Category Archives: Manufacturing

Invest In Africa, Galanz Urges Chinese Companies

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Galanz group has disclosed that Africa will become the world’s fastest growing economy in future hence, the need for Chinese companies to seize the opportunity to develop new investment opportunities.

Galanz Group president and chairman Leung Chiu Yin disclosed this to African journalists on a media tour yesterday in Guangdong Province in China.

He urged Chinese companies to develop new investment concepts for the African market that will bring about sustained growth and development.

According to him, it is important for the Chinese companies to support the development agenda of Africa through investment and job creation. “I must mention that the Chinese government has been a very strong advocate of China -Africa relationship and has urged us to go out of China and invest in Africa,” he said.

Leung said Africa has a lot of investment opportunities for Chinese enterprises, stating that Galanz would soon be exploring those investment opportunities. He said Galanz would be sending a team of experts into the African market to ascertain these investment opportunities. Leung said his company was planning to establish a service center in Africa, thereby contributing to job creation and economic development.

He said Galanz was one of the largest manufacturer of microwave oven in the world, taking a driving seat in technology, production and sales of microwave, electric and steam ovens.

On the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) policy, Leung said they have in the last six years benefited from BRI policy. “China has invested a lot in Africa based on common interest and sharing common values. We shall continue to explore opportunities aimed at expanding our reach,” he said.

The purpose of the BRI is to construct a unified large market and make full use of both international and domestic markets through cultural exchange and integration, to enhance mutual understanding and trust of member nations, ending up in an innovative pattern with capital inflows, talent pool and technology database.

The BRI is a global development strategy adopted by the Chinese Government involving infrastructure development and investments in 152 countries and international organisations in Asia, Europe, Africa, Middle East and America.

Galanz Group, founded on September 28th, 1978, is a world-class integrated white goods brand enterprise, and one of the most influential leading enterprises in the Chinese household electrical appliances industry.

Whirlpool sells the Naples business complex

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Whirlpool EMEA announced during the meeting at the Ministry of Economic Development, the decision to transfer the business complex of Naples to the company Passive Refrigeration Solutions SA (PRS) , active in the production and sale of passive refrigeration systems, which has developed a unique patent in the field of refrigerated containers.

According to the company, ” the transfer of the company branch is the only way to protect the maximum employment in Naples and offer a sustainable long-term future to the plant that, alternatively, would have ceased all production activity due to the
decline of demand for high-end washing machines at international level and the consequent drop in production which led the Naples plant to operate below 30% of its production capacity, thus determining a situation that is no longer sustainable for the company and for its own employees

Miele Romania opens new showroom in Oradea

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The Romanian unit of German-based manufacturer of high-end household appliances Miele said on Wednesday it has opened a new showroom in the city of Oradea.

This is Miele’s fifth showroom in Romania, it said in a press release.

“The decision to open the newest Miele showroom in the west of the country is part of our expansion strategy in the most important regions of Romania, but also where the brand is notorious. The consolidation of the brand will continue, we are already taking important steps towards finalising the arrangements to open our sixth showroom, in the histprical region of Moldova,” Miele Romania director Loredana Butnaru said.

Miele Romania’s turnover increased 35% to 8.5 million euro ($9.4 million) in 2018, marking its sixth consecutive year of growth.

Miele is present in Romania since 2007 and has a network of 70 sales points – own showrooms, exclusive shops and partner stores. The retailer has showrooms in capital Bucharest, Timisoara, Constanta and now Oradea.

Founded in 1899, Miele has eight manufacturing subsidiaries in Germany and one subsidiary in each of the following countries: Austria, the Czech Republic, China and Romania.

In its financial year 2017-2018, Miele achieved sales of 4.1 billion euro.

Partnership between Henkel and ECOVACS ROBOTICS

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ECOVACS ROBOTICS and Henkel , one of the leading manufacturers of detergents and home cleaning solutions, announce a strategic partnership that has enabled them to develop a high quality liquid detergent designed exclusively for DEEBOT OZMO vacuum cleaner and floor cleaning robots.

Practicality and digitization are among the main trends that influence consumer behavior in the cleaning sector. Thanks to our partnership with ECOVACS, we want to use our experience to support and further develop the growing market for home robots -, says Nuria Ribe , Head of International Marketing for Henkel’s Home Care division. – The professional cleaning product we developed offers a specialized solution for ECOVACS domestic robots that will give customers exceptional results “.

