Thermocool produced locally 175,000 refrigerators and 170,000 freezers between 2010 and 2011, apart from coupling imported completely knocked down (CKD) parts.
Its Managing Director, Panos Katsis, disclosed at a media parley in Lagos that the company has also trained over 200 engineers in Nigeria.
“More than 80 per cent of our products portfolio is being assembled in Nigeria, the factory facility is based at Ilupeju where we have a capacity of 450 employees,” he said.
Thermocool began by selling fridges and freezers in a flagship retail store on Broad Street in Lagos but as demand grew it embarked on improvements and in 1982 built a factory with modern facilities in Ilupeju, Lagos.
This facilitated the production of locally made fridges and freezers especially designed for Nigeria’s tropical climate.
Thermocool also introduced the ‘greatness to greatness’ campaign in 2002 which introduced high technology home entertainment products into the market.
Katsis, who also unveiled a new 45-minute television commercial which highlights the business progression in the past four decades in Nigeria, recalled that in 2005, the company began selling “affordable and reliable” small appliances like microwave and cookers to demonstrate “commitment to deliver added value to customers.”
Thermocool has two product lines, Haier Thermocool and Thermocool Engineering Company (TEC).
The company employs 3,000 workers across the country, with over 80 per cent of them Nigerians, and Katsis pledged that it will “always be there providing world class innovative range of household appliances for a better family lifestyle.”