GE Appliances celebrates business transformation

CEO Kevin Nolan and Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer recognized GE Appliances’ remarkable business transformation over the last five years by renaming the loop at Appliance Park to GEA Way. The “GEA Way” reflects our better way of doing business and the winning approach underway since 2016 that’s resulted in:
 
✅ Double-digit growth
✅ $1 billion in U.S. investments
✅ 2,000 American jobs created
✅ Meaningful investments in local communities
✅ New, innovative microenterprises and more. 

Along with the ceremonial street naming, Mayor Fischer declared today “GEA Way Day.”
 https://geappliancesco.com/the-gea-way-ge-appliances-celebrates-business-transformation/

How Location-Based Technology Empowers Electrolux Smart Home Appliances

Electrolux is a leading global appliances company, producing a wide range of consumer electrical goods, including washing machines, cookers, vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, etc. Since 2017, Electrolux has been investing in ‘connected appliances’ as part of its digital transformation agenda, and to shift its business model from the traditional business-to-business (B2B) to business-to-consumer (B2C).

In 2020, Electrolux and IBM’s The Weather Company announced a new collaboration to use location-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance customer experience and help increase the energy efficiency of home appliances in order to reduce their impact on the environment.

AI-enabled weather forecasting

IBM’s weather API (Application Programming Interface) provides hyper-localized data on air quality, pollen levels, humidity and temperature to Electrolux. This data is then used as a basis for smart app recommendations about when to use appliances such as clothes dryers, air purifiers and air conditioners. For example, after reading the weather forecast, the smart app will give recommendations on the best time to start the dryer because it’s about to rain, or when to turn off the air purifier because the air quality that day is good.

With supervision from an experienced team of meteorologists, IBM uses AI and analytics to pull weather models together with relevant data sources and arrive at the most accurate forecast. The process includes a next-generation AI-enabled weather forecasting model called IBM GRAF (Global High-Resolution Atmospheric Forecasting) system. IBM GRAF uses Machine Learning to rapidly update atmospheric changes hourly and at a 3km resolution.

Connected home ecosystem

The real-time, location-based weather predictions are made available through the Electrolux Life App. Users are prompted to use their clothes dryer when rain is forecasted or when the air quality is not acceptable for air-drying. Similarly, the application recommends not to use the dryer when the outdoor weather is optimal for air-drying, thus saving energy.

The app can also control inputs for other appliances, such as the humidity control for air conditioners and accurate readings of indoor and outdoor weather to inform the use of air purifiers. An entire ecosystem of multiple connected appliances benefits from access to accurate weather forecasts, as well as environmental factors such as air quality, pollen, pollution and more.



Electrolux Life App with IBM weather notifications | Image credit: IBM

Location tech enabling hardware-as-a-service business model

In 2019, Electrolux kicked off trials of new hardware-as-a-service business models in Sweden and China, enabling consumers to subscribe to, rather than purchase, its products.

For instance, in Sweden, customers can subscribe to a robotic vacuum cleaner on a pay-per-use basis from only 1 SEK per sq m cleaned. The vacuum cleaner is equipped with a variety of sensors and software, including a location-based 3D Vision camera and laser for accurate navigation and area cleaned calculation. With Electrolux connected ecosystem technology, users can control the product via an app and schedule cleaning when they are away from home as well as monitor the number of sq m cleaned each month.

Demand planning and prediction

Electrolux also uses AI to plan and predict demand. By enhancing its historical sales data with data from external sources, the company ensures that retailers have the right goods when customers are demanding them.

For example, weather data is used to predict sales of air conditioners during summer time in Sweden. Using advanced statistical models, the data science team at Electrolux predicts the exact amount of the right products to be supplied to retailers at specific times of the year.

In addition to weather data, the company also monitors the Internet for online reviews, ratings and prices of products in both retail stores and online stores, including price promotions by competitors. It uses this data to avoid oversupply, hence retailers do not need to offer excessive discounts due to overstocking.

Since Electrolux products are supplied to different parts of the world, location technology is crucial to tune its manufacturing, distribution and customer supply chain. Based on the demand prediction, products are distributed from warehouses near the factories or plants, to redistribution centres. The demand planning practice helps optimize suppliers, logistics chains and transport, giving Electrolux a competitive advantage in the white goods market.

Ultimate Products acquire the Salter brand

Ultimate Products are delighted to announce that we have agreed terms to acquire the Salter brand. Dating back to 1760, Salter is the UK’s oldest housewares brand and is the UK market leader in kitchen and bathroom scales. Since 2011, we have been selling Salter branded kitchen electrical cookware under a very successful license, and are very pleased to bring scales, kitchen electrical and cookware together under one roof as a combined offer for our customers.

Commenting on the acquisition, CEO @Simon Showman said “it will enhance and diversify our existing exceptionally strong portfolio of value-focussed consumer goods brands. We already have a close relationship with Salter and its customers as a result of our long-standing licensing agreement and we look forward to growing the brand further both in the UK and internationally in the coming years.”

