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Haier Buying Sanyo Appliance Division

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Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. plans to sell much of its major appliance business to China’s Haier Group, in an uncommon instance of a Japanese electronics conglomerate allowing a rising Chinese rival take over a chunk of a major business segment.

The sale of the Sanyo operations—mostly washing-machine and refrigerator businesses—is part of Panasonic’s efforts to eliminate overlapping areas since its 2009 purchase of Sanyo. For Haier, the acquisition of Sanyo’s businesses will help it move a step closer to becoming a globally recognized quality appliance brand like Whirlpool or Electrolux.

Haier Group will have the rights to use the Sanyo brand name on washing machines, refrigerators, air-conditioners, TVs, and other consumer appliances in Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia under the SANYO brand for a limited, but unspecified, period of time.

The acquisition of the Sanyo businesses is “an important part of Haier’s overall growth strategy,” said Haier Vice President Du Jingguo in a statement released Thursday.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Haier has said previously it was looking at overseas acquisitions to grow. President Yang Mianmian told Dow Jones Newswires in March it would look at opportunities that arise.

The Chinese firm previously held talks with General Electric Co. in 2008 to buy the U.S. firm’s appliance unit. Before the talks with GE, Haier made an unsuccessful bid for Maytag Corp. in 2004 but lost out to Whirlpool Corp.

Haier holds more than 6% of the world’s white-goods market.

Haier’s New Under-Counter Dual Drawer Fridge

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Haier America has introduced a line of built-in dual drawer refrigerators that were designed with today’s integrated kitchens in mind.

Available in stainless steel, white and black finishes, the units have two refrigeration drawers with a total of 5.4 cubic feet of capacity and an easy-to-clean electronic temperature touch-control panel. In addition, the drawers’ divider system easily adjusts with one hand to securely hold different-sized items such as fruits and vegetables, cheeses and beverages.

The dual drawer series also features side installation brackets that allow the units to be easily secured to the sides of kitchen cabinets without having to drill upward into expensive stone or solid-surfacing countertops.

“Haier understands the customer’s needs and we provide premium features and benefits which empower consumers to live a modern, affordable and sustainable lifestyle” said Matt Sekelick, the company’s major appliances senior brand management VP.

Other product features include quiet 47dB operation and deep drawers that can hold items up to 12.1-inches tall. Manufacturer suggested retails are $999 for the smooth white and smooth black models, and $1,399 for the stainless-steel finish.

Recall:Blenders by Haier America Due to Laceration Hazard

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Blenders

Units: About 53,800

Importer: Haier America Trading, L.L.C., of New York, N.Y.

Manufacturer: Ka Po International Industrial Co., of Hong Kong

Hazard: The blade assemblies of the blenders may come apart or break, posing a laceration risk.

Incidents/Injuries: Haier America has received approximately 60 reports of blade assemblies coming apart or breaking. One consumer reported receiving a minor cut to his hand.

Description: This recall involves commercial-style 500-watt blenders with model number HB500BSS. The units are stainless steel and black plastic. “Haier” is printed on the front below the power switch, and the model number is printed on a label on the bottom of the blenders.

Sold at: Mass merchandisers and specialty retailers nationwide from November 2006 through October 2009 for between $26 and $60.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled blenders and contact Haier America to receive a free replacement blade assembly.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Haier America toll-free at (866) 327-6147 anytime, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.haieramerica.com

Haier and Fisher Paykel Making Bigger Plans

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Haier, China’s largest major appliance maker, and Fisher & Paykel (F&P), the premium appliance manufacturer, are exploring opportunities to cross market their products in the United States.

The move would extend a strategic partnership formed last May when Haier purchased a 20 percent stake in the New Zealand vendor and added its chief financial officer and chief marketing officer to F&P’s board.

Under the agreement, the two companies are sharing product development, manufacturing and market resources to reduce production and procurement costs.

As part of the arrangement, Haier is presently producing select products under the Fisher & Paykel brand, and the partners are looking to expand the assortment.

The pact also gives Haier exclusive rights to market and distribute Fisher & Paykel products in China, while F&P will distribute Haier-manufactured and branded products in New Zealand.

Haier Australia will continue to handle the Haier brand on that continent for the immediate future.

According to a Fisher & Paykel spokesperson, the companies are also exploring opportunities to market and sell each other’s products in the U.S.

The partnership gives Haier access to Fisher & Paykel’s premium assortment, while extending F&P’s global reach. The deal will also help the New Zealand manufacturer contain production costs amid the global recession, which has taken a steep toll on appliance sales across the industry.

Fisher & Paykel is best known for its compact DishDrawer dishwasher and its recently acquired DCS line of professional cooking equipment. Its products are sold directly or via distributors to about 4,500 dealers in the United States, and are produced globally at plants in Auckland and Dunedin, New Zealand; Cleveland, Australia; Rayong Province, Thailand; Reynosa, Mexico; Treviso, Italy; and Clyde, Ohio.

From TWICE Magazine

Haier Acquires 20% of Fisher Paykel

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Haier Group announced it is participating in Fisher & Paykel Appliances’ (FPA) recapitalization plan. The plan includes the issue of new shares, share placement from existing shareholders and a top-up placement. At the plan’s completion, Haier will hold a 20% stake in FPA and becomes a new cornerstone shareholder of the home appliances manufacturer from New Zealand.

