Hisense, a Chinese conglomerate with global presence, says its Slovenian company Gorenje plays an important role in its plans to grow; the multinational would like to double its revenue from last year’s 17 billion US dollars in five years’ time.
Category Archives: Manufacturing
Hotpoint and Indesit washing machines are being recalled over a potential fire hazard
Half a million Hotpoint and Indesit washing machines are being recalled over a potential fire hazard, manufacturer Whirlpool has said.
Half a million Hotpoint and Indesit washing machines are being recalled over a potential fire hazard, manufacturer Whirlpool has said.
As many as 519,000 of the machines sold in the UK between October 2014 and February 2018 may be affected by a fault with the door-locking system that could cause them to overheat and catch fire.
Owners who bought a Hotpoint or Indesit appliance during that window are urged to contact Whirlpool to find out if they are affected – and should unplug and stop using them immediately
Panasonic to build new consumer electronics plant in China
Panasonic will build its first consumer electronics plant in the country in 16 years, people familiar with the matter said Friday, bucking the trend of manufacturers leaving China to avoid the U.S.-China trade war.
The 4.5 billion yen ($41 million) plant will make kitchen appliances such as microwave ovens and rice cookers, and is scheduled to begin production in 2021. Panasonic decided to build the new factory in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, anticipating medium- to long-term growth in China.
Hisense has sold Gorenje Tiki, a Serbian producer of water heaters and heat pumps
Chinese home appliances maker Hisense has sold Gorenje Tiki, a Serbian producer of water heaters and heat pumps, to Swedish heating technology firm NIBE Industrier AB NIBeb.ST.
Hisense’s Slovenian unit, Gorenje, said on Tuesday the sale was part of Gorenje’s drive to focus “on the core activity of manufacturing and marketing domestic appliances.”
Gaggenau and Raymond Blanc renew their partnership
Raymond Blanc has renewed his partnership with Gaggenau to upgrade the kitchen in the Raymond Blanc Cookery School with new appliances. Raymond handpicked cooktops and ovens from the company 400 series. Set in a picturesque 15th century manor in rural England, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons has become a culinary destination for gourmands the world over, with diners at the restaurant also having the option to stay in one of the manors 32 individually designed hotel rooms. Raymond Blanc opened the restaurant 35 years ago, earned two Michelin stars upon opening and has retained them ever since. He also created the Raymond Blanc Cookery School and Gardening School, with the cookery school located just across the corridor from the bustling restaurant kitchen.
“Similarly to us – Gaggenau explays in a press realise – Raymond Blanc promotes sustainable produce and ethical farming. He ensures that these methods are used to create dishes which enrich the palate of every diner. This has meant that the menu at Le Manoir celebrates a field to fork ethos, with much of the organic produce on the menu being harvested daily from the beautiful kitchen gardens. This ethos is also carried through to the Raymond Blanc Cookery School, where guests on the course are shown how to make the most of every ingredient, lowering the chance of waste.” Raymond makes a conscious effort to stay abreast of trends in the culinary world, especially ones which make an impact on the environment. When Le Manoir initially opened 35 years ago, Raymond offered a five and seven course vegetarian menu, which at the time was not popular amongst the restaurant patrons. However, as diners are now considering how the planet is affected by what is on their plate, the demand for vegetarian menus at Le Manoir has risen dramatically.
Velenje protests as Gorenje moves HQ to Ljubljana
The mayor of Velenje has appealed to Prime Minister Marjan Šarec to prevent the head office of the household appliances maker Gorenje being moved to Ljubljana as planned by its new Chinese owners.
Mayor Bojan Kontič sees the plans, announced by Gorenje in late October, as yet another step to centralisation, which he says is one of Slovenia’s key problems.
A press release from the Velenje city said that the mayor’s letter of protest had been forwarded to Chinese Ambassador to Slovenia Wang Shunqing, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman Boštjan Gorjup and the media.
The reaction comes after Gorenje announced it would split up into two companies as part of its integration a year after it was taken over by Hisense.
The management and administration was to move to Hisense Europe, headquartered in Ljubljana, which was to provide corporate support services for all Hisense companies in Europe.
Production was to remain based in Velenje, now Slovenia’s sixth largest city where Gorenje has been operating since its inception in 1950.
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The release from the city administration expressed concern over the latest activities and plans in what has been the pillar of the local economy for seven decades and one of Slovenia’s largest exporters.
“The current situation at the company, the new management’s plans and the mood among the employees are far from the promises and commitments the new owners made upon the takeover,” reads the release.
The local government met Gorenje chief managing director Chao Liu and representatives of the staff and their trade union in recent days over what it described in today’s release as a critical situation.
The employees are worried and scared because of conflicting information about the company’s plans and future, which they do not get until after they have become facts, say the city authorities.
“Due to substantial pressure on stepping up the work tempo, sickness absences are getting longer, increasingly many qualified staff is leaving, employees, including those with disabilities are being made redundant, and discontent among the employees is growing by the day.”
Arguing that moving highly-qualified staff to Ljubljana does not augur well, the city authorities say they believe the Gorenje management can run the company as well as it stays in Velenje.
The local authorities are also concerned about Gorenje’s plan to move its call centre to Serbia, saying it suggests the management was planning to keep only production at minimum possible costs in Velenje.
In response to the mayor’s letter, Gorenje said that calls on the prime minister to interfere in business decisions of a fully privately-owned company were unjustified and illegitimate.
The company is planning to accept the invitation to join the December session of the city council in order to present Hisense’s plans in detail.
Gorenje expressed understanding for the local community’s concerns, while it also said that it fund the local community’s support and cooperation exceptionally important.
The company said that Slovenia would gain from the creation of Hisense management hub for the whole Europe in Ljubljana.
The owner is organising the company in such a way as to integrate it into the Hisense corporation’s business environment, while also restructuring operations in order to preserve the company and to allow it to grow in the long run, Gorenje said.
It added that this should be in the interest of the municipality in which Gorenje with more than 4,000 employees was becoming Hisense’s central production location for the entire Europe.
Sharp will release 5 washing machines in the Japanese market in November
Mid-November, Sharp will release five washing machines in the Japanese market, including a pulsator-type washer-dryer and a fully automatic washing machine.
From January to September 2019, Sharp’s factory in China exported nearly 500,000 washing machines, 99% of which were exported to Japan.
Samsung Electronics celebrates its 50th anniversary
This is a very significant year for Samsung Electronics that arrives to its 50th anniversary since it was founded. The occasion was celebrated with an event at Samsung Digital City, the Company’s headquarters in Suwon. More than 400 employees were present to commemorate the milestone, together with the Company’s executive team including Kinam Kim, Vice Chairman & CEO of Device Solutions (DS) Division, Hyunsuk Kim, President & CEO of Consumer Electronics (CE) Division, Dongjin Koh, President & CEO of IT & Mobile Communications (IM) Division.
Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee, through a video message, extended his gratitude to all Samsung employees for their dedication over the past 50 years and emphasized the Company’s commitment to build upon its legacy and become a Centennial company.
«The past 50 years were only possible – said Vice Chairman Lee – thanks to the dedication and hard work of each and every one of you. Looking to the next 50 years, let’s free our imaginations and dream of an extraordinary future. Applying our new technologies, let’s build a healthier and happier future. By sharing and growing together we will become the very best in the world.»
Kinam Kim, Vice Chairman & CEO of DS Division, shared three key goals towards Samsung’s continued growth in the next chapter of the Company’s life.
«Unpredictable change, driven by material shifts in demographics and consumer behavior, – he noted – will be a hallmark of the next era of the technology industry. So to ensure our survival in the new era, we must pursue relentless self-innovation. We must never cease to learn, be bold and fearless in our pursuits and execute thoroughly when undertaking all our tasks.
By staying ahead of their needs and expectations and by finding ways to thrive in evolving markets, we can continue to ensure that customers are at the center of our business. Finally, Let us all work together to help Samsung continue to evolve into a company that contributes to a better world and stay a respected and beloved company for future generations. I ask that all of us not forget our responsibilities as good corporate citizens in the journey.»
China’s three leading home-appliance giants Midea Group, Gree Electric, and Haier Electronics all reported third-quarter profit rises
China’s three leading home-appliance giants Midea Group, Gree Electric, and Haier Electronics all reported third-quarter profit rises in a series of Thursday stock filings, but the results present a mixed picture as the country’s economic slowdown exerts downward pressure on the domestic market.
Shenzhen-listed Midea reported net profits of 6.04 billion yuan ($858.5 million) in the three months through September, representing a 23.5% increase year-on-year. Its revenue hit 67 billion yuan in the three months through September, 6.4% higher than last year.
Over at Gree, whose business mainly focuses on air conditioners, growth was more sluggish. The Shenzhen-listed company posted 8 billion yuan in net profit — a rise of 0.66% year-on-year — and generated 57 billion yuan in revenue, a rise of just 0.03%.
Meanwhile, Shanghai-listed Haier, which is staking its future on developing “smart home” technologies, turned a net profit of 2.6 billion yuan, more than double the equivalent figure from last year, and also reported a 7.7% rise in revenue to 148 billion yuan. The figures come after Haier jettisoned its logistics arm — bringing 4.6% revenue growth, according to the company — and earned 144 billion yuan from a stock selloff.Domestic sales of home appliances hit 174.5 billion yuan in the third quarter, a year-on-year increase of 4.2%, according to the China Testing & Inspection Institute for Household Electric Appliances, an organization affiliated to the country’s State Council.
Whirlpool drops plan to shut plant in southern Italy
U.S.-listed white goods maker Whirlpool Corp has dropped plans to shut down a production site in the southern Italian city of Naples after two weeks of workers’ protests, the company said on Wednesday.
Whirlpool announced on Oct. 15 that it planned to shut down and sell the site, which it said was no longer profitable, prompting union protests and disappointing the Italian government after months of talks aimed at saving the plant.
Workers had reacted fiercely to the decision and metalworkers union FIOM-CGIL had called for work stoppages and protests at the group’s other plants in Italy.
On Wednesday, Whirlpool announced a change of course, saying it was “ready to withdraw the sale procedure … not to proceed with the layoffs in Naples and to continue the production of washing machines.”
In a video posted on Facebook (NASDAQ:FB), Industry Minister Stefano Patuanelli said the decision would open the way to finding a long term solution for the site.
“It is a first step towards restarting the talks with the aim of definitively resolving the site’s problems,” he said.
Whirlpool, which employs around 5,500 people in Italy had said the closure was necessary because the production of high-end washing machines in Naples was no longer profitable. The factory employs 400 workers in a region with some of the highest unemployment levels in the country.
In June, the Italian government threatened to scrap all incentives it had granted to the company to keep investing in Italy, estimated at some 50 million euros since 2014.
