LJUBLJANA, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Slovenia's home appliances giant Gorenje launched on Monday premium products of its own brand on the Chinese market, when its Minister of Economic Development and Technology Zdravko Pocivalsek leads a Slovenian delegation to the China International Import Expo (CIIE) fair in Shanghai.
Just months after it was acquired by Chinese appliance maker Hisense, Gorenje appliances will for now be available at selected retailers in China, with additional distributors to be introduced by the end of the year, the Slovenian Press Agency STA reported, adding that the company plans to have its full product range available in most sales locations in the first quarter of 2019.
In his speech at the launch in Beijing, Gorenje CEO Franjo Bobinac said, entering the Chinese market was "an extraordinary opportunity for growth and the strengthening of our global presence, although the market is very competitive and demanding."
"We are ready for this challenge and are looking forward to presenting our innovative premium products to Chinese customers," STA said citing the Gorenje press release.
In Slovenia, Gorenje is best known for its refrigerators and washing machines, although it manufactures the whole range of household appliances. Recently it announced that it would also start manufacturing Hisense-branded TVs in Slovenia.
Earlier, STA reported that Gorenje CEO Franjo Bobinac had announced that the new owner of Chinese Hisense had decided to forge a traditional Slovenian company as its Research and Development Centre in Europe.