Haier and FPA also signed a Cooperation Agreement for the benefit of both companies that includes the sharing of market, design and technology resources, corporate and product planning, coordination of both companies’s manufacturing resources, optimization of sourcing and cooperation of after sales services globally.

Under the Agreement, Haier will have exclusive marketing and distribution rights of Fisher & Paykel Appliances-branded products in China, and Fisher & Paykel Appliances will have exclusive marketing and distribution rights of Haier-branded products in Australia and New Zealand.

Haier’s Compact Dryer

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Last month we wrote here at appliance.net about Haier’s portable, compact washing machine.  For those of you who trek regularly to a laundromat, and have a small space to store one, check out that story.  If you’ve already made up your mind that a compact washer is just what you need, Haier has the dryer to go with it.

This compact electric dryer has a 2.6 cubic foot interior and can be mounted to any wall.  Just be sure you have an electrical outlet nearby.  It has three temperature settings, delicate, heavy and normal along with an air-dry option.

The portable washer and dryer are not stackable, but the washer can be placed beneath the wall mounted dryer to create a similar spacesaving configuration.

This dryer retails for about $270.

Haier’s Compact Little Fridge

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Haier is getting smaller and cooler with a new eco-friendly 1.7-cubic-foot compact refrigerator that features an advanced electronics and cellular technology cooling system called NuCool.

According to Haier, the new system achieves temperatures as low as 37 degrees, based on an ambient room temperature of 70 degrees, which was not attainable with prior refrigerant-free models. “Haier strives to be a pioneer in the implementation of new technologies in our product lines,” said Matthew Sekelick, the company’s compact appliances VP. “As a leader in compact refrigeration, we have looked to introduce environmentally friendly improvements such as NuCool that our customers desire.”

The NuCool compact refrigerator, model C-RNU1708, which shipped late last year, features an auto defrost and adjustable thermostat, a reversible door design, and full- and half-width door shelves with 2-liter bottle storage. It is available in black and white and retails for $80 at Wal-Mart.

The compact fridge is the first application of NuCool technology, Haier said. Larger-capacity models featuring the technology are expected to be introduced early this year.

Source: twice.com

Haier’s Portable Washing Machine

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If you lack space at home for a full size washer, and are tired of having huge dry cleaning bills, or lugging pounds of washing back and forth to the laundromat, here’s a small product with the answer to big laundry problems.  A portable washing machine.  These compact units hold less than full size washers, but they do they same job.

Haier makes three styles of portable washing machines.  These little numbers claim to do the work of the larger machines while taking up very little space in your home.  They are recommended  for apartments as well as houses.  These units don’t require a dedicated laundry room, they plug into any standard wall unit and the hoses attach to any faucet.  The catch is that you must move (drag, tug, maneuver) the unit into place by a sink.

Haier’s three units are sized 1.0 cubic feet, 1.46 cu. ft. and 1.7 cu. ft.  and come with up to four water level settings and a variety of wash settings including delicate.  Only the 1.7 cu.ft. model has bleach and fabric softener dispensers.

We found them to retail for between $180 to $280.

Haier also makes a matching set of dryers for these models.  Look for more on them here at appliance.net.

Haier Still Considering GE

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News had it that Haier planned to make an offer for the appliance division of GE, but Haier said it plans not to bid for General Electric Co’s appliances unit until it sees clear signs of a U.S. market recovery, according to a Reuters report.

A bid for GE’s appliances business, which the U.S. giant put on the block in May, could be Haier’s last opportunity to buy a household U.S. brand, part of its ambitions to reach global consumers rather than just Chinese, the report said.

According to the Reuters report, a source who worked with Haier executives to evaluate the potential GE deal said the other concern for Haier is how to pay for it, as Haier would rather not borrow from commercial banks.

In May, GE’s CEO Jeff Immelt named companies including Haier, South Korea’s LG Electronics, and Turkey’s Arcelik ARCLK.IS as possible bidders for the second-largest U.S. appliance maker after Whirlpool Corp. No formal bids have been announced yet, and the plans of the other possible bidders have not been confirmed. With sales of $7.2 billion last year, the unit is worth an estimated US$4 billion to $8 billion.

New From Haier: Stackable Washer and Dryer

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For those folks short on space and loaded with laundry, Haier has introduced a washer dryer pair with the option to stack. 
The standard 24-in wide by 24-in deep  HBF1055TVE washer offers a 1000 rpm spin speed and can be stacked with the HDY6-1 electric dryer to create one unit that can be stacked in a closet or placed separately side by side.
The washer has a 1.8-cubic-ft stainless-steel drum, auto select wash/rinse temperature and 12 fabric-care wash cycles that include such traditional front load options as soak, extra rinse, four-spin speed and spin only. The dryer has a 3.5-cubic-foot stainless-steel drum, dual temperature settings, dry-time selector and temperature sensor drying.

This convenience costs about the same as a standard washer/dryer, retailing for $1,099.  So you don’t have to be as loaded with money as you are with laundry.