What is the old name of Haier?

Written by Editorial Team | Last Updated: August 2026

Haier Group, the massive multinational home appliances and consumer electronics corporation headquartered in Qingdao, China, originated from a struggling, near-bankrupt collective refrigerator factory founded in the early 1980s under the original name Qingdao General Refrigerator Factory. Facing severe quality issues and financial distress, the factory brought in visionary manager Zhang Ruimin, who famously instituted strict quality control measures by destroying defective refrigerators in front of employees. To reflect a technical partnership and technology transfer agreement established with the German refrigeration manufacturer Liebherr, the enterprise was subsequently renamed Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Co., drawing the Chinese character for Haier from the phonetic translation of the German partner's name. As the product portfolio expanded far beyond refrigerators into washing machines, air conditioners, and smart home ecosystems, the company shortened its corporate name to simply Haier.

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