China:            <
7,810,000 points
Japan/Korea:              <
7,010,000 points
2. Eco-Volun Activity List (Sample - Japan)              <

                                                         <

Environmental Activities                                 <

                                                         <

Recycled milk cartons, plastic food trays                <
3 pts.
Used own bag for shopping                                <
3 pts.
Used own silverware/chopsticks instead of disposables    <
3 pts.
Reused cooking oil                                       <
3 pts.
Participated in eco events (e.g., litter pick-ups)       <
10 pts.
                                                         <

Volunteer Activities                                     <

                                                         <

Collected used stamps or calling cards                   <
10 pts.
Provided assistance to elderly/people with disabilities  <
20 pts.
Participated in community beautification projects        <
20 pts.