September 18, 2017
(August 24, 2017, Suzhou, China) UL, the global leader in safety science, announced its major appliance safety and performance testing lab in Suzhou. This lab is the only UL large household appliances testing facility in Asia Pacific and the largest, most comprehensive domestic washing and drying products safety and performance testing lab in China. The lab can test a variety of products including washing machines, dishwashers and dryers from North America, and those requiring the European standard for safety and energy efficiency capability. Todd Denison, UL Global Vice President and General Manager of HVAC and Lighting, Boris Feng, UL Global Vice President, Greater China Managing Director, and customer representatives from more than 20 major China-based home appliance manufacturers were invited to attend the opening ceremony.
At present, China is in the stage of upgrading its consumption. The washing machine has already entered tens of thousands of households, yet driers and dishwashers in China have only penetrated at a low rate, with a market share of only 1 percent. However, in light of the current consumer consumption environment, public health, the concept of quality consumption, the freedom gained from having such appliances, and the improved quality of life from having such home appliances, dryers and dishwashers are gradually entering the market, thus market growth rate cannot be underestimated.
Last year the dishwasher became the fastest growing category in China's home appliance industry. In the past "618" period, dishwasher sales increased by 352%, much higher than traditional home appliances. The popularity of the dryer in recent years has increased from 1% to 4%, but these figures are still far lower than in Europe and in the United States, whose market figures are between 70% and 90%. However, major manufacturers are still very optimistic about the wide room for development for dryers. For such a traditional home appliance as the washing machine, one will need to consider the most important factor: How can this appliance cater to future needs to achieve market dominance?
Concurrently, in light of China's new normal economic and social development, the "One Belt One Road" initiative is in full swing. The "Made in China 2025" strategy further deepens China’s projects, bringing great opportunities to the development of China's home appliance industry. Washing and drying manufacturers have a broad domestic market, but bringing these products to the international market also presents a exciting opportunities and big challenge.
"Today, most traditional home appliance manufacturers are experiencing a transitional period, in light of newly-developing requirements for environmental protection, promoting enterprise for the development of new technologies. Therefore, safety and performance requirements of cleaning and drying products are escalating, and requirements for energy efficiency testing and certification are also increasing. We have noticed that many customers have focused on emerging markets such as the Middle East, Latin America and ASEAN. Thus, considering that we have global resources and reliable standards for our development capabilities, UL will embrace these opportunities with Chinese customers. Not only will we provide energy-efficient services, but we will also provide global market access, performance testing, interconnection equipment and other professional solutions. The washing and drying products safety and performance integrated laboratory in Suzhou is just a small step UL has taken to help local home appliance manufacturers win over consumers, creating more market value, and helping Chinese home appliance enterprises establish global credibility.” UL global vice president of home appliances and HVAC, and general manager of lighting, Todd Denison said.
UL’s completion of its washing and drying products safety and performance testing lab in Suzhou conforms to the needs of the majority of white goods industry manufacturers and to development trends in China, helping "Made in China" enter the global market.
Boris Feng, UL Global Vice President, Greater China Managing Director, emphasized in his speech: "UL has been rooted in China for more than 30 years; a positive response to the international market changes at the same time, paying close attention to the domestic economic development, and has more than 100 years of professional testing and certification technology to help China's manufacturing industry enhance its core competitiveness in local and international markets, seizing the opportunity to win. Today, our magnificent launch of our washing and drying products safety and performance integrated laboratory will provide the majority of washing and drying manufacturers more convenient, localized, professional services to help customers meet the changes of products from price competition to value competition, and help enterprises to create a green future.”
In the future, UL will always have a "China-made" foundation steering its operation. Further, UL’s deep technical knowledge and expertise in the field of large household electrical appliances will provide a one-stop shop of multi-local services to help Chinese brands enter the global market and seize embrace greater opportunities.