Jammer (bummer in Dutch)

Gary

I just bought Viking appliances. I wonder how that will affect the service. I know nothing about LG. Wish I would have known before I bought the Viking.

Interesting speculation:

Here is a link that might be useful: Viking and LG Form Strategic Relationship:

A Viking merger rumor was floated last year too, and vehemently denied by Viking. Seems they've gone ahead and done it.

Mergers are seldom "mergers" these day. They are corporate takeovers cloaked in sheep's clothes so as not to upset some party.

Read the Potomac twostep each front man says in the release:
Viking is going to offer it's dealers something cheaper to sell cause "our stuff is too expensive and not worth the money we charge" LG's dealers get something people have actually heard of and think is really really good.

Why do dealers, or consumers, need these two firms to merge in order to satisfy different product offerings? They don't.

I'm all for Viking's founders cashing in, but don't confuse this as anything more than a cheapening of Viking's brand and quality long term. Go ahead and write this down too: Viking's Greenwood , MS, operations and manufacturing jobs will slowly be whittled down to nothing and moved offshore and to New Jersey.

Since LG is in Korea, I expect all the jobs to go there.

I agree that it is just downgrading the line.

What American appliance manufacturer's are left?

I think Sub Zeros are still made in Madison Wisconsin, and Dacor makes their wall ovens in the US.

Dacor, Wolf, SubZero, Thermador still makes some stuff here,though owned by Germans, Five Star, Capital Range, Bluestar, GE Monogram still has stuff produced here, U-Line is still home grown, and Marvel / Northland is still made here (owned by the Brits).

This is just the high line brands.

Putting nationalistic pride aside, foreign isn't necessarily better or worse quality. There are plenty of non-US manufacturers that produce great products just as there are plenty of US made products that are junk. That said, INHO LG *is* junk. Back in the day when they were known as just "Gold Star", they made TVs/VCRs and the like. Those were widely regarded as disposable third rate electronics. I've owned a VCR and TV both died in under 2 years. Contrast that with a Samsung (also a Korean brand) TV which lasted me about 10 years before being shelved and then donated. For all I know that thing is still ticking along somewhere in someone's shopping cart.

They seem to be pretty well established in the mainstream market today so I decided to buy a FD Fridge from them. Well, that experience has proven to me that, once again, great marketing does not a great product make.

Let's be clear here. If there is a change of control, it is LG buying Viking so it is almost certain that manufacturing will move off shore. Now if you read the press release, it says they have formed a strategic alliance and it doesn't say that it's exclusive, although I presume there must be some exclusivity involved. I'd bet that they are testing the waters so to speak. It doesn't sound like LG is buying Viking outright but I wouldn't be surprised if the deal did result from some portion of Viking ending up being owned by LG. LG probably bought up any debts that Viking had with an option to convert to some percentage of ownership of Viking. Complete supposition but that's my guess.

Maybe if I write them, the'll send me a Viking logo to stick on my fridge for when I sell my house. :)

"Maybe if I write them, the'll send me a Viking logo to stick on my fridge for when I sell my house. :)" Well don't let Antss see it. Ya don't want it to be called a "Tarted Up LG", do ya??????

that's where it's headed dodge, mark it down. LG is not going to recoup their $$$ by running down to MS and show the Viking fellas how to manage an appliance co. Their New York backers have plenty of business savvy and I don't think an MBA from Korea is any better than a U.S. B-School.

So, they are going to do it by lowering manufacturing costs and increasing volume and you know what that means.

I'm sure you're right. I suspect LG wanted to get into the High end market, and I don't think a name like "LG Deluxe" would fool anybody, now we hafta wait and see, but I suspects we will probably see "Tarted up LG's with the Viking name"
I still do disagree with your assessment of Electrolux, I don't think Frigidaire even made a speed oven, or maybe even a convection oven? I guess main thing is, I'm happy with mine and they have been completely trouble free,over 3 years now----if You read all the post here, that seems to be an "Abnormality", nowadays, We see so many fail right at or shortly after installation, or calls to the manufacturer, cause it not at right temp, error codes, etc etc You Name it. Soooo I consider myself very lucky.

Gary

What's the term? "Lipstick on a pig." You guys know I'm kidding right? :D I'll have a BMW wall oven and a Bluestar dishwasher too. All of these will go great with my Sony hood.