GE Appliances has drawn some attention to itself with the announcement of a lofty goal: to become the top appliance business in the United States. The statement on June 6 is tied to the two-year anniversary of GE Appliances being sold from GE to Chinese collective Haier Group Corporation.
GE Appliances was almost sold to Elextrolux in 2014, but the deal fell through due to federal decree that the sale would hurt competition. The company’s plan under Haier has been to concentrate on manufacturing capability, products, and new technology.
“One of the most liberating things about being part of Haier is how they are helping us realize our potential and their desire to see GE Appliances grow. We’re free to reinvent our business to achieve growth and industry leadership. Our goal is to become the leading, most consumer-focused and contemporary appliance business in America,” said Kevin Nolan, president & chief executive officer for GE Appliances, in a press release.
“We now think of ourselves as a two-year-old startup born of more than a century of industry expertise and backed by the world’s largest appliance brand,” he said.
Further plans include investing in the Internet of Things, as well as in the company’s nine U.S. production operations, and expanding the distribution network into new facilities in Dallas, Denver, Atlanta and Northern California.
In 2017, the top appliance makers in the U.S. by dollar volume were Samsung and LG Electronics.
