an acquisition for the ages - mideaimg.midea.com/global/about_midea/publications/... · world‟s...

Advances Fusion, February-March, 2016

1

Vol. 6, #2, February-March 2016, No. 56

An Acquisition for the Ages

Midea is set to buy a majority interest in Toshiba’s home appliance business


2

ADVANCES

Contents

Midea Advances Newsletter is published monthly

by Midea International Business. We welcome all

comments, suggestions and contributions of

articles, as well as requests for subscription to our

newsletter. You can reach us by email at:

[email protected]

Address:

ADVANCES, Midea International Business

Midea HQ

No. 6 Midea Road

Beijiao, Shunde, Foshan, Guangdong

P.R.C. 528311

Web: www.midea.com/global

Phone: 0086 13266591586

Quote of the

Month:

A single arrow is

easily broken, but

not ten in a bun-

dle. —Japanese

Proverb

NEWSLINE

Profit up 21% Year-on-Year PAGE 3

LittleSwan Profit up over 30% PAGE 3

www.midea.com

GERMANY:

Walpurgichsnacht PAGE 22

INDONESIA: Balispirit Festival PAGE 19

Robotics Businesses

Formally Open PAGE 5

Toshiba and Midea Sign

MOU on Sale of Toshiba’s

Home Appliances Business PAGE 4

CAC Makes Its Mark in Milan PAGE 10

China’s Most Generous

Person PAGE 10

Wuxi Factory’s Outstanding

Female Employee PAGE 13

Four Product Categories

Exhibited at Chicago Show PAGE 6

Going Green by Turning

Black PAGE 9

Divisions Lavished with

International Design Awards PAGE 7

Water Heaters Gain North

Vietnam Certification PAGE 12

CHINA: Tomb-Sweeping Day PAGE 18

FUSION

PEOPLE

Brand Licensing Agreement

with US Giant PAGE 11

Rice Cooker JV Formed in

Korea PAGE 12

SPAIN: Moors & Christians

Festival PAGE 21

INDIA: Kumbh Mela PAGE 20

Midea-Carrier Announces

New Latin America CEO PAGE

8

AWE

FUSION

Fridges That Give Nutrition

Advice: The Brave New

World of M-Smart PAGE 14

Dessert-Serving Robots,

Olympic Champions, and

Singing Water Heaters PAGE

15-16

Midea the Biggest Winner at

Appliances Awards PAGE 17


3

Profit up 21% Year-on-Year

By MIP

R evenue for Midea Group Co Ltd. (000333.SZ) in

2015 was RMB 139 billion (US$22.3 billion). Earnings per share

were at RMB2.99 (US$0.48) and net profit attributable to share-

holders was RMB12.7 billion (US$2 billion), a year-on-year in-

crease of 21 percent, according to Midea‟s annual report, which

was published March 26.

Last year Midea, which has long been a highly successful

original equipment manufacturer, increased investment in re-

search and development, innovation, and brand building. The

gross margin ratio was 25.92 percent, up 0.46 percentage points

on the previous year.

The group maintained its status as an industry leader in

several product categories. The refrigerator business pulled in

RMB 11.4 billion (US$1.75 billion), a year-on-year increase of 17

percent; the washing machine business saw revenue of RMB 12

billion (US$1.84 billion), a year-on-year increase of 20 percent;

the small appliances business earned RMB 35.4 billion (US$5.43

billion), a year-on-year increase of 8 percent.

In ecommerce, Midea was China‟s top home appliances

brand, with revenue of RMB 16 billion (US$2.46 billion), lead-

ing the way in eleven product categories. Strategic cooperation

with ecommerce giants JD and Alibaba helped Midea to one of

the most lucrative days in its history on November 11.

With its stability and high dividends, Midea Group has

proved highly rewarding to shareholders. It plans to distribute a

cash dividend of RMB12 (tax included) for every 10 shares of

all shareholders resulting in a total cash dividend payment of

RMB5.1billion, and meanwhile increase shares by converting

capital reserves into share capital on the basis of 5 shares for

every 10 shares.

Market cap exceeded US$20 billion, doubling since Sep-

tember 2013, bringing substantial long-term benefits for the

shareholder.

With its large integrated logistics platform, Midea scored

many major achievement in the past year, including the launch

of the Mission air conditioner on four continents; the establish-

ment of its first R & D center in the United States; and entry

into the Forbes 500.

NEWSLINE

By Advances

LittleSwan Profit up over 30%

T he revenue of

Midea-owned washing ma-

chine brand LittleSwan was

US$2.02 billion in 2015, a

year-on-year increase of

21.54 percent, with profit at

US$141 million, a year-on-

year increase of 31.65 per-

cent. Due to an aggressive

marketing drive, sales in Chi-

na reached US$1.42 billion, a

year-on-year increase of

18.93 percent, while export

sales rose 27.38 percent. Good

strategy and telling partner-

ships with giants such as Jing-

dong helped online sales in-

crease 110 percent year-on-

year.

LittleSwan is among the most

valuable brands in China. The

company was established in

1958, when it stood alone as

the first washing machine man-

ufacturer in China. It was ac-

quired by Midea in 2010.


4

Toshiba and Midea Sign MOU on Sale of

Toshiba’s Home Appliance Business By Midea Group

T oshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502, “Toshiba”)

and Midea Group Co., Ltd. (SZSE: 000333, “Midea”) have

jointly announced that they have signed a Memorandum of

Understanding on Toshiba‟s sale to Midea of a majority inter-

est in its home appliance business (the “Business”). Under

the envisaged agreement and upon completion of the transac-

tion, the Business will continue to develop, manufacture and

market white goods, such as refrigerators, washing machines,

vacuum cleaners and other small domestic appliances under

the Toshiba brand name.

On December 21, 2015, Toshiba announced the

“Toshiba Rebuilding Initiative”, which included the potential

re-organization of the Business. Toshiba has subsequently

carried out procedures to identify a trusted partner that would

be committed to building on Toshiba‟s achievements to fur-

ther grow the Business.

Toshiba

and Midea have

built up a

strong relation-

ship

over 20 years in

a number of

areas, includ-

ingcompressors,

small domestic

appliances and

inverters. This

proposed trans-

action will fur-

ther cement and

enhance the collaboration of two leading players with exten-

sive expertise to create increased immediate and long term

values for consumers, business partners, employees and share-

holders.

Going forward, the parties will continue discussions in

good faith, towards a definitive agreement that is ex-

pected to be finalized by the end of this month.

About Midea

Midea was established in 1968 and has grown into a lead-

ing global manufacturer of consumer appliances and heating,

ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, with a

uniquely broad product range that includes air-conditioners,

refrigerators, laundry appliances, kitchen appliances and various

small home appliances. Midea had total revenues of US$23 bil-

lion in 2014 and over 100,000 employees worldwide.

To find out more about Midea, please visit http://

www.midea.com/global

About Toshiba

Toshiba Corporation, a Fortune Global 500 company,

channels world-class capabilities in advanced electronic and

electrical product and systems into five strategic business do-

mains: Energy & Infra-

structure, Community

Solutions, Healthcare

Systems & Services,

Electronic Devices &

Components, and Life-

styles Products & Ser-

vices. Guided by the

principles of The Basic

Commitment of the

Toshiba Group,

“Committed to People,

Committed to the Fu-

ture”, Toshiba pro-

motes global opera-

tions and is contributing to the .realization of a world where

generations to come can live better lives.

Founded in Tokyo in 1875, today‟s Toshiba is at the heart

of a global network of over 580 consolidated companies em-

ploying 199,000 people worldwide, with annual sales surpassing

6.6 trillion yen (US$55 billion).

To find out more about Toshiba, visit www.toshiba.co.jp/

index.htm

NEWSLINE


5

Robotics Businesses Formally Open

By Advances

G uangdong Midea-Yaskawa Service Robotics Busi-

ness Ltd. and Guangdong Yaskawa-Midea Industrial Industri-

al Robotics Systems Ltd. formally launched on March 1 at

Midea‟s Innovation Center in Shunde, China. This came seven

months after Midea signed two joint ventures with Japanese

automation giant Yaskawa, the service robotics business is

60.1 percent owned by Midea and the industrial robotics busi-

ness is 51 percent owned by Yaskawa.

CEO of Guangdong Yaskawa-Midea Industrial Industri-

al Robotics Systems Seigo Nishikawa, and CEO of Guang-

dong Midea-Yaskawa Service Robotics Zhen Shaoqiang at-

tended the opening ceremony along with around 50 employ-

ees. Seigo Nishikawa pledged to work hard with Midea to make

the joint venture world famous. Zhen Shaoqiang promised to

help Midea use its status as a globally significant manufacturer

to become a world leader in smart home and automated manu-

facturing technology.

Sales of industrial robots in China increased from 4400

units in

2005 to

6.5

million

in 2015.

The

Inter-

national

Federa-

tion of

Robot-

ics pre-

dicts

that this will reach 10 million by 2017.

The service robotics industry is still in its infancy. In 2014

the global industry was worth US$5.97 billion, yet by 2018 it is

expected to reach US$39.4 billion. Service robots will become

more affordable to middle class people in the coming years and

have particularly strong potential in countries where the popula-

tion is ageing and people need to be taken care of as they be-

come less mobile.

NEWSLINE


6

Four Product Categories Exhibited at

Chicago Show By Shine Lee

M idea exhibited its kitchen appliances, small appli-

ances, refrigerators and washing machines at the 119th annual

International Home & Housewares Show in Chicago. The

three-day exhibition, which concluded March 8, features more

than 2,200 exhibitors from over 45 countries. These include

the industry's leading brands and their cutting-edge products.

New products that Midea exhibited included its smart

microwaves, which come courtesy of the new Global Innova-

tion Center, and the Mini Series from the Small Appliances

Division.

NEWSLINE


7

Divisions Lavished with International Design

Awards

S everal Midea product divisions have been lavished

with some of the world‟s most prestigious design awards in re-

cent months. Each new award helps Midea cement its place as a

globally respected brand:

The iF Design Award

Germany-based iF International Forum Design GmbH is a

world famous organizer of the annual iF Design Awards, which

has been accepting and judging design submissions from the

world‟s best designers since the organization‟s inception in 1953.

These days, annual design submissions total around 5,000, from

approximately 70 different countries.

Midea is a regular participant and the results for 2016 were

announced in late February, revealing a rich haul of twelve sepa-

rate product design awards, in addition to another for Midea

subsidiary Little Swan.

Midea‟s winners included the Bladeless Ceiling Fan which

offers LED lighting; the Skittles Series Rice Cooker and Grill

which as multi-colored design; and the LittleSwan Star Series

washing machine.

You can see the full list of winners here: http://

www.midea.com/global/about_midea/News/201603/

t20160302_199516.shtml

RedDot Awards

The RedDot Award, which highlights the importance of

design for business and society, is one of the top awards of its

kind. The German RedDot institution honored five products

under Midea Residential Air Conditioning (RAC) with awards

on March 7, with the particularly prestigious "Best of the Best"

award going to the Hybrid Air Conditioner.

Also from RAC, the designers of the “X360 Air Condi-

tioner”、“OA Air Conditioner” 、“HEMNES Air Purifi-

er”、and “PZ Series Air Conditioner”, were presented with

awards at the same ceremony. Midea Vice President Monica

Yuan told state media in China in March that "innovation is the

source of corporate profitability". These awards augur well for

Midea's future.

The same week, Midea‟s Small Appliances Division won

five awards. The winners were the Halo Series which includes

kettles, rice cookers, and bread makers; the MB-WFZ4000XM

induction heating rice cooker; the Mini-series of red appliances;

the MY-HT5096H induction heating pressure cooker; and the

MB-FZ4001 rice cooker.

The MB-FZ4001 in particular marries the retro and the

modern, bringing users back to the days of cooking with fire-

wood. Founded in 1955 by the Design Zentrum Nordrhein

Westfalen, RedDot is as prestigious as the iF.

NEWSLINE

By Advances

Skittle Series

Hybrid Air Conditioner


8

Midea-Carrier announces new Latin

America CEO

J oão Cláudio Guetter has been appointed chief executive

officer of Midea-Carrier‟s operations in Latin America. Coming

from Electrolux, where

he was responsible for

operations in Latin

America and the Carib-

bean, Guetter replaced

Carlos Renck on Janu-

ary 1.

Renck is still on

the board of directors

and Luis Felipe Costa

remains CEO in Brazil.

This is part of a re-

structuring that adapts

to the current Brazilian

market, and promotes

closer relations be-

tween brand and con-

sumer.

"Our segment is in-

creasingly demanding

and we have created a

structure that will bet-

ter serve the needs of

our customers, in addi-

tion to providing more

innovative products

and expand the brand

also to the home appli-

ances industry," Guet-

ter told local media in

Sao Paulo.

In 2015, the

Company recorded a

growth of 70 percent in

the home appliances

portfolio offered in Bra-

zil, with the launch of

two lines of kitchen

products: Midea Liva and Midea Desea. "Our goal is to grow

not only in Brazil, but also in Argentina and Chile. We also aim

to expand the reach of the Midea brand in other countries in

Latin America in the medium term. We are currently developing

a growth plan for the next

five years, which we

should announce later this

year," adds Guetter.

A market leader in the air

conditioner segment,

Midea Carrier continues

to invest in its plant in

Manaus, with products

aimed at residential use,

and in its plant in Canoas,

which produces commer-

cial air conditioning

equipment. "In line with

the company headquar-

ters, we will make Midea

Carrier one of the major

players in the market",

said Guetter.

João Cláudio Guetter is a

Mechanical Engineer who

graduated from Federal

University of Paraná and

has a post-graduate degree

in Economics, followed

by a Master's Degree from

ISAD / University Católi-

ca of Paraná. Throughout

his career, he led teams in

different areas, such as

sales, marketing, supplies

and operations, both in

Latin America and the

United States, always

showing exceptional leader-

ship with telling results.

NEWSLINE

By Nadia Mathias

João Cláudio Guetter (left) and Luis Felipe Costa


9

Going Green by Turning Black

A fter a recent agreement with the World Wildlife

Fund (WWF), Midea observed Earth Hour by switching off all

lights in its headquarter building for an hour on the evening of

March 19.

To celebrate Midea's cooperation with the WWF, the tour

of the Heart Panda statues stopped off outside Midea's global

HQ for the days leading up to Earth Hour.

Midea Residential Air Conditioning (RAC) got together

with The WWF to launch the Star Program at The Beijing Na-

tional Convention Center on March 1. The program aims at

“shooting for the stars” in carbon emissions reduction and in-

spiring a trend throughout the industry.

NEWSLINE

By Advances

Lucky panda


10

CAC Makes its Mark in Milan

F ounded in 1960, Mostra Con-

vegno Expocomfort (MCE) has been held

biannually in Milan since 1982. It is Italy‟s

oldest heating, ventilation and air condition-

ing (HVAC) exhibition, and every time in-

vites industry leaders from around the world.

During the MCE Expo, customers can

share and discuss their experiences in their

local market. Also, as the second largest city

in Italy, it is a good place through which to

enter one of the world‟s most difficult and

sophisticated markets. Customers of MCE

have high purchasing and decision-making

power. Up to 75 percent of the customers

can make purchases or sign contracts during

the exhibition.

Needless to say, Midea Commercial Air

Conditioning (CAC) was represented at the

exhibition, which falls from March 15-18,

with some of its latest and best products.

Products on show included the All DC Inverter

Modular Chiller, the Medium Static Pressure

Duct, and the Wall Mounted S Panel.

Malpensa Airport

Industry leaders arriving at the exhibition had

their lives made more comfortable by Midea

the moment they stepped off the plane. Milan

Malpensa Airport has installed air conditioning

from Midea CAC.

The equipment mainly includes Mini VRF and

Rooftop Packaged units and the total capacity

is 180 HP. This is CAC‟s first airport project in

Italy and one of a long line of major airport

installations landed by Midea.

NEWSLINE

By Advances

Milan Malpensa Airport


11

Brand Licensing Agreement with US Giant

By Advances

M idea has signed a brand licensing agree-

ment with chemicals, fibers and plastics materials manu-

facturer Eastman. This is Eastman‟s first venture into

China‟s domestic market.

Eastman is a global specialty chemical company

that produces a broad range of advanced materials, ad-

ditives and functional products, specialty chemicals, and

fibers that are found in products people use every day.

Many plastic products such as tableware and ba-

bies‟ bottles contain the chemical bisphenol A. With the

formula (CH3)2C(C6H4OH)2, it has been listed by

Canada, the United States, and Norway as a banned

substance for food packaging and babies‟ bottles, yet

in developing countries it is still commonly found.

For this reason, Eastman has created Tritan, a

copolyester brand that supplies plastic products with-

out the chemical. Midea‟s Small Appliances Division

has used Titan as a supplier since 2014, and the suc-

cess of this cooperation has led to a brand licensing

agreement.

Midea is now free to use the Tritan brand in

advertising, web pages, promotional items, merchan-

dising, displays and packaging. This will show the

consumer that Midea is one of the safest suppliers of

cooking products.

Eastman‟s global sales director Randy Beavers expressed

his optimism about the deal, stating that the two compa-

nies have a similar attitude to social responsibility.

In many markets, Eastman Tritan™ copolyester has

transformed how brand owners, designers, molders and

consumers think about clear polymers. By redefining

toughness, Tritan adds lasting value to products.

By providing a balance of clarity, chemical resistance and

other market-specific performance advantages, Tritan

helps differentiate products. By providing practical pro-

cessing and sustainability solutions, Tritan helps bring

innovations to the market.

NEWSLINE


12

Water Heaters Gain Vietnam Certification

By Advances

R epresentatives

of Vietnam‟s Ministry of

Industry and Trade have

awarded Midea‟s Water

Heating Division the

much sought-after CR

certification after carrying

out tests. The certification

will significantly shorten

test time and reduce the

associated import and

export procedures.

Auditing experts

carried out tests on oper-

ating systems, certifica-

tion compliance, manu-

facturing sites, and af-

tersales service. The an-

nual examination proved that Midea has kept up with the minis-

try‟s require-

ments. This will

speed up the

processes that

enable Midea to

meet customer

demand.

Midea‟s first

non-Chinese

production base

was built in Vi-

etnam and the

country is key to

the brand‟s

strategy in

ASEAN mar-

kets.

NEWSLINE

By Advances

Rice Cooker JV Formed in Korea

M idea has formed a US$12 million joint venture with

South Korean rice cooker manufacturer Cuchen, with Midea

owning a 60 percent share. Established in 1976 and entering

Nasdaq in 1994, Cuchen has been cooperating with Midea since

2013.

The board of directors will consist of five members, three

from Midea, two from Cuchen, according to Li Guolin, General

Manager of Midea‟s Small Appliances Division. The two sides

will conduct in-depth

cooperation in re-

search and develop-

ment, technology, and

manufacturing, shar-

ing patented technol-

ogy along the way.

The rice cooker

industry is in some-

thing of a golden age that looks set to con-

tinue.


13

Wuxi Factory’s Outstanding Female

Employee

A t Midea Inter-

national‟s end-of-year cele-

brations, the world‟s most

popular sport was used as

a metaphor for how a

good business is run.

While the sales and mar-

keting teams can be

thought of as strikers,

other positions such as

legal, finance and auditing

also have assigned roles.

Though in football,

as in life, it is normally the

strikers who take the plau-

dits, the “goalkeeper” of

Midea‟s Wuxi factory has

been the outstanding fe-

male employee of 2015.

Ge Fenhua is a ruthless

quality control manager

who lets no shoddy product

get past her at Midea‟s fac-

tory in central China‟s Wuxi

City.

Though she is just a cog in the machine, she brings an

understanding of the big picture to her work, offering well-

informed advice on how to improve operations and efficiency.

She reduced the installation time on her assembly line by almost

two minutes through her analytical thinking, saving time and

money for the whole factory.

Despite being a strict perfectionist, Ge is a popular and

friendly figure with colleagues, earning a reputation as some-

thing of a Mother Goose for taking new colleagues under her

wing. She has been nicknamed “Mrs. Ge” by colleagues to fit

with her gentle-natured school mistress persona.

"I will continue to work hard to uphold the concept of

quality first,” Ge said in reaction to receiving the award.

“In response to this honour, I will strive to create even

greater quality. The Laundry Division will continue to be a ma-

jor

force

in the

over-

all

devel-

opment of Midea Group,” said Ge.

You might say that 71 percent of the Earth‟s surface is

covered by water. The rest is covered by Ge Fenhua.

PEOPLE

By Cha Meng

Ge Fenhua


14

Fridges that Give Nutrition Advice: The Brave

New World of M-Smart By Advances

M idea unveiled the next developments in its M-

Smart program at the Into the Future press conference at the

Kerry Hotel in Shanghai‟s Pudong District on March 8.

Midea‟s Chief Technology Officer Zack Hu and M-Smart R &

D Manager Li Qiang both gave speeches outlining the future

strategy of Midea‟s smart home program.

“The additions required to make hardware smart are

not simple. They require profound familiarity with the core

functions and users‟ needs to make the necessary upgrades.

Using intelligent technology, the product features require an

iterative upgrade,” Zack Hu told the press conference. With-

out the hardware, the intelligent software is merely a concept

that can never be brought to life,” Zack Hu told the confer-

ence.

Midea‟s strengths include its large number of existing

users and vast product range. Becoming the “King of the

World in Smart Home Technology” is central to Midea‟s long

-term strategy.

Mr. Hu introduced Midea‟s Smart Air, Smart Nutrition

and Smart Water solutions with 22 new products which be-

tween them have nearly 30 features that were pioneered by

Midea.

As part of the Smart Nutrition strategy, M-Smart refrig-

erators will act as a “gatekeeper of nutrition”, it was explained.

Its smart technology can identify over 500 distinct images and

its label-recognition technology boasts 100 percent accuracy.

There is also an intelligent medicine management system

which provides timely reminders about when to take medi-

cine, a use-

ful feature

in countries

with ageing

popula-

tions. A

new M-

Smart mi-

crowave

does an

unprecedented job of making complicated processes simple for

the consumer, an even shows users how to make the perfect

steamed fish.

The press conference came on the eve of The Appliances

and Electronics World Expo is being held at the state-of-the-art

New International Expo Center in Shanghai. Midea‟s stand is

operating in Hall W2 from March 9-12.

What makes M-Smart unique? According to R & D boss

Li Qiang, in a word: centralization.

M-Smart‟s strategy involves cloud computing, terminals,

and open source technology. With an open software develop-

ment kit (SDK), with an open platform for third-party cloud,

Midea is establishing itself as an ecological technology leader

with M-Smart, and building an image as the Master of Intelli-

gent Hardware.

More than 50 partners including Huawei, COFCO, IBM,

and OnStar are on board. Midea also signed a strategic coopera-

tion agreement with GM OnStar, pioneering the intelligent ecol-

ogy between the smart mobility of connected vehicles and smart

home systems in China, which would be first seen in the latest

generation Buick LaCrosse. It is also the first example of inter-

connected cross-category intelligent devices in China.

Up to now, Midea M-Smart has helped many smart home

big players achieve open access; these include Huawei, Tencent,

Xiaomi, TCL, LeTV and OnStar etc., allowing consumers to

manage their household appliances more efficiently.

IBM, Ali Cloud, and Amazon also formed a "Band of

Brothers" alliance with Midea, so as to establish an ecosystem of

household appliances and offer individualized services through-

out the entire process, from operation systems to cross-category

intelligent usage, to cutting-edge after-sales service.

AWE


15

Dessert-Serving Robots, Olympic Champi-

ons & Singing Water Heaters By Advances

M idea displayed its M-Smart system at the Appli-

ance & Electronics World Expo (AWE) in Shanghai in

March. Customers and media from around the world came to

Midea‟s stand to marvel, with write-ups appearing in China

Daily among other places.

As the Internet of Things becomes a reality, M-Smart

products offer smart air, water, and nutrition solutions. Of the

450 Midea products shown at AWE, 92 classify as M-Smart.

China‟s all-conquering swimming, diving and fencing teams

team came to Midea‟s booth as representatives of the brand.

AWE is the most important event in the Chinese

household appliance industry, of which Midea is the king. The

booth created scenes to show what life will be like at all times of

day in the future. All of these scenes were based on consumer

needs and how to meet them seamlessly.

Drawing inspiration from Germany's "Industry 4.0", last

year China launched a "Made in China 2025" to comprehensive-

ly upgrade its manufacturing industry. Midea being at the fore-

front of this campaign, 22 new M-Smart products were unveiled

along with 30 new technological features.

In Kitchen appliances, there was the range of hoods with

unprecedentedly efficient absorption and intelligent steam

washing technology which can effectively solve the problem of

AWE

Members of China’s fencing team

Members of China’s swimming and diving team


16

Dessert-Serving Robots, Olympic Champi-

ons & Singing Water Heaters (Cont.) By Advances

AWE

Japanese robot giant Yaskawa, there were 5 Midea robots serv-

ing ice cream on the stand. Science fiction has never seemed

so unthreatening. In the appliances indus-

try, Midea is leading the way in both in-

dustrial and commercial automation.

It is also the first example of intercon-

nected cross-category intelligent devices

in China. Up to now, M-Smart has helped

many smart home big players achieve

open access; these include Huawei, Ten-

cent, Xiaomi, TCL, LeTV and OnStar

etc., allowing consumers to manage their

household appliances more efficient-

ly. IBM, Ali cloud, and Amazon also

formed a "Band of Brothers" alliance with

Midea, so as to establish an ecosystem of

household appliances and offer individu-

alized services throughout the entire pro-

cess, from operation systems to cross-

category intelligent usage, to cutting-edge

after-sales service.

Midea is now more than just an appliances

manufacturer, it is a brand that is changing

people‟s lives, giving them time for the

things that really matter.

cleaning stubborn kitchen stains.

In bedroom products, there was a fan which can

modify its wind speed according to what is happening in

the room. It can also be connected to Midea‟s residential

air conditioners to work together.

In bathroom products, there was a water heater

which can play music and whose temperature can be

controlled by Bluetooth, WIFI and apps. This product

takes singing in the shower to a whole new level.

In laundry, there was also the world‟s first front-

loading washing machine with a lifting door. The

“Beverly”, “The Smart Hybrid” and other smart wash-

ing machines under Midea‟s LittleSwan brand are firmly

at the forefront of the industry. Their ease of use

(clothes can be added in the middle of a wash), and aes-

thetic attractiveness (brand agreements with Disney and other

family-friendly brands have been good for image), have been

noted by visitors.

After the recent establishment of a joint venture with

Dessert-serving robots made possible by the new Midea-Yaskawa JV


17

Midea the Biggest Winner at Appliance

Awards By Advances

M idea picked up ten prizes, making it the biggest

winner at The China Appliance Award Ceremony on March

10. At the ceremony,

held at the same time

as The Appliance &

Electronics World

Expo (AWE) in

Shanghai, Midea won

two consumer awards,

five product awards, a

design award, a crea-

tivity award and an

appliances award.

China‟s most

prestigious appliances

award selects 318

nominees from the

20,000 products dis-

played at the AWE, including air conditioners, refrigerators,

and washing machines, as well as audio-visual, kitchen, small,

cleaning, environmental, health, and digital appliances. After

on-site reviews by industry professionals, 185 finalists are

selected ahead of the ceremony.

Judging by the winners, this year‟s awards particularly

encouraged the development of interoperable “smart” prod-

ucts as China attempts to upgrade its manufacturing industry.

Here are the winners:

Consumer Award

1. The Spring Series Water Heaters (Serial Number

RSJ-20/100RD/120RD/150RD/180RD）

2. 2. Vandelo Freezer (Serial Number BD/BC-

150KSV）

Product Award

1. Beverly Electric Water Heater (Serial Number

F80-30EQ2HEY)

2. Filter Type Air

Purifier (Serial

Number: KJ400G

-B21)

3. Electric Pressure

Cooker (Serial

Number:

PHT5083P)

Vandelo Refriger-

ator (Serial Num-

ber: BCD-

401WGPZV)

4. LittleSwan Rotary

Drum Washing

Machine (Serial

Number:

BVL1D120G6）

Design

Award

1. Midea IH Rice Cooker (Serial Number: MB-

FZ4001)

Creativity Award

1. The Midea

Bubble Robot

(Serial Number:

VBO1)

Appliances

Award

1. 1. Midea Split

Air Conditioner Ev-

erest Series (Serial Number: KFR-26GW/

BP3DN1Y-TA100B1)

AWE

Spring Series water heaters

IH Rice Cooker

Vandelo refrigerator


18

CHINA: Tomb Sweeping Day

By Advances

FUSION

year, on Qingming.

Activities

Young and old pray before the ancestors, sweep the

tombs and offer food, tea, wine, chopsticks, joss paper acces-

sories, and/or libations to the ancestors. Some people carry

willow branches with them on Qingming or put willow

branches on their gates or front doors. They believe that wil-

low branches help ward off the evil spirit that wanders on

Qingming.

On Qingming, people go on family outings, start the

spring plowing, sing, and dance. Qingming is also a time when

young couples traditionally start dating. Another popular thing

to do is to fly kites in the shapes of animals or characters from

Chinese opera. Another common practice is to carry flowers

instead of burning paper, incense, or firecrackers.

Traditionally, the family will burn spirit money and paper

replicas of material goods such as cars, homes, phones and

paper servants. In Chinese culture, it is believed that people

still need all of those things in the afterlife. Then family mem-

bers take turns to kowtow three to nine times (depending on

the family adherence to traditional values) before the tomb of

the ancestors. The Kowtowing ritual in front of the grave is

performed in the order of patriarchal seniority within the fami-

ly. After the ancestor worship at the grave site, the whole fami-

ly or the whole clan feast on the food and drink they brought

for the worship either at the site or in nearby gardens in the

memorial park, signifying family reunion with the ancestors.

T omb Sweeping Day, also known as Qingming, is a

day on which Chinese people honor their ancestors. Falling on

April 4 this year, the festival is held to coincide with rising tem-

peratures and increasing rainfall as it has its roots in agriculture.

Tomb Sweeping Day became a national holiday on the

Chinese mainland in 2008, it is used to visit the graves of ances-

tors to pay respect. It is also customary to consume qingtuan,

green dumplings made of glutinous rice and barley grass.

Origins

The festival originated from the Cold Food Festival

("Hanshi Festival"), established during the Spring and Autumn

Period (771-476 BC). Duke Wen, ruler of the state of Jin start-

ed it to honour his retainer Jie Zitui, who had loyally followed

him during his years of exile. According to legend, Jie once

even cut meat from his own thigh to provide the duke with

soup. Once he was enthroned as duke, however, Jie considered

his services no longer required and resigned. Jie moved into the

forest with his mother. Duke Wen went to the forest in 636 BC

but could not find them. He ordered his men to set fire to the

forest in order to force Jie out. When Jie and his mother were

killed instead, the duke was overcome with remorse and or-

dered three days without fire to honor Jie's memory. The city

erected over the former forest is still called Jiexiu (lit. "Jie's

rest").

The present importance of the holiday is credited to the

Tang Emperor Xuanzong. Wealthy citizens in China were re-

portedly holding too many extravagant and ostentatiously ex-

pensive ceremonies in honor of their ancestors. In AD 732,

Emperor

Xuanzong

sought to

curb this

practice by

declaring

that such

respects

could be

formally

paid only

once a


19

INDONESIA: Balispirit Festival

By Advances

FUSION

tred at Bedulu, just to the east of Ubud. A great flowering of

Balinese culture followed.

In 1900, Ubud became a Dutch protectorate at its own

request, and the colonialists interfered little, allowing the tradi-

tional arts and culture of the area to remain relatively un-

changed. The modern era of Ubud perhaps began in the

1930s, when foreign artists were encouraged by the royal fami-

ly to take up presence in the town. From their Ubud base, the

likes of Walter Spies and Rudolph Bonnet were instrumental

in promoting an understanding of Balinese art and culture

worldwide. From the 1960s onwards, travellers started to ar-

rive in earnest, mostly intrepid types as the infrastructure was

still primitive.

The Festival

The goal of the BaliSpirit Festival is to awaken and nour-

ish each individual‟s potential for positive change within, lead-

ing to positive change in homes, in communities, and around

the world. Through the beneficial and inspirational traditions

of yoga, dance, and music, the BaliSpirit Festival illustrates the

Balinese Hindu concept of Tri Hita Karana: living in harmony

with our spiritual, social, and natural environments.

The founders of the BaliSpirit Festival provide financial,

logistical, and organizational support to local charities, with a

special emphasis on children‟s programs, multicultural educa-

tion and performance, healthcare, HIV& AIDS awareness, and

environmental conservation in Bali and greater Indonesia.

This year‟s festival, held from March 29-April 3, will

include dance and martial arts, self-development and seminars,

and top musicians from around the world.

T here was a time when people went to music or cul-

tural festivals, went wild, and then needed weeks to recover

from the madness. Like the growing Wanderlust festival,

BaliSpirit is a relatively new phenomenon, a festival where you

are built up rather than burnt out. With health and wellness

presenters from around the world (and participants from more

than 50 countries), Balispirit aims to inspire and energize peo-

ple as well as bring them together.

Looking beyond sex, drugs and rock „n‟ roll, BaliSpirit is a

poster child for a new generation of festivals for the rapidly

growing holistic travel marketplace. It is an experience that will

engage all six senses as Ubud Town has done for centuries.

History of Ubud

Put on the map by Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gil-

bert, Ubud has a known history back to the eighth century,

when the Javanese Hindu priest Rsi Marhandya came to Bali

from Java, and meditated at the confluence of the nearby Wos

rivers. A shrine was established and later expanded by Nirartha,

the Javanese priest who is regarded as the founder of Bali's

religious practices and rituals as we know them today. At this

time the area was a centre of natural medicine and healing,

“Ubad” is ancient Balinese for medicine.

Further temples and monasteries were established over

the next 400 hundred years. Many of the dances, drama and

rituals still practiced in Ubud today, originated at this time.

The Javanese Majapahit kingdom conquered Bali in 1343,

and the key final victory was against the Pejeng Dynasty cen-


20

INDIA: Kumbh Mela

By Advances

FUSION

after the Deva-Asura war, which went on for quite some time,

both the involved parties came to a conclusion that instead of

fighting, they should come together and churn the milky ocean

to obtain the Elixir. The sea was churned and elixir was ob-

tained but it was not meant for the Asura or the demons,

hence the god who appeared from the sea with the Kumbh or

the pitcher of elixir ran from the chasing Asuras. In this chase

a few drops fell on earth and now at these four places the

Kumbh Mela is conducted.

Though all Kumbh Melas enjoy similar numbers of dev-

otees, the name of Haridwar comes at the top of all Indian

pilgrimages. Hence the Kumbh Mela of Haridwar enjoys ex-

ceptional media coverage and tourist traffic. The place is

termed as the gateway to heaven in Hindu mythological scrip-

tures.

The major event of the festival is ritual bathing at the

banks of the

river. Other

activities include

religious discus-

sions, devotion-

al singing, mass

feeding of holy

men and wom-

en and the poor,

and religious

assemblies

where doctrines

are debated and standardized. Kumbh Mela is the most sacred

of all the pilgrimages.

K umbh Mela is a mass Hindu pilgrimage of faith in

which believers gather to bathe in a sacred river. Traditionally,

four fairs are widely recognized as the Kumbh Melas: the

Haridwar Kumbh Mela, the Allahabad Kumbh Mela, the

Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha and the Ujjain Simhastha,

although priests at other places have also claimed their local

fairs to be Kumbh Melas.

These four fairs are held periodically at one of the four

places by rotation. The main festival site is located on the banks

of a river: the Ganges (Ganga) at Haridwar; the confluence

(Sangam) of the Ganges and the Yamuna and the mythical Sar-

asvati at Allahabad; the Godavari at Nashik; and the Shipra at

Ujjain. Bathing in these rivers is thought to cleanse a person of

all sins.

At any given place, the Kumbh Mela is held once in 12

years. This year‟s Kumbh Mela is in Ujjain, and lasts until April

30.

Rivers have always held a special place in Hindu mytholo-

gy, as these are considered to be the carriers of life and fertility.

Hence they have always been central to major festivals in India.

The Kumbh Mela. This fair is perhaps the largest religious

gathering in the world. A vast number of people gather at dif-

ferent places and perform rituals on this day by the banks of

different rivers. "Kumbh" means a pitcher or a pot, the word

Kumbh also signifies a Hindu sun sign, Aquarius. The word

Mela means a fair or a gathering.

During the festival the banks of India‟s holy rivers be-

come a large bathing ground for the rich, the poor, sadhus

(holy men) and women alike. For each place the Kumbh Mela

repeats every 12 years, but in actuality the four sites celebrate it

every year.

The Myth behind the celebration of Kumbh Mela is that

Sadhus


21

SPAIN: Moors & Christians Festival

By Advances

FUSION

ous groups that make up the Moorish and Christian armies

march in procession, desperately trying to out-

shine each other‟s‟ sumptuous costumes. This

four century-old festival is one of Spain‟s biggest

and in certain cases, such as that of Alcoy, over

5,000 people take part in the procession.

Another part of the festivities are the religious

ceremonies held in honor of Alcoy‟s patron saint.

Another special moment is the spectacular final

battle. It follows the so-called

"embajadas" (meeting of envoys) in the castle, in

which each side reads a text in an attempt to per-

suade the other side to surrender. Once negotia-

tions have failed, a mock battle ensues in which

thousands of kilos of gunpowder is used, ending

in victory for the Christians.

T he Moors and Christians Festival (Spanish:

Moros y Cristianos) commemorates the battles that

took place between the Moors and Christians during

the Reconquista from the 8-15th Centuries.

The battle reenactments take place throughout

Spain but primarily in the southern part of the Valen-

cian Community and in Alicante. The most popular

Moors and Christians festival takes place in the city of

Alcoi, Valencia from the 22-24 April. This date coin-

cides with another popular festival in Valencia and Cat-

alonia known as Saint George‟s Day, or Sant Jordi. Leg-

end has it that when James I of Aragon re-conquered

the city from the Moors, the Moors were frightened

away from re-attacking the city when Saint George appeared

before them.

The Moors and Christians Festival begins with the

shot of gunpowder and is filled with medieval music, fire-

works and many other events. The festival culminates when

the Christians reenact a battle around the castle in which

they overthrow the Moor invaders.

Beginning in the early hours of the morning, the

streets, balconies and windows fill with people intent on not

missing a single thing. To the accompaniment of music and

with all the pomp and majesty you could hope for, the vari-


22

Germany: Walpurgisnacht

By Advances

FUSION

(Burning of the Witches), which sees huge bonfires lit all over

the country (including on Petřín hill in Prague) and an effigy of

a witch thrown onto the pyres. Old brooms are also burnt and

there‟s partying through the night.

Sweden, too, has a few witches in the broom closet.

Here, the celebration is known as the Feast of Valborg and is

nowadays treated more as a spring welcome than a time of

witches, being marked with bonfires and choral singing across

the country. The largest celebration is in Stockholm‟s Skansen

open-air museum, where a festive concert runs from mid-

afternoon to around midnight. In Gothenburg, students from

the Chalmers University have for the last century conducted

the Cortège parade, with floats showing mock scenes from

major events over the past year. More than 200,000 people line

the streets to view the parade.

W alpurgisnacht, known in English as Walpurgis

Night, is believed to be the night of a witches' meeting on the

Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz Mountains, a range of

wooded hills in central Germany between the rivers Weser and

Elbe. It falls on the night of April 30, the Eve of Saint Walpur-

ga day.

Born and educated in the south of England, Saint Wal-

purga (710–25 to 777 or 779) travelled with her brothers as a

missionary to Francia (now Württemberg and Franken). She

helped spread Christianity throughout what was then a mostly

pagan central Europe. Because of her rigorous training, she was

able to write her brother

Winibald's vita and an

account in Latin of his

travels in Palestine. As a

result, she is often called

the first female author of

both England and Ger-

many.

Traditionally, frightened

peasants used to hang

crosses and herbs on sta-

ble doors to protect their

livestock on Walpurgis-

nacht; ringing church

bells or cracking whips

were other ways to pre-

vent stray witches from

dropping by. Today, how-

ever, people come to be

with the witches as they

recount the year‟s evil deeds, not to escape them.

One of the best places to celebrate Walpurgisnacht is the

town of Thale, where not-so-pagan hordes of 35,000 or more

arrive for colourful variety events and the Walpurgishalle muse-

um tells you all you need to know about sacrifices, rituals and

local myths. People dress as witches and toss away all reserve as

they dance around fires. Wherever you are, expect to see the

dawn in with some very strange characters! If it wasn‟t enough

that one mountain should claim to be haunted, there are other

such Walpurgisnacht events elsewhere in Europe.

In the Czech Republic the local variation is Carodejnice

Walpurga


23

SNAPSHOT

Walking on the Wild Side: Midea Walking on the Wild Side: Midea Walking on the Wild Side: Midea

Links up with the WWFLinks up with the WWFLinks up with the WWF

an acquisition for the ages - mideaimg.midea.com/global/about_midea/publications/... · world‟s...

Documents