Bangkok--Jan 22--BANGKOK PUBLIC RELATIONS - Promises Thai consumers global portfolio of products that best meet their needs - Plans to grow around 30% with new 'consumer-driven' supply strategy 'Whirlpool', the world's largest manufacturer and marketer of refrigerators, washing machines, microwave ovens and other major home appliances, today announced that it has set up its regional headquarters for Southeast Asia in Bangkok. It was previously located in Singapore. The announcement was made at Whirlpool's dealer conference organised at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre where over 80 imported and locally manufactured products are on display. The event was attended by more than 400 trade partners from the company'ssales, distribution and servicing network in Thailand and other ASEAN countries. Mr. Rajiv Verma, Regional Managing Director of Whirlpool Southeast Asia Ltd., who is based in Thailand, said, "We decided to relocate our Southeast Asia head office into Thailand to be closer to the consumer and to strengthen our capabilities in one of the largest markets in this part of the world". He said that the move coincided with the company's global decision to adopt a 'consumer-driven' supply strategy. "We are the leading brand in home appliances in North America, Europe and Latin America, and see a huge opportunity for growth in Thailand, as well as other ASEAN markets," he said. "Our 'consumer-driven' strategy is to look at consumer needs in each country and make available products that best match those range of needs, sourcing them from anywhere in the world - similar to the way in which the auto industry is now operating. We will no longer beconstrained by what is locally manufactured, and the Thai consumer can expect to see a host of innovative products coming from Whirlpool this year. "We expect this strategy to propel our sales in Thailand towards 30% growth and reach around Bht 1,000 million," he added. According to Mr. Kamol Lertsattha, Regional Marketing Director, Whirlpool Southeast Asia, "The consumer in Southeast Asia has had to buy products determined by a manufacturing-base driven supply strategy - namely, that 'you take what's manufactured in your own country',because anything else is prohibitively expensive or simply unavailable. "Thailand has a wide diversity of needs. Because it is not economically feasible tomanufacture all of those various products in one country the consumer has been faced with a 'one size fits all' product offering with limited differentiation in each segment of themarket. This is the reason why the top ten brands competing in Thailand all have market shares that are very close to each other, ranging from 5% to 12%. "By giving consumers leading-edge products that better meet their needs, regardless of where those products are manufactured, we can grow the market overall as well as our own market share," he said. In the refrigerator category, Whirlpool recently introduced an entire range of new products in the 'No Frost' segment. At the dealer conference, a new line of refrigerators in the 'Direct Cool' segment, as well as some additional new products in the 'No Frost' segment, have also been launched. As part of the establishment of the regional head office in Bangkok, Whirlpool has appointed five new directors to head up regional functions. Mr. Lertsattha said the Thailand market for refrigerators, washing machines and microwaves was worth approximately Bht 14,620 million in 2002 and is expected to grow by 8%in 2003, reaching Bht 15,600 million. Whirlpool's sales in Southeast Asia are expected to be exceed Bht 2,000 million of which Thailand sales may amount to around Bht 1,000 million. Asia is the largest market in the world for major home appliances with demand for around 100 million units, followed by Europe at around 86 million units and North America ataround 73 million units, annually. Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major homeappliances. Headquartered in Benton Harbor, USA, the company manufactures in 13 countriesand markets products under 11 major brand names in more than 170 countries. Whirlpool Corporation brands are market leaders in North America, Latin America, andEurope. In Thailand, the regional headquarters for the company in Southeast Asia, Whirlpoolemploys 60 people. For further information, please contact: BANGKOK PUBLIC RELATIONS Ltd., Chatsawalee Klaiwongse or Pairoj Pachanapreeda at phone 0-2664 9500, ext. 108, or 115, fax 0-2664 9515. Thailand Major Home Appliances MarketCategory Market Size Growth in 2002 Growth in 2003 2002 (Estimated) Million BahtREFRIGERATORS Bht 8,000 +2% +5%WASHING MACHINES Bht 6,000 +19% +15%AIRCONDITIONERS Bht 5,800 +10% +10%MICROWAVE OVENS Bht 620 +12% +15% Source: Whirlpool Southeast Asia End.-SN-