Category Archives: Manufacturing

Gree Electric has developed its own chips,

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Chinese home appliance manufacturer Gree Electric has developed its own chips, Chinese local media reported on Monday citing its chairwoman, six years after the firm embarked on efforts to do so.

Dong Mingzhu, told news portal Sina.com that the company had achieved capabilities in chip research, design, and manufacturing, all without funding support from the Chinese government. She did not detail what kind of chips Gree was now able to make.

In 2018, Gree set up a subsidiary to design chips for air conditioners and the company announced that it wanted to move into making more smart home products. At the time, Dong said that Gree spent 4 billion yuan ($549.45 million) a year on buying chips for its air conditioners.

Arçelik to close factories

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Arçelik, which has now decided to close its 3 factories in Italy after Poland, is increasing its production volumes in Turkey while investing in Egypt.In a recent statement regarding the €110 million investment plan in Italy, it was mentioned that “As outlined in our company’s special situation statement dated November 7, 2024, negotiations are ongoing with the Italian Ministry of Companies and Made in Italy (Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy) and other relevant authorities, national and regional unions, and employee representatives to evaluate the long-term sustainable transformation plan for our Italian operations.”

The statement further elaborated:

“Our goal to establish Italy as a strategic hub for industrial design and the cooking appliances category remains steadfast. We plan to invest €110 million in our Italian operations in the coming periods. Carinaro is expected to continue as the center for spare parts and renovation. To enhance profitability and efficiency, we aim to rescale some production operations related to the laundry and cooling categories in Cassinetta, Siena, and Comunanza. Additionally, we will initiate industrial transformation processes in certain areas and evaluate all strategic options, including potential disposals. Regardless, production in these factories will continue until the end of 2025.

The Ministry and union representatives have expressed their views on safeguarding local employment and have requested a re-evaluation of the submitted proposals. Negotiations will continue with unions and employee representatives for the approximately 2,000 employees expected to be impacted by this process across all our operations in Italy.”

Hisense job cut rumours

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According to Chinese media outlet Lanjinger News, several individuals claiming to be Hisense employees have taken to social media to allege that Hisense Group is undergoing significant layoffs. Reports suggest that the company’s workforce is being reduced from 110,000 to 80,000, with an estimated layoff rate of 20 to 30 percent. One verified employee of Hisense Home Appliances mentioned that the layoffs would occur in two phases, before and after the Lunar New Year, with an overall reduction of 30 percent.

Lanjinger News contacted multiple Hisense employees, who confirmed awareness of the rumors but were unclear about the specific plans or scale. An employee from Qingdao Hisense Network Technology Co. noted that many employees had already been informed. Another employee suggested that online reports might be exaggerated and that the actual number of layoffs could be lower, although demand and orders this year were significantly weaker compared to previous years.

When Lanjinger News reached out to Hisense Home Appliances Group and Hisense Visual Technology as investors, a representative from Hisense Home Appliances indicated that large-scale layoffs were unlikely but not yet confirmed, advising investors to make their own judgments while noting that the circulating information was inaccurate. A representative from Hisense Visual Technology stated that no related notices had been received.

Attempts to verify the information with Hisense Group’s public relations department went unanswered at the time of publication.

The report also recalled similar rumors from early 2020, when Hisense faced allegations of a large-scale layoff involving 10,000 employees. At that time, the company acknowledged workforce reductions as part of a performance optimization strategy but denied the scale of the layoffs being as high as reported.

Beko Europe Shifts Production: A Predictable Move

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Beko Europe has announced the closure of some European operations, relocating production elsewhere. This decision aligns with the Turkish manufacturer’s long-standing aggressive pricing strategy. A quick online search reveals washing machines priced as low as €270. Given that raw material costs are consistent globally, and Italy faces some of the highest energy costs in the world, it’s no surprise that Beko would choose to produce in Turkey, where labor costs are a fifth of those in Italy.

Beko’s move is a logical step in maintaining its competitive edge. The real oversight lies with those who now invoke goldenpower to keep unprofitable factories running. Political leaders should have steered the sale of Whirlpool’s assets towards companies with different market strategies. Instead, they are now attempting to rectify a situation that has been deteriorating for years.

In the Fabriano area, some are calling for drastic measures, but such actions are futile. What is truly needed are rational and forward-thinking industrial policies.

Otter controls new CEO

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Otter controls announce the appointment of Alex Nijhoff as the new CEO of the Otter Group. Our relationship with Alex spans many years, beginning when he collaborated with our engineering teams as a Senior Development Engineer at Philips in the Netherlands.Otter Controls is a UK-based engineering and manufacturing company that specializes in a variety of products, including:
Kettle controls: Otter Controls is an expert in 360° kettle controls, including the A12, A8, A11, and X6.
Bimetallic safety cut-outs: Otter Controls has been producing bimetal safety cut-outs for over 70 years.
Motor protectors: Otter Controls offers a range of motor protectors for the automotive industry, including the PK series.
Thermostats: Otter Controls offers a variety of thermostats, including the G-series, V series, and Y1 series.
Electrical connectors and couplers: Otter Controls offers a selection of electrical connectors and couplers, including wash proof options

Miele USA factory opens

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Miele, the world’s leading manufacturer of premium domestic home appliances, has officially commenced production at its first-ever US-based production plant. Located in Opelika, Alabama, the facility has begun producing its Generation 7000 built-in ovens, designed specifically for the North American market. 

