Aucma: Plans to build a new smart manufacturing plant in Indonesia

Aucma announced that the company plans to build a new intelligent manufacturing factory in Indonesia with an annual output of 500,000 refrigerators.Founded in Qingdao in 1987, AUCMA covers smart cold chain equipment manufacturing and sales, smart home appliances, smart home manufacturing and sales, smart community services, international trade and cross-border e-commerce services.

Listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2000, AUCMA is the world’s leading manufacturer of refrigeration home appliances and full cold chain products, with the world’s leading refrigeration core technology, a national industrial design center and intelligent manufacturing interconnected factory, products sold to more than 100 countries and regions in the world. AUCMA was selected as China’s top 500 manufacturing industry, China’s top 100 light industry, Asia’s top 500 brands, and China’s 500 most valuable brands many years.

LG new Indian factory

LG Electronics India Ltd.  announced the commencement of construction of its new manufacturing facility in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh.The new plant is expected to commence operations by the end of 2026.

The facility will manufacture a diverse range of products, including AC compressors, refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners.

Homa Building the Future of Cooling

At Homa, manufacturing isn’t a backstage operation—it’s the heart of our vision. Factory N°9, the newest production hub, is more than a facility; it’s a living system of care, precision, and innovation. Adding 1.4 million units to their yearly capacity, it strengthens our position among the Top 4 cooling appliance manufacturers globally.

Designed for premium no-frost models, Factory N°9 incorporates cutting-edge automation, digitalisation, and energy efficiency. As CEO Michael Yao states, *“We’re not just building refrigerators; we’re building trust and delivering excellence.”*

More than machines, this factory embodies design thinking. Its adjacent Living Campus underscores our commitment to wellbeing, featuring gardens, gyms, and riverside walkways.

At Homa,  don’t just produce—we co-develop. By collaborating with global partners, we create refrigerators that blend technical excellence with brand identity and user-focused innovation

Gazprom shifts gears: From gas exports to home appliances

Gazprom, the Russian gas giant, is planning to produce washing machines and refrigerators at the former Bosch plant near St. Petersburg. This move comes as a response to the decline in gas exports to Europe and the absence of a new contract with China. Production is expected to commence later this year

Bora is building a new factory

Bora has embarked on a new chapter by bringing part of its production operations in-house. To achieve this, the company is constructing an innovative ‘vertical factory’ right next to its headquarters in Niederndorf, Tyrol. The project is slated for completion in the latter half of 2026.

Despite the compact plot size of just 6,000 square meters, the three-story facility will maximize its space, offering a total area of 20,000 square meters. Bora founder and CEO, Willi Bruckbauer, shared that the building’s larch façade has been thoughtfully designed to blend seamlessly into the surrounding landscape and panoramic views, ensuring harmony with its natural environment.

Bora CEO Willi Bruckbauer (second from left) together with the governor and the Minister of Tourism and Production of the Tyrol region

Whirlpool jobs to go

Whirlpool Corporation is reducing its workforce by approximately 650 employees at its Amana, Iowa operations, effective June 1, 2025.

The company said the move is driven by shifting consumer demand, not by external pressures like tariffs or regulatory changes.
Affected employees work in specific production teams, though Whirlpool has not detailed which lines or departments will be impacted.

LG expand production facilities

LG Electronics is expanding its production facilities in emerging markets such as India and Brazil while strengthening new business channels, including appliance subscription services and B2B operations The company is currently constructing its third factory in India, located in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, to meet the growing demand for premium home appliances. In Brazil, LG is building a new production facility in Fazenda Rio Grande, set for completion next year. This will be the company’s second manufacturing plant in the country, focused on premium appliances and components

EU Commission Is Threatening Jobs and Innovation

By dismissing the appliance sector’s strategic importance, the EU risks undermining its innovation, sustainability, and economic resilience goals. Read more here .https://europeanconservative.com/articles/analysis/eu-commission-is-threatening-jobs-and-innovation/

Haier to close factory

The Chinese manufacturer Haier invested 65 million euros in the construction of the factory in Aricești Rahtivani, about an hour north of Bucharest, and received 25 million euros in state aid, which was gradually paid to the company. Haier representatives are now negotiating with the Romanian government to withdraw from the contract. The factory has fallen victim to optimization processes that Haier started in response to developments on the European market. The world leader in the appliance market tried to reduce operating costs last year and laid off about half of the original thousand employees in Romania. However, this was clearly not enough to save the plant. More than 400 people will lose their jobs by March of this year. The remaining 100 or so will work for Haier until the entire factory is completely dismantled. The equipment and machines will be used in another Haier industrial complex – which one, Haier did not specify. Since the end of the factory has a considerable impact on the labor market in its vicinity, employees will receive assistance from an employment agency in addition to severance pay, which should help them find alternative jobs

Haier European manufacturing update

Haier Europe has signed an agreement today with trade union representatives regarding the reconversion project of the Brugherio production site. The agreement follows the meeting of 20 January, during which the company presented the European business transformation plan to the

#unions . The project, which will be structured in several phases starting from July 1st, will have the objective of transforming the Brugherio plant into the Haier Europe Service Hub, dedicated to spareparts , which will serve the European markets in which the company operates. In particular, the project involves the consolidation of logistics activities, including reception, storage, packaging and shipping. Following the reconversion plan, the plant will have a storage capacity of approximately 50,000 pallet spaces, distributed over an area of 44,000 square meters. To support this transformation, Haier Europe has planned an #investment of between 6 and 9 million euros. With the reconversion plan of the Brugherio site and the start of the Service Hub activities, the company expects to employ approximately 110 people of the 160 #employees currently employed at the production site. In addition to the Service Hub, Brugherio will continue to host the European management center (HQ) – together with the offices in Vimercate – the Milan Experience Design Center and the research and development laboratories dedicated to connectivity and the Internet of Things, to support all product lines, for a total of approximately 900 people