Bosch Background
From its headquarters near Stuttgart, Germany, Bosch GmbH oversees subsidiaries, affiliated companies and foreign representatives in 130 countries. Sales worldwide in 1997 were US $27 billion. One of the new subsidiaries is BSH Home Appliances, the recent consolidation of all North American household appliance activities: the sales and marketing group in Chicago and the manufacturing plant in New Bern, North Carolina, Bosch's newest manufacturing facility, one of 70 outside Europe.
Bosch's tradition in home appliances is a long and successful story. Beginning in 1933 with refrigerators, today Bosch is a leading manufacturer of appliances -- one of the world's top five manufacturers of white goods, a household name in Europe and now a major player in North America. However, while Bosch is a giant in the industry, the company's image is perhaps based more on innovation than size alone. Indeed, leading edge technology is part of the Bosch heritage, for the company is among the top companies in the world for patent applications.
Bosch's entry into the major appliance market in North America began in 1991 with a dishwasher that awed consumers with its quiet operation and energy and water efficiency. The dishwasher instantly captured market acceptance. Further engineering advances led to the SH series debut in 1997 with new benchmarks in sound reduction and user-friendliness. The SH series is further significant for it marked the evolution of the company from an importer to a domestic manufacturer.
While it was with the dishwasher that Bosch made its debut here, the parent company's largest product group worldwide is cooking appliances. So it was only natural when Bosch cooktops and ovens joined the brand line-up in 1996. Gas and electric cooktops featured streamlined styling and instant heating, and the built-in ovens introduced North Americans to superior convection baking and roasting capabilities.
Now, as Bosch secures its place in the North American appliance industry with the establishment of BSH Home Appliances, the metamorphosis from newcomer to established domestic manufacturer is complete. The company's commitment is further shown with the expansion of the SH series of dishwashers, the next generation of cooking appliances and the US launch of laundry products. The 150,000 square foot New Bern facility will add the new dishwashers launched at K/BIS 1998 to its current production schedule of all SH dishwashers, and future plans call for the manufacture of laundry there as well.