I found this a very informative video and worth the time watching and why GE sold to Haier. As well I never realized Haier was as big as it was.
History of Haier and their purchase of GE appliances
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In so many areas American appliance and other markets are so far behind Asia.
5G is almost ten years old and USA is just starting to roll it out, and even that is uneven. Phones you can buy and use in Asia or other parts of world have so many features that just don't work yet in USA.
Appliance wise GE almost was a joke for last few decades of GE Appliances. It's true what was said early in linked piece; GE concentrated on trains, finance, jet engines...everything but major appliances it seemed.
Many seem to believe that Asian manufacturers are only good at copying things from other countries, that is they lack innovation. This may or may not have been true in past or today, however things have changed overall. You look at washing machines offered in say Japan then realize USA has nothing like them at all.
5G is almost ten years old and USA is just starting to roll it out, and even that is uneven. Phones you can buy and use in Asia or other parts of world have so many features that just don't work yet in USA.
Appliance wise GE almost was a joke for last few decades of GE Appliances. It's true what was said early in linked piece; GE concentrated on trains, finance, jet engines...everything but major appliances it seemed.
Many seem to believe that Asian manufacturers are only good at copying things from other countries, that is they lack innovation. This may or may not have been true in past or today, however things have changed overall. You look at washing machines offered in say Japan then realize USA has nothing like them at all.
kalanikaau1
Well-known member
Never...
will I buy a GE major appliance since they got bought out by the "Pakes" (Haier), the once proud marque now represents absolute garbage.
It's bad enough already where I inevitably have to give them my $$, I well intend not to contribute further to that fact.
Ditto for Maytag, Whirlpool has sullied the once proud name to depths unimaginable.
will I buy a GE major appliance since they got bought out by the "Pakes" (Haier), the once proud marque now represents absolute garbage.
It's bad enough already where I inevitably have to give them my $$, I well intend not to contribute further to that fact.
Ditto for Maytag, Whirlpool has sullied the once proud name to depths unimaginable.
We've done this in other threads.
There was no one else with enough money and could pass US anti-trust muster besides Haier to buy GE Appliances. Well there may have been a few other Asian concerns, but IIRC that was about all.
GE wanted out of the appliance business so it had to go somewhere.
Whirlpool never would have been allowed to get their mitts on GE.
Electrolux tried but DOJ blocked them as well over various concerns about market competition. Remember Electrolux has previously gobbled up White Consolidated Industries (WCI) which gave them Frigidaire, D&M, Kelvinator, Gibson, Hamilton, Frigidaire, Bendiz, Philco and White-Westinghouse among others.
https://www.electroluxgroup.com/en/acquisition-of-ge-appliances-not-to-be-completed-21617/
IIRC it was Haier who originally wanted to purchase Maytag, but federal government along with moaning in some quarters over an Asian company getting their mitts on such an iconic American company squashed that deal
There were less anti-trust concerns about Haier buying GE Appliances due to their US market exposure being rather puny.
There was no one else with enough money and could pass US anti-trust muster besides Haier to buy GE Appliances. Well there may have been a few other Asian concerns, but IIRC that was about all.
GE wanted out of the appliance business so it had to go somewhere.
Whirlpool never would have been allowed to get their mitts on GE.
Electrolux tried but DOJ blocked them as well over various concerns about market competition. Remember Electrolux has previously gobbled up White Consolidated Industries (WCI) which gave them Frigidaire, D&M, Kelvinator, Gibson, Hamilton, Frigidaire, Bendiz, Philco and White-Westinghouse among others.
https://www.electroluxgroup.com/en/acquisition-of-ge-appliances-not-to-be-completed-21617/
IIRC it was Haier who originally wanted to purchase Maytag, but federal government along with moaning in some quarters over an Asian company getting their mitts on such an iconic American company squashed that deal
There were less anti-trust concerns about Haier buying GE Appliances due to their US market exposure being rather puny.
kalanikaau1
Well-known member
copying things
The Datsun (Nissan) line of L series inline cylinder motors were virtual carbon copies of the famed Mercedes-Benz line of overhead camshaft designed engines.
