The presentation ceremonies of a host of major marketing awards were held at China International Advertising Festival in Guiyang. The event included the China Advertising Great Wall Awards and Effie China Awards.

These awards included:
• “Haier Brothers under Our Pens,” a creative collection of Haier Brothers’ new images, won the Media Marketing Gold Award of 2014 China Advertising Great Wall Awards
• The “First Marketing Case of Haier Water Boxes at Goodaymart” Program won the Marketing Communication Gold Award of 2014 China Advertising Great Wall Awards
• The 2014 Haier World Cup Marketing Program won the Marketing Communication Gold Award of 2014 China Advertising Great Wall Awards
• “New Year Home” Interactive Communication Program of Casarte Brand won the Interactive Marketing Silver Award of 2014 China Advertising Great Wall Awards
• “Hugging Little Light Man” Public Communication Program of Haier Brand won the Creative Gold Award of 2014 Effie China Awards
• “Hugging Little Light Man” Public Communication Program of Haier Brand won the Brand Public Service Bronze Award of 2014 Effie China Awards
• “Stay away from Air-Condition Diseases, Enjoy the Football Night” Program of Haier Tianzun Air Conditions won the Media Innovation Silver Award of 2014 Effie China Awards
• “Stay away from Air-Condition Diseases, Enjoy the Football Night” Program of Haier Tianzun Air Conditions won the Marketing Communication Silver Award of 2014 China Advertising Great Wall Awards
• “Tribute to Original Flavors” Interactive Communication Program of Casarte Refrigerators won the Household Appliance Bronze Award of 2014 Effie China Awa

CNA Group signed on documents for the acquisition of Fagor Electrodomésticos’ plants.

The signing of the documents to formalize the transfer of Fagor production assets to CNA took place in Barcelona with representatives of the signatory banks in attendance. These included Bankia, Caixabank, Banco Popular, Banco Sabadell, and Banco Santander.

CNA has already begun recruitment efforts for staff to re-start Fagor production. Most of those being hired are former Fagor employees. It has already hired 155 workers. CNA said in August that it hopes to bring back 840 jobs over the next four years as it restarts Fagor operations. In the first year the company hopes to hire 434 employees in the Garagarza plant, where it will restart production of laundry appliances, cold appliances, cooking appliances, and dishwashers. Ensuing efforts will focus on restaffing and restarting production in Bergara, Eskoriatza, and Basauri.

Fagor Electrodomésticos, part of Spain’s industrial cooperative MCC, filed for bankruptcy in late 2013. Its French subsidiary, FagorBrandt, was sold to Algerian conglomerate Cevital in June 2014.

The Commercial Court No. 1, San Sebastián, Spain, awarded CNA Group with the assets of appliance maker Fagor Electrodomésticos in August of this year. CNA paid EUR 38.5 million to acquire all Fagor manufacturing lines in the Basque region of Spain. CNA Group said its plan assures the continuity of the well-known appliance brand Fagor, as well as brands Edesa, Aspes, and Splendid.

CNA said it will also provide continuity of technical support and warranty coverage on all the brands’ appliances lines, including cold, laundry, and cooking appliances, small electric housewares, and comfort conditioning appliances.

HOME appliance manufacturer Beko plc has been fined £76,659 plus £11,000 costs after pleading guilty to breaching product safety regulations following an investigation and prosecution by Herts County Council’s trading standards.

Yesterday (Monday) at Watford Magistrates Court, the company admitted 23 charges of failing in its obligation to notify an enforcement authority about unsafe gas cookers it had continued to supply some four years after concerns arose that they were not “safe products”.

The Watford-based company had a legal obligation, under Regulation 9 of the General Product Safety Regulations 2005, to notify Herts trading standards about any unsafe product where there is a serious risk posed, which it admitted it failed to do.

The court heard that in February 2009, Beko plc became aware of a safety concern around 23 different models of double cavity gas cookers with a separate grill capable of conversion for liquid petroleum gas (LPG). If converted, using one of Beko’s own conversion kits, and if the grill was switched on and the grill door was closed albeit contrary to instructions, there was a risk of a converted cooker releasing carbon monoxide, which can be fatal in high doses. The company only gave formal notification to Herts trading standards in relation to the LPG conversion issues in August 2013.

In mitigation, Beko expressed regret that they did not notify the department and said it was a genuine oversight on part of the company. The prosecution stated that the company had a legal duty to notify, rather than a “preference” and the company breached its legal duty

LG Electronics (LG) announced that it has sold more than twenty million units of its washing machines globally in the past five years, a remarkable accomplishment for a home appliance, demonstrating the company’s technological leadership in the washing machine market. At the heart of this achievement is LG’s innovative 6 Motion Direct Drive technology which offers users powerful yet delicate washing results similar to those of a real hand wash.
 
