Raymond Gates was the first American employee of the Matsushita Electric Corporation of America in the U.S., as well as being named the first American president of its sales and marketing subsidiary Panasonic. Because of a copyright problem Matsushita could not use its regular brand name, National, in the U.S. Matsushita was using the name Panasonic in Japan on a new type of speaker, and Gates suggested that it be adopted as the name for the company's line in the U.S. The brand is now famous throughout the world. When Gates joined the company in 1959 the entire Panasonic line of radios, transceivers and battery tape recorders, could easily fit inside a brief case. During Gate's 25 years of leadership Panasonic grew into a company with U.S. sales in the multibillions of dollars of its Panasonic, Technics and Quasar consumer electronics and appliance products. It began manufacturing in North America at a clock radio and stereo plant in Puerto Rico in 1965. Today it produces TVs, picture tubes, parts, mobile electronics and other products at plant in the U.S. and Mexico. Upon the basic Matsushita philosophy, Gates coined his own motto of "3 Rs: react quickly, respond wisely and retain respect." He was the first representative of a foreign-owned company to join the EIA Consumer Electronics Group. He serviced as CEG's chairman and vice president and on EIA's Board of Governors for two decades.