These included the L16/L20 4 cyl and L24 6 cyl Datsun powerplants which were found in thousands of 510 sedans and Datsun pickups, the L24 powered the famed 2440Z.
This was circa late '60's, the phrase "Made in Japan" stood for vastly inferior products and was to be avoided at all costs.
Presently, the Japanese are at the forefront of innovative design,construction and technology.
If Toyota were to venture into major appliance manufacturing with products aimed towards the US consumer's tastes, I'd buy such a product in a heartbeat.
The Datsun (Nissan) line of L series inline cylinder motors were virtual carbon copies of the famed Mercedes-Benz line of overhead camshaft designed engines.
These included the L16/L20 4 cyl and L24 6 cyl Datsun powerplants which were found in thousands of 510 sedans and Datsun pickups, the L24 powered the famed 2440Z.
This was circa late '60's, the phrase "Made in Japan" stood for vastly inferior products and was to be avoided at all costs.
Presently, the Japanese are at the forefront of innovative design,construction and technology.
If Toyota were to venture into major appliance manufacturing with products aimed towards the US consumer's tastes, I'd buy such a product in a heartbeat.
GE dishwashers
That may explain why GE dishwashers have Haier pumps in them I believe, particularly the builder-grade ones are.
That may explain why GE dishwashers have Haier pumps in them I believe, particularly the builder-grade ones are.
GE washer contribution
In my opinion, the GE post filter-flo was a big contributor to the purchase of GE by Haier years later. This is what happened. Now I suspect things will get worse. Just look at the build quality. You thought the post filter-flos were bad? Just wait until you see GE's latest washers and dryers like everything else.
In my opinion, the GE post filter-flo was a big contributor to the purchase of GE by Haier years later. This is what happened. Now I suspect things will get worse. Just look at the build quality. You thought the post filter-flos were bad? Just wait until you see GE's latest washers and dryers like everything else.
neptunebob
Well-known member
But I thought the Filter Flo was good.
I thought Jack Welch made GE appliances cheap but not inexpensive before Haier got them.
I thought Jack Welch made GE appliances cheap but not inexpensive before Haier got them.
They never mentioned their small appliances. Back in the late 80s or early 90s GE got rid of it's small appliance division to Black & Decker under some sort of agreement. Then in the 2000's GE branded small appliances started to reappear. Not quite sure what that was all about.
cfz2882
Well-known member
GE,mid-1980s sell-offs
I think Ge sold off smalls to BD about 1985 and TVs/consumer electronics to Philips about '86-i recall some uproar at the time about that.Bought a new "GE" TV in 1991 and it was a rebadged RCA design...
I think Ge sold off smalls to BD about 1985 and TVs/consumer electronics to Philips about '86-i recall some uproar at the time about that.Bought a new "GE" TV in 1991 and it was a rebadged RCA design...
kalanikaau1
Well-known member
build quality
My Brother bought a new GE washing machine sometime in late 2022, exactly 1 year and 5 days after he registered it on GE's warranty site, it's drive motor went bad.
He asked GE for some sort of warranty consideration, they refused to offer any sort of assistance, the machine was just 5 days out of warranty coverage.
I remember attending Honda automobile training classes in the '80's, the instructor always started each session with a spiel stating that if the customer likes the product and the service received on the product, he'll tell 2-3 people about his experiences, if not, he'll tell 20+ about his dissatisfaction.
As a result my Brother will blast GE appliances any opportunity he gets, I guess Haier doesn't care about their reputation, just profit margins.
My Brother bought a new GE washing machine sometime in late 2022, exactly 1 year and 5 days after he registered it on GE's warranty site, it's drive motor went bad.
He asked GE for some sort of warranty consideration, they refused to offer any sort of assistance, the machine was just 5 days out of warranty coverage.
I remember attending Honda automobile training classes in the '80's, the instructor always started each session with a spiel stating that if the customer likes the product and the service received on the product, he'll tell 2-3 people about his experiences, if not, he'll tell 20+ about his dissatisfaction.
