Luthier Orville Gibson founded the Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co. Ltd. in Kalamazoo, MI in 1902. Its original aim was to make mandolins and mandolin-family instruments. Over the last 100-plus years, Gibson Brands, Inc. as it is now known has evolved into the world’s premier manufacturer of semi-hollow and hollow body electric guitars, as well as a celebrated innovator of solid-body and acoustic models.