Appliance Design - August 2008 - (Page 10)

NEwS watch Measuring tools were the fastest growing expanding power tool segment, with double-digit growth in 2007. Last year, Bosch acquired RoboToolz, makers of laser leveling products. BMCI is Citadel’s second acquisition. The company also owns the Matrixx Group, Evansville, Ind., which specializes in thermoplastic compounding. the J.D. Power and Associates’ inaugural 2008 Cordless Drill/Driver study, cordless drill owners were particularly pleased with lithium-ion battery technology. Among the 10 brands ranked in the study, Ridgid ranks highest in customer satisfaction with a score of 784 on a 1,000-point scale, demonstrating strong performance in all factors that drive customer satisfaction, and performing particularly well in the areas of warranty and price. DeWalt and Hitachi follow with scores of 779 and 774 respectively. DeWalt performed well in drill performance, versatility of the battery platform, and ease of use. Hitachi performed well in battery performance. The study found that consumers who purchase a cordless drill/driver with lithium-ion batteries tend to be more satisfied on average than owners of cordless drills/drivers that use other battery technologies. ataG acQUIRED. Slovenia-based Gorenje has acquired ATAG Europe B.V., the Netherlands, a maker of household appliances, for EUR 130 million. ATAG, had 2007 net sales revenues of EUR 150 million. It markets medium- and highprice point products under a number of brand names including the Atag brand, which is ranked in the highest price class of household appliances, the company says. Of its sales, 75 percent were in the Benelux region, which is an economic union in Western Europe that includes Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The acquisition is the largest acquisition in the history of Gorenje and is part of the company’s plan to strengthen its position in Europe. caNaDIaN OUtLOOK GOOD. The Canadian Appliance Manufacturers Association says that there will be an average of 3.7 percent increase in 2008 shipments in five core appliance segments. The segments are refrigerators (2.2 percent increase), ranges (3.5 percent), automatic clothes washers (4.6 percent), dryers (5.4 percent), and dishwashers (3.9 percent). In 2008, CAMA says that shipments to the retail channel are expected to reach 4.532 million units for the five core products, however the builder channel is expected to remain flat at 652,000. CAMA is forecasting a growth of about 3.0 percent for the five products over the 2009-2010 period with some growth in the retail channel, but a fall off in the builder channel as housing construction activity eases off. haIER StaKES ‘SIS.’ Chinese home appliance maker Qingdao Haier Co., has agreed to buy a 20.1 percent stake in Haier Electronics Group, a Hong Kong-listed sister company. The move enables Qingdao Haier to consolidate its appliance business and gain access to overseas capital markets for expansion. Quingdao Haier makes refrigerators, air conditioners, and freezers. Haier Electronics produces clothes washing machines and water heaters. Both are units of the Haier Group. LUXURIOUS aPPLIaNcES. High net- cItaDEL acQUIRES BMcI. Citadel Plastics Holdings, a Chicago-based private equity investment firm, has acquired Bulk Molding Compounds (BMCI) of West Chicago, Ill. BMCI is a manufacturer of custom formulated bulk molding compounds that it sells around the world. Larry Nunnery Jr. will retain his position as CEO of BMCI through 2008. The deal is part of Citadel’s strategy to build through acquisitions a global plastics compounding company with broad product and technology capabilities. worth consumers rated La Cornue the most prestigious luxury appliance brand in the 2008 Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) survey from the independent New York City-based Luxury Institute. La Cornue manufactures ranges. The Bertazzoni and Viking brand were rated second and third, respectively. The online survey polled 1,883 wealthy American consumers, with an average income of $348,000 and average net-worth of $3.5 million. The LBSI asks respondents to rate the brands along four main “pillars” of brand stature: consistent superior quality; unique and exclusive products; social status as a product consumed by people who are admired and respected; and self enhancement, in that the brand makes the consumer feel special across all aspects of the customer experience LED lighting now has standards. LED StaNDaRDS SEt. Scientists at DRILL SatISFactION. Power tool man- ufacturer Ridgid ranked highest in a customer satisfaction survey that examined cordless drills and drivers. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in cooperation with national standards organizations, have taken the lead in developing the first two standards for solid-state lighting in the United States. The new generation lighting technology uses LEDs instead of incandescent filaments or fluorescent tubes. The standards detail the color specifications of LED lamps and LED light fixtures, and the test methods that manufacturers should use when testing these solid-state lighting products for total light output, energy consumption and chromaticity. NIST is working with the DOE to support its goal of developing and introducing solid-state lighting to reduce energy consumption for lighting by 50 percent by the year 2025. The Illuminating Engineering Society of 10 applianceDESIGN August 2008 www.applianceDESIGN.com http://www.appliancedesign.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Appliance Design - August 2008

Appliance Design - August 2008 Contents Editorial Shipments/Forecasts News Watch Plastics Switches Noise & Vibration Control Joining New Products Design Marts Association Report: CEA Advertiser’s Index

Appliance Design - August 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.