The origin of the Schmidt Group dates back to the 19th century, when Paul Schmidt, a German businessman, recognized the potentials of selling German medical and laboratory equipment in Asia and thus, in 1896 founded Schmidt Shoten in Tokyo. This company soon expanded to Osaka and other Asian countries, including China with the establishment of the China headquarters 1911 in Beijing, followed by numerous branches throughout China, including Shanghai and Hong Kong in 1931. The company continued to prosper until World War II, which brought the Group's expansion to a hold and compelled the company to shift its operation to Hong Kong and South East Asia, as well as Taiwan and Korea.

In honour of Mr. P. Schmidt, the founder of the Schmidt Group, the community of Hakone has erected a monument on Lake Ashi, which still stands today well preserved to commemorate his virtues and achievements during his 40 years of residency in Japan.

Mr. Ewald Huebner, a former Manager of the Schmidt Shanghai branch, started a new chapter in the history of the Group when he incorporated Schmidt & Co. ( Hong Kong ) Ltd. in 1953, which was to become the new headquarters of the Group, intended to set the company back on track. However, he did not see his dream fulfilled as he passed away, before the Schmidt Group reached its former glory.

Mr. Günther Buchholtz assumed the Managing Director position in 1967 and expanded the territories of the Schmidt Group as it stands today and he has also revitalized business in China with a major exhibition 1979 in Guangzhou to re-establish the well-known Schmidt name in China, as that market started to open up. Soon he also set up offices and service centers again in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Back then, the Schmidt operation focused on sales of traditional scientific, medical and photographic products and the Schmidt Group, as distributor, became synonymous throughout Asia with the world renowned LEICA camera. Mr. A.S. Hill, a former executive of Schmidt in China and major shareholder of Schmidt Hong Kong, acted as non-executive Chairman at the time.

In the mid 1960's, Schmidt management recognized the potentials and synergies of electronic and computer products to become an integral part of Schmidt's existing line of products and decided to enter this field by acquiring the expertise to take advantage of the expanding business in the emerging electronic industry in Hong Kong as well as China and other parts of Asia. Thus, Mr. Siegfried Scholz assumed responsibilities in 1965 to establish new business units under such names as Schmidt Electronics, Schmidt Telecom and Schmidt Production Equipment to promote the new technologies, including electronic, telecommunication, test and measuring systems, which now form a major part of the Group's business and set the stage for Schmidt Electronics Asia Ltd.. In 1980, Electronic Scientific Engineering Ltd. was span off from Schmidt Electronics to become a separate entity within the Electronic Group.

In the course of marketing electronic hi-tech products, Schmidt Electronics has been associated as distributor with a number of multi-national companies, like Hewlett Packard, Intel, Tektronix, Siemens, Rohde & Schwarz, etc. and as such has acquired its expertise and experience over the years through those companies.

Mr. Ulrich Buchholtz has been appointed Managing Director of Schmidt & Co. ( HK ) Ltd. in 1992 to take up the responsibilities and carry on after his father passed away, while Mr. S. Scholz assumed the position as Chairman of the Group. In 1997 Mr. Festl was appointed Managing Director to take over the operational responsibilities of the Schmidt Electronics Group.

Schmidt Group Holdings Ltd. has been incorporated 1997 in BVI, but has been completely restructured in 2001 into three financially independent entities to separate the existing product lines into electronics, medical and photo products under the following organizations: