Yes, Haier is a Chinese company. It is a Chinese multinational home appliances and consumer electronics company headquartered in Qingdao, Shandong, China. Haier Group is a majority state-owned enterprise, with the largest shareholder being the Qingdao municipal government. Haier designs, manufactures, markets, and sells home appliances and consumer electronics, including refrigerators, washing machines, microwave ovens, dryers, air conditioners, computers, televisions, and mobile phones. The company operates through its two affiliates, namely Haier Smart Home Company and Haier Electronics Group.
| Details | Info |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Founder | Zhang Ruimin |
| Headquarters | Qingdao, Shandong, China |
| CEO | Zhang Ruimin |
| Sector | Home appliances, Consumer electronics |
Company History
Haier was founded in the year 1984 as Qingdao Refrigerator Company. Initially, the company struggled due to its low quality refrigerators. The breakthrough came when it entered into a joint venture with a German refrigerator company, Liebherr, to manufacture refrigerators under the name Qingdao-Liebherr. By 1986, Qingdao Refrigerator had become profitable.
In the year 1991, Qingdao Refrigerator Company was renamed Qingdao Haier Group. Subsequently, the company diversified into air conditioners, washing machines and other home appliances. The company’s name was simplified to Haier in the year 1992. By the middle of the 1990s, Haier had become the number one refrigerator brand in China.
Hair began exporting its products under Haier brand to Europe and United States in the 1995-97 period. By 2005, Haier had established factories in United States, Jordan, Pakistan and other countries. In the year 2016, Haier bought GE Appliances from General Electric for $5.6 billion. This was followed by the acquisition of Italy-based Candy Group in 2018.
Current Status
Haier is the largest appliance manufacturer in the world by retail volume, with a market share of around 16%. It has a network of over 230,000 retailers, 126 marketing centers, and 35 industrial parks in more than 200 countries. Haier owns or controls numerous brands, including Haier, GE Appliances, Leader, Casarte, Candy, Fisher & Paykel, Hoover, and Aqua.
Haier operates 163 manufacturing facilities across regions like Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa. China is the company’s hub for research and development, and high-volume production, while overseas facilities handle over 50% of the export volume.
Future Outlook
Haier is looking to increase its net profit by double digits in the year 2026, driven by premium segments like IoT appliances and overseas markets. The company is likely to increase its focus on AI integration, premiumization, and regional empowerment. Haier is aiming for a high revenue growth in emerging markets in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
