Category Archives: Products

Air Conditioners

Increase in U.S. A/C, Heat Pump Shipments for November 2007

from APPLIANCE Magazine :: Breaking News

Combined U.S. factory shipments of central air-conditioners and air-source heat pumps for November 2007 totaled 349,801, a 4% jump compared with November 2006 totals, according to the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI).

Year-to-date combined U.S. factory shipments totaled 6 million, down 9% from the same period last year. Heat pump shipments for November totaled 121,865, up 7% compared with November 2006 shipments. Year-to-date heat pump shipments totaled 1.8 million, down 10% from the same period last year.

Washers & Dryers

Frigidaire Affinity Washer and Dryer Pair Receives NSF International Certification for Sanitization


Frigidaire announced that its Affiinty Washer and Dryer pair received the NSF International certification for sanitization, which kill 99.9% of bacteria commonly found on laundry.

The internal heater of the NSF-certified 7000 and 8000 series washers raises water temperature during the cycle, while the stainless steel dryer heats air and clothing, both reaching temperatures high enough that 99.9% of bacteria commonly found on laundry are killed. Plus, the stainless steel interior prevents bacteria transfer load to load.

NSF International, The Public Health and Safety Company, is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, and is a world leader in standards development, product certification, education, and risk-management for public health and safety. With engineers, chemists, toxicologists, and environmental health professionals on staff, The NSF Mark is a leading indicator for sanitization.

The Frigidaire 6700 series dryer is also NSF certified. After running any wash cycle, the dryers will sanitize clothing when the following cycle combinations are selected: 90 minute timed dry with High/Max Heat, Towels with Max Heat, or Heavy Duty with Max Heat.

Appliances, Uncategorized

Magic Chef Product Now Transitioning To Whirlpool Estate


Dear Valued Customer:

In an effort to continually provide you with the best products at the best prices, we wanted to inform you that Whirlpool Corporation has decided to discontinue the Magic Chef brand and transition it to their Estate line of kitchen appliances.

We believe you will find that the new Estate product line offers you a compelling value. Like the Magic Chef Product line, the Estate models provide a full line of highly competitive laundry, cooking, refrigeration, and dishwasher products.

Whirlpool has assured us that we will continue to get the best pricing possible on all of their product lines (including Whirlpool, Maytag, Amana, Jenn Air, and Estate) in order for us to continue to satisfy our customers.

To remind you, we only sell to builders, contractors, multi-family owners, and management companies and not to the general public in order to continue to secure the best pricing possible from all of our manufacturers. We buy as a “Builder Distributor” and not a “Retailer” so we are able to pass these savings on to you!

Since we were informed of this during the past few months, Feder’s has purchased enough Magic Chef product to fulfill orders through the end of this year. But once they are out of stock, we will transition to the Estate line.

In addition to the Estate line, we will continue to carry the full catalogue of Frigidaire, Bosch, Jenn Air, Maytag, Brown, General Electric, Premier, Sunbeam, Amana, Broan, Danby, LG, Electrolux, and Whirlpool products year-round.

Our top priority remains Simple: To ensure that your purchasing process remains simple by providing unmatched sales assistance and service from the planning stages of new projects to existing building replacement needs, by using the highest-quality products at the most competitive pricing.

We truly appreciate your business and continued support. In the meantime, should you have any additional questions, please contact us at anytime.

Sincerely

Marcus H. Feder

Vice President, Operations

Feder’s Distributors, a Division of A. & A. Feder’s, Inc.

Wall Ovens

General Electric Recalls Microwave Combo Wall Ovens Due to Fire Hazard

5 December 2007

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. (To access color photos of the following recalled products, see CPSC’s Web site at http://www.cpsc.gov.)

Name of Product: Built-in Combination Wall and Microwave Ovens

Units: About 92,000

Manufacturer: GE Consumer & Industrial, of Louisville, Ky.

Hazard: The door switch in the microwave oven can overheat and ignite plastic components in the control area, posing a fire hazard to consumers. The lower thermal oven does not pose a hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: GE is aware of 35 incidents of minor property damage and one incident in which a fire damaged adjacent kitchen cabinets. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The recall includes GE combination microwave and conventional built-in wall ovens sold under the following brand names: GE, GE Profile™ and Kenmore. The ovens were sold in white, black, bisque and stainless steel. The brand name is printed on the lower left corner on the front of the microwave door.

