Midea, Chinese Appliance Maker, Hires Iacovella And Readies For U.S. Market

Midea, the Chinese maker of microwaves, has added industry veteran Gino Iacovella to its executive team in the United States. Iacovella, who has more than 30 years’ experience working for Panasonic, Sharp and Presto, will take on the post of Director of Business Development for Midea’s Commercial Appliance Division, where he’ll focus on launching the company and its products into the U.S. foodservice marketplace. Midea, founded in 1968, is based in Guangdong, China; its American headquarters are in Parsippany, N.J.

The company is the largest brand of residential appliances in China and third overall internationally, as well as the largest manufacturer of consumer and commercial microwaves in the world. In addition to microwaves, Midea is currently developing induction cooktops and ranges, high-speed ovens, and panini grills using microwave technology. Future categories may include commercial dishwashers and refrigeration. It will formally launch at NRA 2017.