It’s official: GE Appliances, America’s No. 2 white-goods brand, is now a unit of Qingdao Haier, the Chinese manufacturing giant, following the close of the $5.6 billion deal.
What this means for GE, its retail customers and its end users was laid out by the company’s sales general manager Rob Posthauer in the following letter to TWICE:
GE Appliances has become part of the No. 1 major appliances brand in the world.
This is a tremendous opportunity for our business and for our customers. Being part of Haier will open doors to resources and expertise that will enable us to innovate faster, manage our business more efficiently, and serve our customers better.
We’re proud of our GE heritage and we will take the best of it with us on this journey — with a focus on serving our customers and owners, on developing people, and innovating every day.
We realize our future will be determined by the people who have made GE Appliances great. It is up to us to stand on our own and make this the most competitive, innovative and customer-focused company in the world.
While we are excited about the opportunity for the positive change our new parent will afford us, we also know there are things that must not change.
* We will remain focused on serving our customers with no disruptions;
* Our customer relationships will not change unless it is to improve how we serve them;
* Our headquarters remains in Louisville, Ky.
* Our leadership team remains in place.
* Our “Made in America” focus continues.
Our commitment to GE Appliances’ customers is laser-focused on serving them well with the strong GE Appliances brand, the best line-up of products we have ever offered, our world-class logistics network, and the industry’s most experienced sales, service and support teams. Being the easiest company with whom to do business remains our highest priority.
Over the past months it has become clear to us that Haier’s worldwide focus on quality and innovation is a key part of their values and culture. That will benefit us all. We are incredibly excited about our future.
The support of our customers through the acquisition process has been invaluable and we appreciate their partnership. The industry is growing and together we will continue to compete and win. Our best days, together, are still ahead.
Rob Posthauer is sales general manager of GE Appliances, a Haier company.
