New leadership at Canon U.S.A. in Melville

Canon U.S.A. Inc. announced Tuesday the retirement of its CEO Yoroku “Joe” Adachi and the appointment of Kazuto Ogawa as his successor, effective March 31.

Adachi has led the seller of cameras and copy machines in Melville for 15 years. He was named president and CEO in 2005 and promoted to chairman and CEO in 2014.

Adachi is also retiring as executive vice president of parent Canon Inc. in Japan, the companies said. Canon runs its Americas' business from Melville.

In 2013, Adachi moved Canon U.S.A. into a new headquarters at Old Walt Whitman Road and the South Service Road of the LIE from Lake Success. The move ended a 25-year search for a new home.

The 700,000-square-foot building, on the site of a former pumpkin farm, cost more than $500 million and received about $100 million in government aid. Since the move, the company has added 549 jobs, bringing its total workforce to 1,659 in 2018, according to the most recent state records.

Seymour Liebman, who worked closely with Adachi on the new headquarters, said in a statement Monday it “will be a huge part of Mr. Adachi’s legacy in the United States.” Liebman is the company's executive vice president and chief administrative officer.

Prior to coming to Long Island, Adachi was president of Canon Canada and CEO of Canon’s Asian Group of companies. He has worked for Canon for 50 years.

Ogawa said Monday in a statement that Adachi “wasn’t afraid to make bold decisions or take risks that helped move Canon U.S.A. forward.”

Ogawa will succeed Adachi at the end of the month after serving as president and chief operating officer for two years. Ogawa came to Long Island from China, where he was executive vice president at Canon China. He joined the company in 1981 in Japan.

By James T. Madore

james.madore@newsday.comJamesTMadore

James T. Madore writes about Long Island business news including the economy, development, and the relationship between government and business. He previously served as Albany bureau chief.