Dishwashers

Fisher & Paykel to Build Dishwasher Plant in U.S.

Fisher & Paykel will build a new DishDrawer dishwasher plant in the United States in response to continued sales growth in the region. The initial startup cost of the facility is anticipated to be US$15 million. It has not yet confirmed a location for the manufacturing facility, but expects construction to be completed by late 2008 with the first DishDrawers to roll off the production line in early 2009.

Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and other markets will continue to source stock from the DishDrawer factory in Dunedin, New Zealand, which the company says will continue to operate. (Bloomberg)

Products

Daewoo Electronics Up For Sale

Creditors of South Korea’s Daewoo Electronics are putting the company up for sale again, after talks with an Indian-led consortium on a proposed deal worth US$746 million failed earlier this year due to a price disagreement.

The creditors will accept bids for the home appliances and television manufacturing arm of the Daewoo Group from Nov. 26-Dec. 17, and preferred bidders would be picked in January, a Daewoo spokesman said.

The creditors had scrapped a plan in February to sell the company after failing to close a deal with a consortium comprising India’s Videocon Industries Ltd. and RHJ International, the holding company of U.S. buyout fund Ripplewood.

Domestic creditors own 97.5% of unlisted Daewoo Electronics, which was placed under a debt rescheduling program after its parent group went bankrupt in 1999. (Reuters)

Laundry

Whirlpool Corporation Develops Break-through High-efficiency Washer Cleaner

BENTON HARBOR, Mich., In an effort to combat odor-causing residue in high-efficiency (HE) washing machines, Whirlpool announces an innovative washer cleaner — Affresh™ tablets. Until now, some HE washing machine owners have attempted to clean mold and mildew stains with everything from bleach to vinegar. Due to the design of HE machines, mold and mildew stains have a higher potential for build-up. Previously, no cleaning product provided a complete solution to effectively combat this problem. Affresh™ tablets, specifically designed for these washing machines, help remove and prevent odor-causing residue build-up in all brands. The oxygenated bubbling action penetrates and dissolves unseen odor-causing residue, providing a more effective cleaning option than bleach alone.

Air Conditioners

Whirlpool No Longer Selling Air Conditioners or Air Purifiers

Effective January 1, 2008 Whirlpool Corporation will discontinue selling air conditioners and dehumidifiers in the North America Region. Instead, Whirlpool has authorized Hisense Kelon Electrical Holdings Co., Ltd to sell and distribute Whirlpool Branded air conditioners and dehumidifiers pursuant to a trademark license agreement. Hisense Kelon will be solely responsible for these licensed products.

Whirlpool Corporation will continue to sell and distribute Whirlpool brand air conditioners and dehumidifiers through year end 2007 or until all inventory is depleted. Please contact your Whirlpool sales manager for current pricing and availability.

Air Conditioners, Laundry, Refrigerators

It’s All About The Green

Are you purchasing, managing or developing with “Green” appliances? No not avocado green from the 1970’s.The question is are these appliances easy on the environment? Talk and action about “Green” is coming to the forefront as we close out 2007 and look forward to 2008. I watched as a recent Sunday Night Football studio broadcast was done with the lights powered down to bring attention to saving energy. As we all know the cost of energy is on the rise. On average Apartment owners can raise the value of their building with Energy Star rated appliances. Replacing an old refrigerator can save $150 a year in electricity costs, an old air conditioner $55, and an old dishwasher $15 a year. That’s $220 per year per unit. A 15 unit building could save upwards of $3,300 per year, a 40 unit building $8,800, and a 150 unit building $33,000, improving your GRM.

Many consumers are not aware that an older top loading clothes washer uses more than 40 gallons of water per load. A new front loading machine uses up to 60 percent less! Energy Star appliances incorporate technologies that use 10 to 50 percent less energy. For a home owner or apartment owner or manager responsible for utility costs the savings can be substantial. Also utility company and manufacturer rebates are at an all time high, some reaching $250 for a single appliance.

