Arcelik Hitachi Home Appliances IBC Co, the marketer and distributor of Hitachi home appliances in Thailand, plans to continue investing in the Thai market despite the planned increase in the daily minimum wage.
Chief executive Zafer Ustuner said Hitachi had established a strong presence in Thailand over five decades, resulting in it becoming the largest production base for Hitachi home appliances worldwide.
The company intends to continue its investment in the country thanks to Thailand's robust infrastructure and because it is conducive to large-scale production, Mr Ustuner said.
Thai workers are very skilful and professional, he said.
"We have a long history in Thailand, and if our employees continue to work efficiently and yield good results, we will proactively raise their wages, irrespective of government policies," Mr Ustuner said.
"We have no plans to relocate our factory elsewhere; our commitment lies in long-term growth."
In a related development, the company rolled out "The Art of Ease" global marketing campaign yesterday, with the aim of strengthening connections with consumers across the generations and to adapt to the rapidly evolving business landscape.
He said Arcelik Hitachi Home Appliances wants to remain successful in Asia-Pacific and Middle Eastern markets, but is also pursuing new opportunities to provide high-quality products that consumers are proud to own.
The global campaign is designed to engage and captivate today's consumers, increase brand awareness, and foster greater consumer involvement, said Mr Ustuner.
"We firmly believe the global launch of this campaign will be a significant step in connecting Hitachi with consumers. Going forward, Hitachi's new products will align with the principles of this campaign, focusing on both offline and online communication initiatives," he said.
"Our goal is to expand our consumer outreach by leveraging Hitachi's new products and a consumer-centric approach, complemented by Arcelik's strong manufacturing and innovation capabilities."
Kazushi Kobayashi, the company's executive sales director, said Arcelik Hitachi is optimistic regarding the business's prospects this year after Hitachi's business experienced fluctuations during the pandemic.
Hitachi established a presence in Thailand in 1968, operating a factory in Prachin Buri that produces major home appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines and water pumps.
Up to 85% of these products are exported to 65 countries, with the remaining 15% serving the domestic market.
The company also yesterday launched a four-door luxury French bottom refrigerator-freezer, washing machines and vacuum cleaners.
The company wants to position Hitachi home appliances among the top three leading brands in the future, he said.