Appliance company Haier has celebrated its milestone 40th year in business, marking the occasion with an anniversary event in Quingdao, its founding city.
The company was first established in the Chinese city in December 1984, where it had humble beginnings as a small refrigerator brand. In the years since, Haier has enjoyed a meteoric rise to success, and now says it serves customers in more than 160 different countries.
According to the company, it credits its own growth to a mix of technological innovation and strategic acquisitions, as well as a strong focus on consumer needs.
Looking back on the company’s history over the last four decades, Haier CEO and chairman Zhou Yunjie said: “Since Chairman Zhang founded Haier in 1984, our journey has been defined by sincerity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. For 40 years, we’ve remained committed to ‘sincerity forever,’ maintaining zero distance with our users, and embracing the philosophy of ‘The highest goodness is like water,’ contributing selflessly to society.”
Yunjie also expressed gratitude to the company’s consumers, partners and employees, for their contributions over the last 40 years.
Diego Perrone, managing director of Haier UK & Ireland, added: “This is a huge milestone for the business and we are so proud of all the developments and innovations that we have achieved.
“2025 is set to be an exciting year for the brand as we continue on our journey to bring innovative appliances to consumers based on their needs as we are always operating on a zero distance to consumer approach.”
Perrone recently stepped into the position of UK MD, after his predecessor, Neil Tunstall, was appointed to be CEO of Haier Europe.
As Haier celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, the company also said it aims to “lead the next wave of smart living, ensuring a legacy of inspiration and evolution for generations to come”.
In April last year, the company also unveiled its new Haier Smart Cube product, which it described as a “connected smart home solution” for appliances which runs using harvested solar energy. The company also said it planned to rebrand to become “Haier Smart Home”, in order to better reflect its focus on smart living solutions.