We are pleased to have found at Henkel a partner with internal cleaning brands indispensable in the daily life of many of our customers. Together, we have created a practical product that improves the already excellent cleaning performance of our OZMOTM technology and brings a clean smell into the house , “explains Andreas Wahlich , General Manager Europe of ECOVACS ROBOTICS.

The innovative OZMOTM cleaning technology, available for the DEEBOT OZMO 930, PRO930, OZMO Slim10, OZMO 900, OZMO 920 and OZMO 950 models, allows single-stage suction and washing. A study has shown that this technology can remove 99% of the harmful bacteria present on the soil. The water tank ensures efficient cleaning of the floors and the amount of water that escapes can be manually controlled by the application depending on the degree of dirt and the surface to be cleaned.

LG vows to become game changer in home appliances

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LG Electronics will continue to bring innovation to the rapidly changing home appliance industry and maintain its premium brand image by introducing a range of trend-leading products, Song Dae-hyun, president of the tech giant’s home appliance and air systems division, said at the IFA tech fair, Saturday.

Stating that the tech company has launched a series of appliances that have inspired the industry to rake new approaches, Song vowed to keep performing its trendsetting role in the business.


“When we first launched the Styler, we were not sure whether the steam closet would do well. But an increasing number of consumers are recognizing the value of the device and now our competitors are rushing to roll out similar products,” Song told reporters during a press conference.

At the IFA trade fair, the company introduced its state-of-the-art products such as the Styler steam closet, the artificial intelligence (AI) powered AI DD Washing Machine, 8K OLED TV, beer brewing machine HomeBrew, and its premium appliance lineup SIGNATURE.

LG also has been a fast mover in releasing appliances that connect with each other through internet of things (IoT) technology. Though he has witnessed that many late starters are trying to catch up, Song said such moves were welcome because they helped expand the industry scope.

“As seen in a race, the frontrunner can have broader horizons. We came up with the concept that our appliances get connected with others faster than other companies and could establish brand awareness as an industry leader,” he said.

“There has been growing uncertainties over our business due to external factors such as the U.S.-China trade feud. To cope with such difficulties, we will continue to offer differentiated premium products and technologies. I think this is the way we can win over consumers’ hearts and minds,” he added.

Song said the IFA could provide a glimpse at how its competitors are doing and pointed to Haier, a Chinese home appliance maker, saying it has achieved impressive growth in recent years.

“Chinese makers such as Haier have attained impressive growth in recent years. They are rushing to release products that have features similar to Korean makers. But I think there is still a long way to go for their hardware capabilities to catch up to ours,” he said.

In reaction to the rapid growth of the Chinese makers, Song emphasized LG has to work on retaining its premium position by focusing on offering more valuable products to customers.

“It is not significant to talk about how many appliances we sell. The important thing is we have to establish brand awareness with our premium products so that we can be in the hearts of our customers,” he said.

Speaking of the European market, known as one of the world’s most lucrative, Song said LG has the potential to attract more customers there with its competitiveness in AI and IoT technologies.

“There are many home appliance powerhouses in Europe. For a long time, European electronics makers have been focusing on producing appliances while LG has been making various products in other categories.

“Though European makers are trying to pursue IoT and AI technologies, we have a comparative advantage in these emerging technologies. Based on the competitiveness, I think we will be able to make a success in Europe,” he said.

World’s first washing machine with microplastics filter

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Turkish manufacturer Arcelik, the parent company of Beko and Grundig, has announced plans to launch the world’s first washing machine fitted with a built-in microplastics filter.

Arcelik CEO Hakan Bulgurlu announced the new washing machine in a keynote address at the IFA 2019 technology trade show in Berlin and said it would be rolled out to customers in 2020.

Bulgurlu called for closer industry partnerships and said the company was ready to share its new technology for the greater good. It’s claimed in some studies that more than one million fibres are flushed down the drain and end up in rivers and oceans after every single washing load. Although this number does depend heavily on the type of fibres used in textiles – along with the type of fabric construction.