As a result my Brother will blast GE appliances any opportunity he gets, I guess Haier doesn't care about their reputation, just profit margins.
Yes GE & RCA both sold off their TV divisions to a company called Thomson Consumer Electronics . The tv's were pretty bad. Just googling them they've now they have become division of Curtis Electronics. Curtis was a real el cheapo maker of radios, tv's etc back in the 60s onwards. The stuff similar to SoundDesign and Lloyds etc you'd buy at a bargain dept store like Kmart etc.
In a lot of cases these old companies’ were a lot better in the old days, but they were also just surpassed and resting on their laurels too. Many of them just didn’t offer competitive products anymore - either too expensive, or they just let quality and R&D slip badly.
You see the same thing in Europe. A lot of mid priced companies couldn’t compete, cheapened their products and got swallowed up. In most cases all that remains is the brand.
Basically all of the British and French brands are gone for example.
Italy used to heavily dominate the European white goods market, almost all of those companies are gone other than a few very high end ones and some specialist appliance makers.
The Germans are doing OK by sticking firmly to the high end - but for how long…
Siemens exited the white goods market, AEG got swallowed up by Electrolux, etc etc.
Meanwhile Electrolux and Bosch seem to be the only large European makers left standing.
There are small high end players like Miele, SMEG etc in Europe. They’re nice appliances but they’re not going to ever be globally dominant brands nor do they want to be. They’re successful in their niche.
A lot of it is just down to scale and manufacturing costs.
It’s just the reality of shifting economics. That kind of bulk consumer appliances has moved to Asia.
You see the same thing in Europe. A lot of mid priced companies couldn’t compete, cheapened their products and got swallowed up. In most cases all that remains is the brand.
Basically all of the British and French brands are gone for example.
Italy used to heavily dominate the European white goods market, almost all of those companies are gone other than a few very high end ones and some specialist appliance makers.
The Germans are doing OK by sticking firmly to the high end - but for how long…
Siemens exited the white goods market, AEG got swallowed up by Electrolux, etc etc.
Meanwhile Electrolux and Bosch seem to be the only large European makers left standing.
There are small high end players like Miele, SMEG etc in Europe. They’re nice appliances but they’re not going to ever be globally dominant brands nor do they want to be. They’re successful in their niche.
A lot of it is just down to scale and manufacturing costs.
It’s just the reality of shifting economics. That kind of bulk consumer appliances has moved to Asia.
As with United States huge amount of post war demand for major appliances came from a few key sources. Pent-up demand due to shortages caused by the war, creation of new (or rebuilding of) homes, rising affluence, etc...
For various reasons some areas of Europe kept going well into 1960's and 1970's as power house of appliance manufacturing. Changes were coming however from several fronts.
European common market meant local appliance makers had to compete with things coming in from other parts of Europe. Japan and other Asian nations also rebuilt and retooled manufacturing after WWII and by 1970's or so were exporting sewing machines, electronics and other bits to USA and Europe shaking up local manufacturing.
In USA and most parts of Europe costs of production (quite high in comparison to Asia) meant things couldn't be offered a prices to compete with flood of imported goods. R&D and other bits require capital, if a company doesn't have access and or otherwise cannot invest in growth it will either die or become an attractive takeover target.
Some European companies simply died or experienced difficulties due to issues with founder and or his family.
18 June 1968, Lino Zanussi and other key members of the company’s management, all died in an airplane crash. This came at worst possible moment for Zanussi and by 1970's company was having difficulties. Eventually best solution was deemed to partner with a much larger company, enter Electrolux...
https://www.electroluxgroup.com/en/history-of-zanussi-a-reflection-of-the-italian-wonder-28262/
https://time.com/archive/6807981/italy-household-revolution/
As for UK it would take volumes to explain why her manufacturing went into decline. Happily others have researched that issue so won't have to bother blathering on...
https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/cbrwp459.pdf
Very basically whole "Export or Die" mantra of post war GB coupled with lack of investment and government policies that chose winners and losers did it to many sectors of UK manufacturing.
https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/208259/
Endless actions by trade unions and so forth didn't help UK's manufacturing base.