This Opelika facility will produce appliances for the neighboring US, Canada and Mexico markets, which will greatly reduce the delivery time from weeks to just a few days, while also lowering the impact on the environment. This much improved turnaround time is important as the US market continues to be a key growth market for Miele.

“The facility is up and running as part of the first phase of development,” said Uwe Brunkhorst, Senior Vice President of the Business Unit Cooking at Miele.  “We are especially pleased that despite the tight timeline, the team has achieved their goal and production has started ahead of schedule – the first oven has officially come off the assembly line.”

“Collaboration between the production sites in both Germany and the US together with the newly hired and thoroughly trained staff played a crucial role in this success,” said Ulf M. Kranz, Managing Director of the Opelika production plant in the United States.

The first American employees were trained at the Oelde plant in Germany, and those members of the team are now taking on both assembly tasks as well as the training of new colleagues in Opelika. The thirty-five person on-site team is growing exponentially and in the first phase, the plant is slated to employ up to 150 people.

De’Longhi’s revenues and profits grow

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De’Longhi ‘s earnings in 2024 will be even better than expected: the company has raised its guidance for the year, estimating revenue growth in the range of 11%-12% in 2024 versus the previous 9%-11%, with an adjusted EBITDA of between 540-550 million euros versus the 500-530 million previously expected.The group’s net profit for the first nine months was 173.8 million euros, equal to 7.8% of revenues, improving from 7.1% previously and with an increase of 22.2%. In addition, De’ Longhi generated a positive cash flow, before dividends and extraordinary transactions, of 35.6 million euros.

As of September 30, 2024, the Group’s net financial position was positive at 266.1 million euros

Beko Europe in Italy

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Beko Europe’s Meeting with Italian Social Partners: A Disappointing Update
On November 7th, a long-awaited meeting took place at the Ministry of Industry and Made in Italy in Rome. The meeting, attended by Beko Europe CEO Ragip Balcioglu, was intended to address the company’s operational challenges in Italy. However, the outcome was far from positive.
During the meeting, Beko Europe outlined several significant issues impacting its Italian operations:
* Weakened Consumer Demand: A notable slowdown in consumer demand across Europe has negatively affected the company’s sales.
* Intensified Competition: Increased competition from Asian market players has further eroded Beko Europe’s market position.
* Negative Business Performance: Despite substantial historical investments, the company has experienced negative business performance.
* Structural Overcapacity: Italy’s manufacturing facilities are facing challenges due to structural overcapacity.
These factors have collectively created a challenging environment for Beko Europe’s Italian operations. The meeting with social partners aimed to discuss potential solutions and strategies to mitigate these issues. However, the specific details of the discussions and any proposed solutions have not been publicly disclosed.
As the company navigates these turbulent times, it remains to be seen how Beko Europe will adapt to the changing market dynamics and ensure the sustainability of its Italian operations.officially announced the closure of factories in Poland and the group’s only plant in the United Kingdom, the spotlight is now on Italy where Beko has 4,400 employees, exceeding 5,000 with temporary workers.the historic refrigeration line in Cassinetta di Briandronno (but not the line dedicated to built-in ovens and microwaves); the entire Siena plant (dedicated to the little-selling category of chest freezers) and the Comunanza site engaged in the production of washing machines and washer-dryers, also produced in Beko’s plants in Turkey and in what until the merger was Beko’s only industrial presence in Europe: the Ulmi plant.
In total, according to press sources that followed the event, at least 1,000 jobs are at risk among the 4,400 employees in Italy, excluding temporary workers.

Turkish home appliance manufacturers express concerns

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The Turkish White Goods Manufacturers Association (TÜRKBESD) has raised alarms about the potential repercussions of ongoing anti-dumping investigations on essential materials such as stainless steel and sheet metal. These investigations could lead to increased production costs and inflation.

Taxes on crucial materials, including stainless steel, sheet metal, and polystyrene, which constitute 17-18% of production costs, might elevate product prices by 5% and diminish international competitiveness.

This scenario could shrink Turkish manufacturers’ global market share and export capacity. In September, Turkey’s domestic white goods market experienced a 15% decline

Haier targets India growth

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Pending government approval, Haier’s joint venture aligns with its growth strategy to meet India’s rising demand.Haier Group is planning a joint venture (JV) with India’s JSW Group, aiming at a proposed investment of Rs 1,000 crore. Sources indicate that Haier has submitted its proposal to the Indian government, as required under Press Note 3 of 2020, which mandates government approval for investments from countries sharing land borders with India. The application is currently under review by an inter-ministerial committee headed by the Home Secretary.