Electrolux

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Following a strategic overview started earlier this year, Electrolux announced the beginning of a plan to improve efficiency throughout the Group. Among the main operations that the company will undertaken, there is the outsource parts of its current manufacturing in Hungary and investments in its Nyíregyháza refrigerator plant. The efficiency measures and redundancies related to the outsourcing will lead to restructuring charges in the third quarter 2019 of approximately SEK 1.6 billion. Moreover, Electrolux on January 31 announced an intention to spin off its Professional Products business area as a separate company and communicated a plan to sharpen the consumer organization and accelerate profitable growth by creating four regionally focused business areas and reorganizing key global functions. As the strategic overview related to these activities has progressed, Electrolux has now identified opportunities to improve efficiency in both the consumer and professional organizations. As previously communicated, Electrolux is also currently carrying out a manufacturing investment program, totaling SEK 8 billion during 4-5 years as from 2018, to strengthen competitiveness and drive profitable growth. As part of this, the company has decided to invest approx. EUR 100 million in automation, digitalization and innovation capabilities in its production of high-end refrigerators in Nyíregyháza, Hungary. Furthermore, in the review of the overall competitiveness of the manufacturing operations in Hungary, Electrolux has decided to outsource production of vacuum cleaners from its Jászberény facility, and a significant part of the freestanding refrigerators currently produced there. This is anticipated to impact approximately 800 production employees, and relevant union consultations will take place.
The measures announced today are anticipated to generate additional annual savings of about SEK 500 million, with full effect as from 2022.

Mass Layoff Affecting 800 Workers in Electrolux Jászberény Plant

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Electrolux will downsize the production of vacuum cleaners and refrigerators in Jászberény, Hungary. The decision will impact about 800 employees. At the same time, the company has announced it will invest EUR 100 million for automation and digitalization in its Nyíregyháza plant, also in Hungary. In reaction to the announcement, the Finance Ministry has said that it keeps a close eye on the fate of the employees.

Electrolux announced in January that it would significantly reorganize its production to improve efficiency. As a result of the overview, the company has decided the closure of the Jászberény plant.

Electrolux Group aims to boost competitiveness by outsourcing current vacuum cleaner production in Jászberény to external partners during 2020, the company announced. Outsourcing the production of vacuum cleaners, chest freezers, and combi-top refrigeration products currently produced in the plant, will impact approximately 800 Electrolux employees.

In the announcement, Managing Director Electrolux Lehel Hungary Sándor Gönczy, said they recognized the restructuring of their operations in Jászberény would be challenging for many of their people.

“We are proud of their expertise and achievements, and our main concern now is to support our impacted colleagues.”

“We are going to approach the local works council, and we trust that we’ll be able to reach socially mindful and fair solutions for our employees,” added Gönczy.

There has been no mass layoff of similar amplitude yet this year in Hungary, and in fact, according to the National Public Employment Services data for July, the number of people affected by collective layoffs did not exceed 800 in any given month, mfor.hu reports. The unemployment rate could increase by up to 10% in the county due to the decision.

After the company announced the downsizing, the Finance Ministry has said that it is closely monitoring the fate of employees of the Electrolux plant in Jászbereny as well as examining the immediate relocation of workers affected by the layoff.

The Electrolux Group also announced on Tuesday a planned investment of approximately EUR 100 million in its Nyíregyháza refrigeration production plant between 2020 and 2023. This is the largest Electrolux manufacturing investment in Hungary since the company started its operations in Hungary in 1991.

The Electrolux Group’s refrigeration manufacturing operations will focus on high-end categories, such as built-in and combi-bottom appliances that are in increasing demand by consumers across Europe.

Return of Fagor

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Fagor Sociedad Cooperativa has reached an agreement with the Polish group Amica, manufacturer of household appliances with a presence in more than 60 countries , which licenses the use of the name Fagor for the sale of white goods, which means the return of this brand to Spanish market.

With this agreement, Fagor – which will continue to belong to Fagor S.Coop – is incorporated into the Amica brand catalog , which considers that this agreement will be a key step in its process of growth in the European market.

Amica is confident that the first units of this “complete range, modern and innovative” of Fagor appliances will be on sale before the end of the year, Amica managing director for the Spanish market, Vicente Sánchez, said in a note.

The product director of the Spanish market, Pedro Rodríguez, explained that Amica has prepared a portfolio of appliances “dedicated to the Spanish market” that include “two completely new lines” with innovations and innovative functions to “meet the real needs of users” .

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Amica is a leading European manufacturer of household appliances with more than 70 years of experience, which has among the pillars of its strategy investing in recognizable local brands. The group’s portfolio includes the brands Amica (Central and Western Europe), Hansa (Eastern Europe), Gram (Scandinavia), CDA (United Kingdom) and Fagor (Spain).

The group employs more than 3,000 people and manufactures more than 5 million appliances per year in more than 60 countries. In 2018, the consolidated turnover of the group touched 700 million euros, according to data distributed by the company.

The license agreement between Fagor Sociedad Cooperativa and Amica is in addition to the one that the Gipuzkoan group signed in February with the Cantabrian company Cantra SL to allow the use of the Fagor brand to manufacture and distribute kitchenware products.