Has anybody heard anything about Samsung purchasing Maytag?? I have a friend who owns an independent appliance store. He was told this last week at a meeting in Atlanta. Hmmmmm..

Funny. I doubt that this will ever happen. But the possibilities might make you say, Hmmmmm.

MRB

There's been a rumor going around about this but just a rumor.No news from any reliable sources as of yet.

Way Maytag has been going-just might be an improvement!

Its funny how people know so little about the appliance industry, even people who work in it!

Maytag contracts another maker (Samsung) for a particular product and peopel automatically assume that the brand has been taken over.

Electrolux in Australia has gone to great lengths to market itself and its main brands, Westinghouse and Simpson. Westinghouse however, sells an LG front loader under its own name, this was from when it was Owned by Email, and no doubt will be replaced by an Electrolux product when the contract runs out, like the Simpson front loader.

Yet one salesman told me that the Whole Electrlux/Simpson/Westinghouse line was made in Korea buy LG!! I pointed out to hime the label on the simpson that said made in Italy and he didnt know what to say. I also said that I though Electrlux was a swedish firm not Korean.

Rumors have been rife by Wall Street people that Maytag is prime for either a takover or sale.

Maytag isn't doing as well as it should, and it's share price is reflecting this. Amoung it's many problems are high labour costs compared to other appliance makers, and that many of their factories are not efficient. It should be noted however Maytag has kept more production in the United States than other appliance makers. Some feel this had

Was there some kind of error in your last post Laundress? I didnt get all of it and I am interested in what you were saying.

Maybe a take over would serve Maytag right for companies that it has taken over and ruined, i.e. Hoover which used to be one world wide company and is now separate entities around the world.

Being in the appliance repair business,I am well aware of rebadged products. It has been going on almost as long as appliances have been manufactured. I am not basing my statement on that. But, maybe you are right. This "rumor" came from Whirlpool people and it wasn't stated as a rumor so I thought I would say it on here to see if anyone had heard the same or had more info.

I would be surprised if Maytag isn't bought out. Samsung and LG need the infrastructure in the U.S.
Not to mention, look at the stock value over the past week. Continued decline and no upside in sight.

Arrooooh,

Sorry my previous message was cut off. The ending should have read, "some people (meaning Wall Street) thinks because Maytag has tried to keep more production in the United States,they are suffering in terms of costs and margins".

Maytag has begun to move more plants overseas and is doing things like the rebadged Samsung sold as "Maytag Neptune Compact Washer/Dryer", but other problems loom on the horizon.

One thing all appliance makers are suffering from is high steel prices, which affected both Whirlpool's and Electrolux's margins last quarter.

Maytag also has an underfunded pension plan and lots of debt, two other things factoring in.

I'd be surprised if Maytag is actually sold to LG, what could happen is some sort of merger or Samsung buying a major stake in Maytag. That would bring in cash and give Maytag access to production and distribution in low cost Asia, without Maytag having to build costly new factories. LG would gain Maytag's distribution and service/tech support in the United States,(the later it REALLY needs IMHO).

Launderess

I own some Maytag stock.Haven't seen anything in the info they send shareholders,but nothing would surprise me.

I wonder what would happen to Dixie-Narco vending machines,and Hoover,should a buyout occur.

My bad, previous post should have read "... sold to Samsung" not LG.

As for Hoover and the other brands in Maytag's stable they could either be purchased together with Maytag or any number of things. For instance the buyer could sell off brands to raise cash and cut losses.

This is all premature, but Maytag really has brought quite allot of this on it's self. What they need to do is look deep into their stable of appliace designs (vintage Dependable Care, Hoover Twin-Tubs and compact dryers) and get back to basics. If Maytag started putting out quality appliances like their old Dependable Care line of washers again, it might win customers back. Also it is probably time to maybe update/redo the original Neptune design. Maybe add a glass door, new features, get rid of the things causing problems etc. With Speed Queen days away from launching their "Commercial HomeStyle" washers for home use, Maytag could introduce some of their better commercial washers, retooled for home use.

Hoover is a good example of Maytag taking a great brand and starving it to death. Judging by world sales, twin tub washers are very popular, and very water efficient. If the extractor could be cranked up to "Spin-X" speeds, the combination would be wonderful. Unimac makes an extractor as part of it's tub washer units that sprays a fine mist of water during the spin rinse, before cranking up to extractor speed. It is very good at removing soil,muck and detergent. Maytag could look into this also.

In short, again Maytag has vaults of great design ideas,it needs to stop chasing every new fad and get back to basics. Hey if worse comes to worse, ask a few of the members here in the group in for a "Think Tank". If nothing else Maytag execs would get an earful! *LOL*

Well Hoover got truly screwed in Australia. Maytag sold its Australian Hoover division th a company named southcorp in the mid 90's and started scaling down its Meadowbank factory in Sydney. They stopped producing Vacuums and my favourite, the Hoover front loader. These lines were replaced with Imports. They then sold the remaining top loading manufacturing to its biggest competitor, the Email company. Email was swallowed up by the ELectrolux company and now Hoover washing machines are being slowly phased out. So Sad as both the Hoover front and top loaders were lots of fun with one of the funkiest wash actions you could wish for!

