Both Harman and Kardon were engineers by training and had worked at the Bogen Company, which was a manufacturer of public address systems.

[8] In the 1970s, Harman accepted an appointment in the Carter administration as United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce and sold his company to conglomerate Beatrice Foods to avoid a conflict of interest.

After he left his government position in 1978,[9] he created Harman International Industries and reacquired a number of businesses he sold to Beatrice.

Cash from that sale was used to purchase other professional and consumer audio companies including Soundcraft, DOD Electronics Corp, Infinity and Epicure loudspeakers, Allen & Heath, dbx, Studer, Lexicon, AKG, BSS, Orban, Quested and Turbosound.

[18] This acquisition was notable for further demonstrating Harman's desire to expand beyond its traditional business areas of in-car audio and entertainment systems.

[22] Harman International Industries was to delist from NYSE in Q3/2007 due to a buy-out by KKR and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners.