White-Westinghouse Explained

White-Westinghouse
Type:Home appliance
Currentowner:Westinghouse Licensing
Origin:U.S.
Markets:Worldwide
Previousowners:White Consolidated Industries

White-Westinghouse is an American home appliance brand used under license by trademark owner Westinghouse Licensing Corporation.[1] It was created in 1975 when White Consolidated Industries bought the Westinghouse Electric Corporation's major appliance business. White Consolidated Industries was in turn acquired by Electrolux in 1986.[2] [3]

Electrolux made White-Westinghouse branded appliances as recently as 2006.

History

Westinghouse entered the major appliance industry by acquiring the "Copeman Electric Stove Company" in 1917. It later moved production from Flint, Michigan to Mansfield, Ohio. Copeman had begun manufacturing its first electric ranges in 1914. Electric ranges were first demonstrated by Thomas Ahearn in 1892, gained in popularity as electrification became widespread throughout the United States.[4]

The company claims to have made several important innovations:

The company manufactured both large and small appliances for many years. Appliances bearing the White-Westinghouse name were made by Electrolux after 1998 under license from Paramount Global through its Westinghouse brand management subsidiary.

In the mid-1990s, household products and electronics bearing the White-Westinghouse name were sold by Kmart stores in the United States. This essentially gave Kmart a private-label brand in the value category for household goods. This agreement was between Windmere-Durable Holdings, Salton/Maxim Housewares and New M-Tech Corp., who licensed the name from the then Westinghouse Electric. Most larger-sized TVs were relabeled models produced by Daewoo Electronics Corp. This partnership dissolved in the early 2000s and many of the products were discontinued or switched to Kmart's "Home Essentials" brand. Televisions continued to be produced by Daewoo, but were re-labeled as Curtis-Mathes, another brand licensed to Kmart for a brief period of time.

Notes and References

  1. News: Consumer Electronics Makers Seek Customs Duty Hike on Finished Goods Imports, Incentives on 'R&D' . Goodreturns.
  2. http://group.electrolux.com/en/history-1980-1989-760/ Electrolux history 1980-1989, from the Electrolux website
  3. http://www.electrolux.com/new_president_new_strategies.aspx "A new president with new strategies", from the Electrolux website
  4. News: Consumer appliance brand White-Westinghouse ramps up portfolio . The Hindu BusinessLine.