An online bulk purchasing tool was recently launched as “Energy Star Quantity Quotes”. This tool provides help to contractors, builders, property managers and owners in the selection of bulk appliances, light bulbs, fixtures etc. All designed to save money, energy and the environment. Speaking of the environment, simple actions can make a big difference. If just 1 in 10 homes or apartments switched to Energy Star appliances the change would be like planting 1.7 million acres of trees. One of the leading “Green” manufacturers of appliances is Bosch. They are a company that sets the standard in the industry. They operate on a “Principle of environmental protection”. This includes a pledge to develop & manufacture products that are safe, eco-friendly and economical. The Bosch free standing convection range for example is made of 98 percent recyclable materials.

On the subject of recycling, appliance change-outs can sometimes become a hassle. Old refrigerators for example contain hazardous materials that must be properly disposed of. Companies that specialize in appliance recycling, such as ARCA, will assume responsibility for proper handling of old appliances. Some utilities will offer cash rebates for replacement of older working appliances. Discarded appliances are second only to automobiles as a source of recycled metals, particularly steel. Using recycled steel has a positive impact on the environment. It takes four times as much energy to produce steel from virgin ore as it does to make the same steel from recycled scrap.

By thinking “Green” when planning new projects and replacement jobs, we can make our planet a better place to live now and for generations to come. Please contact Rich Whalen at Feder’s Distributors in North Hollywood, CA for more information: (818)769-8000 or (323)877-8957.

Air Conditioners

Fedders North American Operations to Restructure Under Chapter 11 Protection

LIBERTY CORNER, N.J., Aug. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Fedders Corporation a leading global manufacturer of air treatment products, said today that in order to facilitate a restructuring that will enable it to preserve value and to continue operations the company’s North American subsidiaries filed voluntary petitions for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The company will seek strategic alternatives including a sale of its business units during the reorganization process.

Fedders’ non-North American subsidiaries, which include operations in China, India, and the Philippines, were not included in the filing.

“After careful evaluation, management and the board have concluded that in order to ensure the company’s business units’ viability and growth prospects, an exploration of the sale of the company’s businesses is in the best interest of all of its constituents,” said Michael Giordano, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fedders. “The Chapter 11 process will allow time for prospective buyers to evaluate the company and its business units while day-to-day operations continue.”

The company will retain an investment bank to evaluate strategic options and will only pursue transactions that bring the greatest value, Giordano noted. The company is also prepared to reorganize around its businesses and emerge from Chapter 11 protection with a new business plan should the expected proceeds from the sale of its business units not bring sufficient value.

In conjunction with the filing, Fedders has obtained a $79 million debtor- in-possession financing commitment from Goldman Sachs Credit Partners L.P. The proceeds from the financing, which is subject to Bankruptcy Court approval, will be used to refinance the company’s senior secured revolver and term loan, to pay fees and expenses associated with the financing and for operating expenses, including supplier obligations and employee wages, salaries and benefits.

In recent years, the North American room air conditioner market has become dominated by big box retailers whose product mix focuses primarily on the smaller size, lower price room air conditioner units, resulting in a decline in pricing, margins and profitability for manufacturers.

In response to the changing environment, Fedders undertook various steps to reorganize its operations around targeted, more profitable product and geographic segments of the IAQ (indoor air quality) and global HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) markets and has taken important strides to capitalize on new business opportunities.

The company has transitioned from a manufacturer of room air conditioners only, to a manufacturer of a broad line of residential, commercial and industrial IAQ and HVAC equipment. As part of the transition, Fedders expanded low-cost manufacturing facilities in Asia and closed underutilized U.S. factories.

“Despite previous actions we have taken to reduce costs, while expanding into growing profitable markets, our existing capital structure is not in line with current revenue and profits. The action we took today is critical to ensuring continued operations while we seek the best and highest offers for the businesses we decide to sell,” said Mr. Giordano.

Fedders filed its “first-day” motions along with its voluntary petitions covering employees and business operations, post-petition financing, continuing supplier relations, customer practices, taxes and related matters, utilities, retention of professionals and case administration matters.

In a closing comment, Mr. Giordano stated, “We are extremely grateful to the customers, employees and suppliers who have supported the company through these challenging times.”