LG’s 6 Motion Direct Drive technology was first incorporated into the company’s front-load washing machines in October 2009, followed by top-load washers in January 2010. In October 2013, LG recorded 10 million in sales of its 6 Motion Direct Drive washing machines and 20 million units by early this month. With one LG washer finding a home somewhere in the world every 8 seconds, it’s no wonder LG washing machines have become the industry standard in significant markets such as the United States, Russia, China and even in Korea where there is no dearth of strong competitors. To maintain its industry leadership, LG has filed approximately 150 patent applications in several key countries for its 6 Motion Direct Drive technology.
 
The popularity of 6 Motion Direct Drive technology is in the six different washing motions — Tumbling, Scrubbing, Filtration, Rolling, Stepping, Swing — that individually or in combination provide powerful washing results. LG washing machines also offer optimized washing programs for a diverse range of fabrics. In addition to enhancing fabric care, the delicate motions cause fewer wrinkles and less damage. The washing machines are powered by LG’s advanced Inverter Direct Drive motor which is backed by the reliability of 10 year warranty.
 
The Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT) has recognized LG’s 6 Motion Direct Drive technology by awarding it their Green Technology certification for its contribution to reducing greenhouse gases. This year alone, LG’s 6 Motion Direct Drive washing machines have received accolades and recognition from consumer-based organizations in nations around the world, including Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Australia and the United States. But rather than resting on the laurels of its 6 Motion Direct Drive, LG continues to introduce a variety of new technologies that to this day bring significant time and energy savings to consumers. For example, LG’s revolutionary TurboWash™ feature enables washing cycles to finish in 59 minutes1 and also reduce energy consumption by up to 15 percent and water consumption by up to 40 percent.2
 
“Since day one, LG has focused solely on developing innovative technologies that benefit consumers first and foremost,” said Chris Yi, executive vice president, LG Electronics Home Appliance Company. “The 6 Motion Direct Drive technology is a result of that philosophy and tradition at LG. When you build the products that customers want and take care of them throughout the lifecycle of the product, your market share will be a reflection of their satisfaction.”

German arm of refrigeration specialist Liebherr is to part company with its UK distributor Coolectric to establish its own UK subsidiary, Liebherr – Great Britain.

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation’s Home Appliances business segment reported total sales of 477.1 billion yen in the first half of its current fiscal year (fiscal 2015). This is a 4% increase from the same period in the previous fiscal year.

Operating income in the first half was 35.2 billion yen, up 12.0 billion yen from the same period in the previous year.

Increased sales from the business segment was credited to stronger sales of air-conditioners in Asian, North American, and European markets, stronger sales of package air-conditioners in Japan, and the weaker yen.

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation as a whole had first-half net sales of 1,972.8 billion yen, up 9% from the first half of the previous fiscal year. Net income was 97.8 billion yen, an increase of 102% from the previous year. Income was boosted by increased profits in the Home Appliances segment, as well as in the company’s Industrial Automation Systems segment and its Information and Communication Systems segment.

Mitsubishi said the business environment in Japan in the first half of fiscal year 2015 saw an upward trend in the commercial sector, despite a backlash from the last-minute surge in demand experienced before the rise in Japan’s consumption tax.

Economies outside Japan as a whole saw ongoing gradual expansion, owing to buoyant economic expansion in the U.S. and other factors, and despite a stagnation in Europe and some emerging markets.

Mitsubishi’s Electric Corp.’s fiscal year 2015 ends March 31, 2015. The company is forecasting net sales for the fiscal year to be 4,220.0 billion yen, a 4% increase from fiscal 2014. Operating income is forecast to be 275.0 billion yen, a 17% increase from fiscal 2014.

The geographic breakdown of company sales in the first half of 2015:
• Japan: sales of 1,621,249 million yen
• North America: 177,027 million yen
• Asia, excluding Japan: 486,962 million yen
• Europe: 193,530 million yen
• Others: 21,657 million yen

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation’s Home Appliances business segment makes:
• LCD televisions
• room air conditioners
• package air conditioners
• air-to-water heat pump boilers
• refrigerators
• electric fans
• ventilators
• photovoltaic systems
• hot water supply systems
• LED lamps
• fluorescent lamps
• indoor lighting
• compressors
• chillers
• dehumidifiers
• air purifiers
• showcases
• cleaners
• jar rice cookers
• microwave ovens
• IH cooking heaters (induction cooktops)

After doctors couldn’t cure Daisy Ames’ agonizing #eczema, her mother had to look for other solutions to ease her daughter’s pain.

However what happened next transformed Daisy from a little girl in constant pain due to the weeping sores which covered her body and even prevented her from sleeping, into a happy and healthy nine-year-old.

Daisy’s parents, were given a Servis Sensitive Wash machine by charity Allergy UK in June.

In just a few months the new washing machine, which is specially designed to rid clothes of all bacteria and allergens, meaning Daisy can wear her clothes without fear if her skin being irritated.

Daisy’s mum Laura, 37, said: ‘She was really unwell. It meant she was sad and quiet – she was not a happy little child.’