Bad as things were for manufacturing in UK they were about to get worse with arrival of first government of Margaret Thatcher. Endless monetarist policies, high interest rates and an overvalued currency all hit the manufacturing sector particularly hard. UK's exports became uncompetitive in world market, while at home UK goods became uncompetitive domestically against imported goods.
Fate of some UK manufacturing was simply decided by events elsewhere.
While iconic in British appliance history Hoover was an American company. Thus forces well beyond shores of Britain affected Hoover's manufacturing in UK.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_H...e Hoover family,by Maytag Corporation in 1989.
www.latimes.com
For various reasons some areas of Europe kept going well into 1960's and 1970's as power house of appliance manufacturing. Changes were coming however from several fronts.
European common market meant local appliance makers had to compete with things coming in from other parts of Europe. Japan and other Asian nations also rebuilt and retooled manufacturing after WWII and by 1970's or so were exporting sewing machines, electronics and other bits to USA and Europe shaking up local manufacturing.
In USA and most parts of Europe costs of production (quite high in comparison to Asia) meant things couldn't be offered a prices to compete with flood of imported goods. R&D and other bits require capital, if a company doesn't have access and or otherwise cannot invest in growth it will either die or become an attractive takeover target.
Some European companies simply died or experienced difficulties due to issues with founder and or his family.
18 June 1968, Lino Zanussi and other key members of the company’s management, all died in an airplane crash. This came at worst possible moment for Zanussi and by 1970's company was having difficulties. Eventually best solution was deemed to partner with a much larger company, enter Electrolux...
https://www.electroluxgroup.com/en/history-of-zanussi-a-reflection-of-the-italian-wonder-28262/
https://time.com/archive/6807981/italy-household-revolution/
As for UK it would take volumes to explain why her manufacturing went into decline. Happily others have researched that issue so won't have to bother blathering on...
https://www.jbs.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/cbrwp459.pdf
Very basically whole "Export or Die" mantra of post war GB coupled with lack of investment and government policies that chose winners and losers did it to many sectors of UK manufacturing.
https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/208259/
Endless actions by trade unions and so forth didn't help UK's manufacturing base.
Bad as things were for manufacturing in UK they were about to get worse with arrival of first government of Margaret Thatcher. Endless monetarist policies, high interest rates and an overvalued currency all hit the manufacturing sector particularly hard. UK's exports became uncompetitive in world market, while at home UK goods became uncompetitive domestically against imported goods.
Fate of some UK manufacturing was simply decided by events elsewhere.
While iconic in British appliance history Hoover was an American company. Thus forces well beyond shores of Britain affected Hoover's manufacturing in UK.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_H...e Hoover family,by Maytag Corporation in 1989.
Maytag and Hoover: Heaven for Housekeeping and Appliance Makers
When Maytag bought Hoover earlier this year, it was a homemaker's dream--the marriage of two businesses that started out producing appliances to make housekeeping tasks easier in the early years of this century.
www.latimes.com
No discussion about Italian appliance manufacturers would be complete without mentioning Antonio Merloni and Merloni Elettrodomestici
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merloni
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indesit_Company
Indesit, Scholtès, Philco Italia, British Hotpoint, Asko and others all in turn were gobbled up by companies owned by Merloni brothers. This and extensive business doing private label manufacturing for Hoover, Malber, Zanussi and countless other appliances.
https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?57808_6[this post was last edited: 7/29/2024-12:51]
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merloni
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indesit_Company
Indesit, Scholtès, Philco Italia, British Hotpoint, Asko and others all in turn were gobbled up by companies owned by Merloni brothers. This and extensive business doing private label manufacturing for Hoover, Malber, Zanussi and countless other appliances.
https://www.automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?57808_6[this post was last edited: 7/29/2024-12:51]
