Whitegoods or Consumer Durables

Table 2 Number of Australian whitegoods producers


Source: Cottrell, P.J.W. The James N. Kirby Paper 1986

Email Limited is the largest company in Australia associated with the whitegoods industry, with major appliance brands including Westinghouse, Kelvinator, Frigidaire, Simpson and Malleys. The operations include the manufacture, distribution and service of a range of domestic and commercial refrigerators, freezers, electric ranges, gas stoves, microwave ovens, dishwashers, room and air conditioners, washing machines and clothes dryers. In the main, innovation has been mainly in design to meet customer needs and in improved production technology to increase productivity. Thus in 1985, $1.5 million was invested at L. D. Mee, Australia's only porcelain enamel bath manufacturer, in quick change tooling and a highly efficient gas fuelled enamelling oven. An excellent example of unique design has been the Westinghouse Converta-Bin refrigeration that provides maximum flexibility in food storage combined with the ability to be used as a picnic bin, direct from the refrigerator, for outside use. Frigidaire produced an innovative multi-adjustable door shelving for refrigerators.

A particular innovation of the Australian whitegoods industry has been the greater use of pre-painted steel sheets for various outer panels of units, together with sophisticated production lines to handle these pre-finished sheets. One of the most advanced was that developed by Simpsons Holdings Ltd. in conjunction with BHP Coated Products Division to produce the renowned Tucker Box freezer which gained a design award.

Email Industrial Group has manufactured, electricity, gas and water meters for many years and there will be few Australian homes without one of their meters installed. A new low pressure gas regulator was recently introduced while the Commercial Equipment Division released a new combination refrigeration and air conditioning unit plus a self-contained produce merchandiser for the convenience stores industry.

Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering