Haier America opens research, development center in Indiana

Haier America, the U.S. subsidiary of global appliance brand Haier Group, announced Tuesday that it has opened a 30,000-square-foot research and development center in Evansville, Indiana.Located at 900 W. Pennsylvania, the Technology and Design Center of Excellence will help bolster the local economy with the creation of 50 new jobs. The center also helps support Haier’s expansion in the U.S.

“With the wealth of talent in the area and the way in which the local and regional communities have embraced us, Evansville is the perfect location to launch this Haier facility in the United States,” Adrian Micu, chief executive officer and president of Haier America, said in a prepared statement “The opening of the Haier Center aligns with our strategy to design and manufacture consumer-centric, whole-home platform solutions that fit the lives and anticipate the needs of American consumers. Haier is closer and more committed to the U.S. market than ever before.”

Haier will invest more than $2.8 million renovating the façade and interior of the former Coca-Cola bottling plant and distribution center. The center will house engineering offices, performance and reliability labs, a consumer showroom and a model shop with prototypes. It will also support product expansion.

With its focus on design and innovation, the Haier Center will support expansion into new product categories, such as cooking appliances, and innovations across product lines. As a result of the new jobs and investment by Haier, Evansville will increase its regional influence as a technology hub. Local officials anticipate that the city will realize a total of $10 million in economic impact each year.

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