Who Makes Haier TV?

Haier TVs are made by The Haier Group, a Chinese company that began as a small private enterprise in the 1920s, later partnering with a German manufacturer to become a huge global corporation with over 50,000 employees and earning over $17 billion per year.

Worldwide Reach

Haier TVs are made by a subsidiary within The Haier Group, ranked number one in China's Top 10 Global Brands (ranked by the Financial Times). The Haier Group has nearly 250 subsidiaries, design centers and plants and trade companies with over 50,000 personnel worldwide. Haier is guided by CEO Zhang Ruimin and was earning over $17.8B (US) in 2008. Haier TV products include touch TVs, 5.1 sound systems, digital, wireless, flat-panel and traditional TVs. Over the past nine years, Haier TVs have grown at an annual rate of 141% worldwide. Other divisions of the Haier enterprise contribute to keep each product cutting edge. Qingdao Haier Qingda Software develops embedded systems, multimedia systems and system integration, producing products such as the Haier Group's LCD and plasma TV systems.

History

The company roots can be traced to the 1920s when a small refrigerator factory was built in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China. After the Communist Revolution in 1949, this company was taken over by the state. Within 30 years, the factory had grown only in debt, barely producing 80 refrigerators per month and suffering from poor quality control, budgeting and lack of management. The city government appointed Zhang Ruimin, an assistant city-manager who had led several government appliance companies, to take over operations. Zhang had studied Western and Japanese management practices and had a record of successes in bringing entities back from poor production.

State Resources and European Know-How

In the 1980s, China began looking for help from oversea markets. Germany's Liebherr Group negotiated a partnership with Qingdao Refrigerator Company, becoming Qingdao-Liebherr and sharing technology and equipment. By 1986, Qingdao-Liebherr had become profitable and was growing by 83% annually. Due to its success, the city government requested that it take over other poorly run appliance makers such as microwaves, air conditioners and freezers.

Today's Success

In 1991 the company used the last syllables of the Chinese transliteration of Liebherr to become "Haier" and later The Haier Group. Today, The Haier Group produces over 15,000 different home appliances. It has obtained over 6,000 patents and nearly 600 software intellectual property rights.

Awards for Cutting Edge Leadership

In 2008, Haier won a "Best Performance Company of China" award, becoming the only Chinese household appliance brand winning the honor three consecutive times. In 2009, Haier became the only Chinese household electrical appliance company to win the Green Economy Enterprise Award, taking its place among global giants such as General Motors and Wal-Mart.

Resources

• Further information about The Liebherr Group
• Visit the official Haier site