Singapore Volume 11

2 0 | S U P E R B R A N D S V O L U M E X I MARKET For over 75 years, the name Bosch for household appliances has stood for expert development, technical quality and reliability. Today, Bosch is Europe’s leading household appliance brand and the third-largest in the world, with its refrigeration appliances, washing machines, dishwashers, cookers and consumer products sold in all corners of the world. Recognising that about 90% of energy consumption occurs during the actual use of a home appliance product, Bosch is committed to developing products that conserve resources and protect the environment. Consumers are also increasingly aware of the importance of investing in energy efficient products. In a highly competitive market, Bosch stands above the competition by offering super efficient home appliances with the highest standards of performance and reliability. In this way, the company demonstrates its core values of treating people and nature with respect, which is the very foundation of the organisation’s energy efficient, resource-conserving and sustainable products and processes. ACHIEVEMENTS Bosch takes great pride in the design and engineering of its products, always striving to offer consumers appliances that go above and beyond the ordinary. For many consumers, the Bosch’s energy-efficient and resource- conserving products, demonstrate the company’s continual pursuit of excellence that has resulted in multiple awards. Bosch has scored ‘first’ with many of its products – the first hand-held vacuum cleaner with lightweight plastic casing in 1961, the first electronic washer-dryer with dialogue system and the first vacuum cleaner worldwide with automatic suction regulation in 1980. Over the past 15 years Bosch has ushered in a new era in energy and water saving products and continues to challenge itself to reach even greater heights in energy efficiency and resource conservation. HISTORY Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart, was founded in 1886 by Robert Bosch, who opened his ‘Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering’, constructing and installing electrical equipment of all kinds. At the Leipzig Spring Fair in 1933, Bosch presented the refrigerator, and in 1951, the range was expanded to include numerous other products such as food processors, washing machines and dishwashers. In 1967, a joint venture between Bosch and Siemens created BSH Bosch & Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH, which today ranks as the world’s third-largest manufacturer of home appliances. Bosch has been present in Singapore since 1923 and is today represented in the republic by four companies - Robert Bosch (SEA) Pte. Ltd., Bosch Rexroth Pte. Ltd., Bosch Packaging Technology Pte. Ltd. and BSH Home Appliances Pte. Ltd. In May 2010, the company’s new regional headquarters in Bishan was officially opened by Mr Lim Hng Kiang, Singapore’s Minister for Trade & Industry. To date, the headquarters has received two environmental awards. The State of Singapore’s Ministry of Construction awarded the new building the Platinum rating, the highest under its “Green Mark” programme. The building also received the national Clean Energy Programme’s Solar Pioneer Award. In 2011, Bosch celebrated its 125th anniversary, as well as the 150th anniversary of its founder’s birth. For more than 125 years, the company has heavily invested in products that protect the environment and that conserve resources; products that truly are ‘invented for life’.