I sometimes wonder if appliance industry forums ever visit these sites. If they did I am sure they would discover some great ideas.

Unfortunately I dont think that happens.

Ain't no flies on you. Thanks Laundress i always appreciate your postings. alr2903

Found these entries-thought it could tie into the Maytag-Samsung discussions.Could it be or maybe Maytag should get out of the appliance biz altogether-Maybe they should go back to building farming equipment-that was what they did at the beginning of the 20th century.Maytag farming equipment at this point is rare-found it mentioned in a magazine I get about antique farm equipment.I would love to see the Hoover vacuum and floorcare equipment division sold to someone who could truely do something with it.I think Hoover should go back to an upscale clientele.-They used to compete with Kirby in DTD sales-One of the only other DTD upright cleaners.

AFAIK Hoover was never a Door to Door product.

I read that Hoover pioneered dealer networks by, when a customer ordered a cleaners, the Hoover company posted it to a local store for collection. If the client was happy the store got a commission.

That way he built up a network of people eager to promote his product.

has anybody thought of sending a link to this site to the sales people at the various appliance manufacturers? Maybe copies of some of the comment about how lousy new seals are on Maytags and such?

Believe me, they already know from the Laundry Room forum at ThatHomeSite.com

In recent months I have spoken with numerous Appliance store owners and I stay in touch with my former co-workers who sell Appliances for "the Expo Design Center" div. of Home Depot. They are all painfully aware of how bad things have gotten at Maytag. The independent store owners are the most disgusted as they have built up reputations over the years for carrying quality merchandise, sold at a premium price, under the Maytag name. Not only that, Maytag used to have very high customer service standards. Recently, I myself discovered how poor Maytag's customer service has become. What a shame. Hopefully Maytag's shareholders will eventually get in some decent upper management and will turn things around. Sadly in the mean time there is a lot (in my opinion) of garbage installed in un-suspecting consumers homes, and when it goes bad they will likely NOT return to Maytag. I know I will no longer reccomend them! I did reccomend this site to a few of the Maytag reps----I got a few smiles and that was about it-----------.

The United States has had an "illness" with manufacturing for quite some time now,companies like Maytag are just the rash it's come out in.

Maytag probably has more of it's production in the United States than most appliance makers, and their stock price is suffering because if it. While many other compaines pulled up stakes and fled to Canada or Mexico, Maytag tries to keep many US plants open. This despite high labour and other costs that make those plants and therefore the products produced in them somewhat uncompetitive in the market place.

The name of the game at the moment is sales numbers. If a company does not meet them, shareholders and Wall Street revolt. So appliance makers keep on producing "junk" and no one really complains because everyone is living high on cheap credit. Heck bet most of these appliances are still being paid for when they end up on the scrap heap.

Maytag probably could go back to building dishwashers and laundry appliances that are quality and built to last, but at what cost? Would there be a market large enough to support such appliances at price points that make a profit?

With SQ back in the home laundry appliance market, we shall know more when they report their first and second quarter earnings. If the appliances are selling well, and getting good market reviews, maybe other appliance makers will take note.

Launderess

There was a time when Maytag was worth its premium price. As Consumer Reports once noted, Maytag was the "Mr. Consistency of the washing machine derby, rarely outstanding in any aspect of performance but never guilty of serious frailties. And to back up its testing track record is a pernially better-than-average Frequency-of-Repair record."
That was 1973, the heyday of the A206 and 606 models.
Look at the latest CR repair records for top loaders and you'll see a different brand at the top--Roper.
Yes, plain, simple Roper, based on its parent Whirlpool's components. I can attest to its reliability; I have a 1999 Roper washer and gas dryer (it came new with my condo) and neither has given me a lick of trouble. Ditto my Roper refrigerator and dishwasher.
Yes, you don't get the frills with a Roper. But you do get time-tested parts, a lack of geegaws, and dependable service day after day, week after week. If I decide to buy another laundry pair, I'll be seeking out a Roper (maybe they'll make a front loader one day).
Based on what I've read on this site, I don't think I can say the same thing about Maytag these days.

Being in the repair business, Whirlpool products are the ONLY brand I usually recommend to most customers,and the only brand I would purchase for myself. All because of the reasons stated in the above post. Their quality is decent across the product line, and in today's market, that's saying alot. For the $$$ they are hard to beat!!!

Just got back from a Maytag service seminar on the Samsung produced compact f/l washer and matching dryer.We were told that Samsung DID NOT purchase Maytag. Maytag Services is supplying warranty support for Samsung appliances in the U.S.
That's for the side by side and bottom mount refrigs. Samsung does not import laundry appliances to this country under their own label. SORRY for the misinformation!!!!

Maby someone could post a message about this on the maytag chatroom.