Nidec Global Appliance, a division of Japanese manufacturer Nidec, announced that it will invest US$70 million in new production lines for its Embraco brand compressors and condensing units, including propane (R290) and isobutane (R600a) models.

Currently, Embraco produces 45 million compressors and condensing units per year. The new production lines – at plants in Brazil, Mexico, China and Austria – will increase annual production capacity by more than 10 million units.

Nidec has three business units: one that provides solutions for commercial refrigeration equipment; another that makes compressors and motors for residential appliances; and a third that produces components for HVAC systems.

A number of factors, including effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, motivated the investment decision. “As people all around the world are spending more time at home, it has become increasingly important to re-evaluate the level of quality and energy efficiency of residential appliances,” explained Valter Taranzano, CEO of Nidec Global Appliance.

“In parallel, more people at home means more consumption of fresh food, increasing the demand for refrigeration in the food retail sector, such as supermarkets and convenience stores,” he said, adding that cooling is also a key factor in the health and scientific industries, two sectors that experienced an increase in demand for refrigeration due to COVID-19.

Taranzano noted that the investment package also puts Nidec “ahead of the game to support the transition to natural refrigerants and to variable speed (more energy efficient) compressors, which are two movements that are ongoing in different stages in many parts of the world.” Additional production capacity is also required “to support our future growth plans,” he said.

Investments in Brazil and Mexico

Out of the US$70 million, an investment of US$21 million in a plant in Joinville, Brazil, will add a third production line of EM compressors and deliver additional 2.5 million units per year in response to high demand in Brazil and Latin America. This is on top of a US$4 million investment already made to increase productivity, Nidec said.

The EM compressor – one of Embraco’s “best sellers, the company said – is a fixed-speed unit running on R600a and R290, and suited for a variety of applications, such as home refrigerators, supermarket’s refrigeration equipment, professional kitchens and merchandisers. The new production line will deliver the latest EM models, EM2 and EM3.

At a plant in Itaiópolis, Brazil, Nidec is investing around US$2 million to increase production capacity for condensing units by 25%.

In Apodaca, Mexico, the production facility is receiving US$35 million to build a new production line for ES compressors, increasing production capacity by 60%. The plant will supply North America, supporting the transition to hydrocarbon units with greater cooling capacity in the region.

Investments in Austria and China

In Austria and China, Nidec Global Appliance is investing in greater production of variable speed compressors, which “are a more environmentally responsible option that provides significant energy savings compared to traditional on-off compressors,” the company said, adding that the units have “the option of running on natural refrigerants.

In a plant in Fürstenfeld, Austria, Nidec is investing US$5 million to start production of two variable speed models, FMX and VES, for the European market.

Nidec Global Appliance, a division of Japanese manufacturer Nidec,  announced that it will invest US$70 million in new production lines for its Embraco brand compressors and condensing units, including propane (R290) and isobutane (R600a) models.

Currently, Embraco produces 45 million compressors and condensing units per year. The new production lines – at plants in Brazil, Mexico, China and Austria –  will increase annual production capacity by more than 10 million units.

Nidec has three business units: one that provides solutions for commercial refrigeration equipment; another that makes compressors and motors for residential appliances; and a third that produces components for HVAC systems.

A number of factors, including effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, motivated the investment decision. “As people all around the world are spending more time at home, it has become increasingly important to re-evaluate the level of quality and energy efficiency of residential appliances,” explained Valter Taranzano, CEO of Nidec Global Appliance.

“In parallel, more people at home means more consumption of fresh food, increasing the demand for refrigeration in the food retail sector, such as supermarkets and convenience stores,” he said, adding that cooling is also a key factor in the health and scientific industries, two sectors that experienced an increase in demand for refrigeration due to COVID-19.

Taranzano noted that the investment package also puts Nidec “ahead of the game to support the transition to natural refrigerants and to variable speed (more energy efficient) compressors, which are two movements that are ongoing in different stages in many parts of the world.” Additional production capacity is also required “to support our future growth plans,” he said.

Investments in Brazil and Mexico

Out of the US$70 million, an investment of US$21 million in a plant in Joinville, Brazil, will add a third production line of EM compressors and deliver additional 2.5 million units per year in response to high demand in Brazil and Latin America. This is on top of a US$4 million investment already made to increase productivity, Nidec said. 

The EM compressor – one of Embraco’s “best sellers, the company said – is a fixed-speed unit running on R600a and R290, and suited for a variety of applications, such as home refrigerators, supermarket’s refrigeration equipment, professional kitchens and merchandisers. The new production line will deliver the latest EM models, EM2 and EM3.

At a plant in Itaiópolis, Brazil, Nidec is investing around US$2 million to increase production capacity for condensing units by 25%.

In Apodaca, Mexico, the production facility is receiving US$35 million to build a new production line for ES compressors, increasing production capacity by 60%. The plant will supply North America, supporting the transition to hydrocarbon units with greater cooling capacity in the region.

Investments in Austria and China

In Austria and China, Nidec Global Appliance is investing in greater production of variable speed compressors, which “are a more environmentally responsible option that provides significant energy savings compared to traditional on-off compressors,” the company said, adding that the units have “the option of running on natural refrigerants.

In a plant in Fürstenfeld, Austria, Nidec is investing US$5 million to start production of two variable speed models, FMX and VES, for the European market.  

Nidec Global Appliance, a division of Japanese manufacturer Nidec,  announced that it will invest US$70 million in new production lines for its Embraco brand compressors and condensing units, including propane (R290) and isobutane (R600a) models.

Currently, Embraco produces 45 million compressors and condensing units per year. The new production lines – at plants in Brazil, Mexico, China and Austria –  will increase annual production capacity by more than 10 million units.

Nidec has three business units: one that provides solutions for commercial refrigeration equipment; another that makes compressors and motors for residential appliances; and a third that produces components for HVAC systems.

A number of factors, including effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, motivated the investment decision. “As people all around the world are spending more time at home, it has become increasingly important to re-evaluate the level of quality and energy efficiency of residential appliances,” explained Valter Taranzano, CEO of Nidec Global Appliance.

“In parallel, more people at home means more consumption of fresh food, increasing the demand for refrigeration in the food retail sector, such as supermarkets and convenience stores,” he said, adding that cooling is also a key factor in the health and scientific industries, two sectors that experienced an increase in demand for refrigeration due to COVID-19.

Taranzano noted that the investment package also puts Nidec “ahead of the game to support the transition to natural refrigerants and to variable speed (more energy efficient) compressors, which are two movements that are ongoing in different stages in many parts of the world.” Additional production capacity is also required “to support our future growth plans,” he said.

Investments in Brazil and Mexico

Out of the US$70 million, an investment of US$21 million in a plant in Joinville, Brazil, will add a third production line of EM compressors and deliver additional 2.5 million units per year in response to high demand in Brazil and Latin America. This is on top of a US$4 million investment already made to increase productivity, Nidec said. 

The EM compressor – one of Embraco’s “best sellers, the company said – is a fixed-speed unit running on R600a and R290, and suited for a variety of applications, such as home refrigerators, supermarket’s refrigeration equipment, professional kitchens and merchandisers. The new production line will deliver the latest EM models, EM2 and EM3.

At a plant in Itaiópolis, Brazil, Nidec is investing around US$2 million to increase production capacity for condensing units by 25%.

In Apodaca, Mexico, the production facility is receiving US$35 million to build a new production line for ES compressors, increasing production capacity by 60%. The plant will supply North America, supporting the transition to hydrocarbon units with greater cooling capacity in the region.

Investments in Austria and China

In Austria and China, Nidec Global Appliance is investing in greater production of variable speed compressors, which “are a more environmentally responsible option that provides significant energy savings compared to traditional on-off compressors,” the company said, adding that the units have “the option of running on natural refrigerants.

In a plant in Fürstenfeld, Austria, Nidec is investing US$5 million to start production of two variable speed models, FMX and VES, for the European market.  

Fisher & Paykel New 🇬🇧 HQ

Fisher & Paykel new UK HQ is all but complete. It includes solar power, adaptive LED lighting, electric vehicle charging, over 30kg of wild flower seed to accompany the adjacent lake and native tree planting. Needless to say we have foc

They have focused on operational efficiency as well as

outstanding training facilities and the safest, brightest warehouse facilities.

Marking a new decade for Fisher & Paykel in the U.K. and Europe a brand to watch

https://www.fisherpaykel.com/uk/

Two new built-under wine cabinets from Siemens

Premium design built-under wine cabinet for perfect wine storage
Electronic temperature control: set the target temperature clearly and easily.
Oak shelves: unique and premium presentation of your wines.
glass door design in black.
All eyes on freshness: the premium LED with its side and top-lights illuminate every corner of your fridge

The iQ500 KU20WVHF0G is 30cm wide and can store up to 21 bottles. Designed as a single-zone wine cabinet, it can be set to a single temperature (between 5 and 20°C), ideal for those who enjoy a specific type of wine. Siemens recommends between 8 and 12°C for ready-to-drink white wine, between 12 and 19°C for red and around 5 to 8°C for sparkling. The iQ500 KU21WAHG0G is 60cm wide and stores up to 44 bottles. It is a dual-zone cabinet, with two separate spaces that can be set to different temperatures according to whether red or white wine is being stored.

The iQ500 KU21WAHG0G is 60cm wide and stores up to 44 bottles. It is a dual-zone cabinet, with two separate spaces that can be set to different temperatures according to whether red or white wine is being store