‘At its worst she was missing a lot of school as she was so uncomfortable. She had big sores on her legs and on her face and was coming out in rashes,’ she added.

A British manufacturing firm which featured on BBC2’s Digby Jones: The New Troubleshooter, will next week launch its made in Britain Norfrost chest freezer range and open a third factory.

On the programme, in which the former trade minister and Confederation of British Industry director general Lord Digby Jones set about helping businesses realise their potential, he worked with Ebac as they were establishing the line.

The firm, committed to manufacturing in County Durham, bought the Norfrost brand and equipment in 2013. Pamela Petty, the firm’s managing director, took the decision to sell freezers after being sent a list of assets of Norfrost-maker Icetech Freezers Ltd based near John o’ Groats, which had gone into liquidation after the demise of Comet. Lord Digby Jones will launch the range, to be sold through Argos and Amazon and directly, and debate the future of manufacturing with industry bodies on November 6.

Petty said: ‘We have had a phenomenal response from consumers who are pleased we are bringing manufacturing back to the UK, but retailers don’t seem to value British-made goods as much. We naively thought more retailers would welcome Norfrost back. Freezers mostly come from China and some from Turkey. It is perhaps a bit of a burden in the UK that we follow energy efficiency rules more closely.’

The business also plans to launch ‘made in Britain’ washing machines this year. Petty has said: ‘We love making things and never plan to import anything. It blew me away when I found out 3million washing machines are imported per year. Freezers is smaller, we think around 300,000 a year are sold

Petty’s father John Elliott turned the business into a foundation and the family say it is committed to the local community for the long-term.

Petty has said: ‘We’ll stay and manufacture here even if we could
make more money by moving abroad. Dad decided to put the company into a foundation three years ago. The employees were chuffed because if they were worried that I might decide to retire and go to the Bahamas on the back of selling the business, well I can’t now. 

‘This business will stay here hopefully making things for ever. I never really saw it as mine anyway. Now it is a trust I feel more responsible. It has crystalised it for me. I did have one night where I realised I am kind of giving up inheritance, not that I would have sold it off. The best thing that Ebac can do is be here making things and creating jobs. That is more valuable than anything it can do for me. We can all be selfish at times. This is of wider benefit to the economy. We have employees I feel responsible for.

Italian appliance maker Indesit reported net profit for the first nine months of 2014 to be EUR 3.8 million. In the same time period of 2013 the company reported a net loss of EUR 8.2 million.

Just two weeks ago Indesit came under the control of Whirlpool Corporation. Whirlpool now owns 66.8% of the voting stock in the company.

Indesit’s revenue in the first nine months of 2014 was EUR 1,885.2 million, down 4.2%, to EUR 1,967.0 million, from the first nine months of 2013. Revenues were down 1.0% at constant exchange rates.

Revenue in the third quarter of 2014 was EUR 700.9 million, down 2.5% from EUR 718.9 million in the third quarter of 2013.

“The Group profitability has been achieved principally via selective price increases and action to achieve product cost efficiencies,” said Indesit Company CEO Marco Milani. “By contrast, the results have been adversely affected by a contraction in market demand and the consequences of serious currency depreciation in the Ukraine and, especially during the third quarter, in Russia. Efficient working capital management has significantly improved the level of indebtedness.”

Whirlpool Corporation completed its acquisition of a majority interest (51%) in Hefei Rongshida Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., a home appliances manufacturer in Hefei, China.

The company will be renamed Whirlpool China Co., Ltd. and will remain listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

Jeff Fettig, Whirlpool Corp. chairman and CEO, said Whirlpool is “confident that this investment will accelerate Whirlpool’s profitable growth in the very important Chinese appliance market.

He noted that Whirlpool has been in China for more than 20 years.

Whirlpool said Hefei Sanyo’s management team has a proven record of driving growth and profitability. Hefei Sanyo also has an established distribution network with more than 30,000 outlets in China—its significant presence in rural markets will complement Whirlpool’s presence in China’s higher-tier cities. Whirlpool said it will also gain manufacturing scale and a competitive cost structure in the city of Hefei.

Whirlpool said its ability to consolidate operations offers strong synergies. Whirlpool plans to provide technical, marketing, and product development, which, along with Hefei Sanyo’s sales execution and operational strengths, will support a new phase of development.

Hefei Sanyo was established on 1994 and is headquartered in Hefei, Anhui Province, China. Hefei Sanyo reported 2013 revenue of $864 million and net earnings of $59 million.

The company has about 14,000 employees under Chairman Jin Youhua. Three manufacturing lines make washing machines, refrigerators, and microwave ovens. Its appliances are sold under brand names Sanyo, Rongshida /Royal Star, and Diqua. The company has been listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange since July 2004 (Ticker: 600983).

The company’s other major shareholder is Hefei State-owned Assets Holding Co., Ltd., which holds 23.34%.