TO increase its customer base and reinforce its marketing efforts, a China-based manufacturer of electrical and household appliances partnered with a Filipino-owned company.

The partnership recently launched new products for 2009.

The Midea Group recently inked a partnership with MD Global Aire Corp., which is engaged in the importation, marketing and distribution of electrical and mechanical machinery.

At the same time, the Midea Group introduced a 2009 product line that includes efficient and space-saving R410A air conditioning units and self-cleaning Vertu air conditioning models.

MD Global Aire president Johnny Yu said the partnership is optimistic that it would be able to double its Philippine sales last year despite the global financial crisis because of Midea’s “quality and affordable” products.

“(Midea) offers energy savings. If you are conscious of your bill, Midea products help you cut down energy usage by 50 percent. Not all (manufacturers) offer that,” he said.

Good response

When Midea entered the local market last year, MD Global Aire marketing officer Sheirly Ann Darcen said the market response was good, especially after the company made an intensive information campaign to educate potential buyers about Midea’s quality advantage.

“China has many ma-nufacturers from A to Z. But if you buy from top suppliers like Midea, then you won’t have any problems with quality. We’re giving consumers a choice,” Yu said.

Midea is positioning to become among the top three brands for air conditioning in the Philippines. Currently, their client base includes hotels, universities, government offices, malls, restaurants and banks, among others.

Midea, established in 1968, is one of the largest manufacturing and exportation bases of electric appliances in China with about 100,000 employees and brands in various industries, like Midea and Welling.

Its core products include residential, commercial and large-scale central aircon sets, washing machine, electric cooker, refrigerator, water dispenser and microwave oven, among others.

The group put up overseas branch subsidiaries in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Canada, Russia, France, Malaysia and Vietnam.

Midea maintains a growth rate of 35 percent annually. In 2007, its sales revenues increased by 30 percent to reach 75 billion yuan while its export sales went up by 40 percent to $3.12 billion. The company is targeting sales revenue of 120 billion yuan by 2010. (NRC)

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(December 1, 2008 issue)
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