GE Receives appliance bids from Chinese firms

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Amen...

the very thought makes me nauseous. The article states that it's likely not to get flagged by regulators due to low US market penetration by Asian manufacturers... have they not heard of LG, Goldstar or Samsung??
 
Well we knew it was going to happen.

Haier was the main suitor for the Maytag purchase before Whirlpool saved it. 

 

I predicted the Chinese or Koreans would be the only ones left interested if the E-lux purchase didn't get by regulators.
 
I feel sick to my stomach

Electrolux or the Chinese are very bad IMO. GE going to the Chinese makes me think of TTI and Hoover. Hoover would be better off a memory at this point then the junk that TTI slaps their name on now.
 
Haier's already gotten the Kiwi icon - Fisher and Paykel.

"What on earth will they think of next?"
 
Most of the feedback I've heard regarding recent F&P appliances is that the quality has improved since they stopped being built in AU and NZ.

They still use the same designers and engineers and in a lot of times the same components that were assembled in Australia and NZ.

Our 10yo F&P fridge is almost identical to a 2015 model, the only difference being that its had a compressor and refrigerant upgrade which takes it from a 2-4 star energy rating. (Under the scheme our fridge was previously rated under it was 4 stars)
 
As long as appliance park stays open. The electronics and motors I would think have long been imported. The folks in Kentucky can run the steel thru the presses, paint booths and complete the final assembly. Jobs are so scarce for the "soon to retire age group". I hope some kind of scheme is cobbled together. A
 
Was only a matter of time.  I'm actually surprised it's taken this long, though the Chinese are shrewd enough to bide their time and wait for the fire-sale pricing (Hoover U.S. is a good example of this).

 

Little Swan Washing Machine Co. is also a subsidiary of Midea Group.

 

 
 
Wall Street Journal thinks its a done deal.

I don't know about fire sale pricing. It looks like Haier is paying more now -- $4 billion -- than they would have paid in 2008. Electrolux was only offering $3.3 billion. GE is also getting $175 million from Electrolux.

Most surprising is that with the acquisition Haier will become No. 2 in the U.S. market, ahead of Electrolux.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-haier-nears-deal-to-buy-ge-appliance-business-1452826607
 
Far from unexpected.

Part of me is sad, but a part of also feels like the glory days of GE passed a long time back, anyway, and weren't ever likely to return.
 
This is what makes me sad: The United States's admirable desire to pay middle class-sustaining wages and ensure the safety of products, working conditions and the environment was abandoned for Wall Street / stockholders.

Look at China: So many reports of shoddy, unsafe manufactured goods; abysmal, unsafe conditions for workers; horrible pollution of air, ground, and water. And they're considered the winners.

It's not right.
 
So now

Brown Stove Works is the only old company still owned by the original family...Really sad to think all those good brands are gone, Kelvinator, Westinghouse, Norge, Frigidaire, Now GE and Hotpoint....really sickening, buy think about it, nothing really outstanding has been built since the 70s at the very latest.
 
I hear ya Frig

Problem is Wall street wants huge ROI and dividends and the typical American moron consumer wants things as cheaply as possible.

That being said, it is nearly impossible to pay US wages, benefits, comply with OSHA, EPA regs, workplace rules, workman's comp rules etc and still put out a product or service that is cost competitive with 3rd countries.

Walmart found that out after Sam died; consumers did not care about bring it home to the USA, they cared about how much can they stuff in the cart for the least amount of money. True, WM is attempting to bring back a version of this, stating they want to do 50 billion in US made goods, but the ultimate judge will be the consumer.
 
That's annoying to hear. But just wanted nothing to do with appliances anymore. I used to think it strange in the 90s seeing commercials for GE Capital, jet engines, medical, etc. I always thought, that's not GE, they make appliances!

I agree the latest stuff from GE doesn't compare to what they did make, but I would rather have a new GE range compared to others. I like the look better, which is subjective, but the coils are closer spaced and still Calrod. They had some other decent stuff too.

I always thought Haier was mostly into small laundry and A/C units. Never really saw full size appliances from them, mostly dorm sized stuff (mini fridges and micros) like you see in Target back to school ads.
 
>For me the jury is still out, but this makes it sound a little better, time will tell.

Time will indeed tell; however, it does sound better than I had expected in my worst nightmares.
 
Sure Haier sells most appliances. You have to take delivery on 4 to get one that works more than a month. (Editorial exaggeration.)

But seriously, I spent an evening reading user experience with Haier washers and the consensus was... unfavorable. Despite blurbage that they're trying really hard, the takeaway impression was that they don't exactly 'get it' in terms of integrity/reliability .

Seems we'll soon have more evidence, like it or not. One thing you have to give them: they hire Americans while, other than lawyers and MBAs, most American corporations don't if they can help it.
 
I just purchased a special order GE microwave from Home Depot. I had to special order because I'm one of the 2 people in the world that like Bisque color. Waited a week for the first one to come in. I opened the box and there was a long scratch in the paint on the back side of the door glass by the right side of the handle. The glass is on top of the inner door frame, so it could not have happened after assembly. The scratch stood out like a sore thumb.

I returned the first microwave as damaged and ordered another one. Waited 2 weeks for it. It came and guess what? Same exact defect, but the scratch was a couple millimeters shorter. I started not to accept the unit, but HD gave me $84 off and GE is sending a check for $50, so I took it. I see the damn scratch every time I open the door.

I should also note that when I returned the first unit to HD they never looked at it or questioned me. I was told by the store manager that they receive so many appliances (from all brands/manufacturers) with obvious damage and defects sustained at the factory shipped as good units that they are no longer surprised.

The microwave is assembled in China. They apparently have no quality assurance, because the door was assembled, installed on the unit and put into a box with a glaring defect right by the damn door handle. Not on just one unit, either. Who knows how many they shipped like that. They obviously have a damaged assembly jig or something similar.

GE sent me an email asking for a review of the product. I wrote a scathing review which of course, was moderated and they will not put it on their website. Cowards.

I, for one, will never buy another GE product. The door on this thing opens and closes very hard and clunky. Even a guest at my house commented on the cheapness of the door open/close. It's a sad shame one can no longer buy appliances worth a damn.
 
I worked for GE doing service calls on refrigerators for a short time around 1980. At the time they had a whole bunch of noisy compressor complaints, and we were replacing them in the field. About a year later, Jack Welch became chairman of GE and pretty much did away with our excellent group of factory service techs. It was over.

Ken D.
 
>One thing you have to give them: they hire Americans while, other than lawyers and MBAs, most American corporations don't if they can help it.

And the apparent hope they'll continue manufacturing here is one reason why I'm happier than I was when the news "the Chinese are buying GE appliances!" hit. I care more about the people doing the real work than those at the highest levels of corporate.

And it may be a good thing for the Chinese, too, having the ability to make appliances here. Assuming current trends remain current, with the middle class getting killed, and the poor getting poorer, the US will end up being 3rd world at some point. Haier will have an established manufacturing base here to make things to ship elsewhere.
 
Well Nate

I hope you are right, it looks like they want to stay here and if its true they upped the quality then there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I still think its a poor business decision to sell off any profitable business. And as I understand it GE was making a profit here.

 

Haier offered 1.4 billion more than Elux and Elux had a lot of overlap so there would have been closures like with what happened between Maytag and WP.  But the mayor states ( remember he is just a politician) that Haier and GE have no overlaps. Time will tell thats all we can do is wait and see.

 
 
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