Appliances

DALLAS and ATLANTA — The Home Depot bolstered its home improvement selection with the acquisition of U.S. Home Systems, a manufacturer of kitchen, bathroom and other remodeling products, as well as storage organization systems for closets and garages. Currently, USHS serves as the exclusive provider of kitchen and bath refacing products and services as well as closet and garage organizational systems to The Home Depot.

Atlanta -- The Home Depot said Tuesday it will acquire kitchen and bath vendor U.S. Home Systems in a deal worth about $93 million.

U.S. Home Systems manufactures and installs remodeling and organization products, as well as cabinet-refacing and countertop products, exclusively through Home Depot. The acquisition is part of Home Depot’s strategy to increase its home service business.

The deal is expected to close by the end 2012.

ATLANTA — Assurant Solutions, a provider of extended service contracts, is now offering Assurant Expert Services, a service delivery solution that enables their clients in the consumer electronics, major appliance and telecommunications sectors to sell, manage and deliver additional services and support to their customers.

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. — Luxury appliance maker Jenn-Air has signed on as the exclusive major appliance sponsor of the second annual Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival.

This 2012 Los Angeles Food & Wine Festival will feature more than 50 events including wine seminars, unique dining experiences, and cooking demonstrations. The event will host more than 130 celebrated chefs and 200 acclaimed wineries, with proceeds raised benefiting St. Vincent Meals on Wheels.

SECAUCUS, N.J. — Panasonic Corporation of North America has launched a new communication campaign designed to bring attention to the brand's broad scope of products and solutions designed to meet consumer, business-to-business, and industrial needs. The campaign will also underscore Panasonic's global commitment to becoming the electronics industry's leader in green innovation by its 100th anniversary in 2018.

Whirlpool North America, a division of Whirlpool Corp., reported second-quarter sales of $2.5 billion, a 4% increase over its sales in the second quarter of 2011. Overall, North America unit shipments decreased approximately 2%, the company said, with its unit shipments of major appliances to the United States increasing approximately 1%.

Lowe’s will begin carrying a line of outdoor sheds made of structural insulated panels (SIPS) at its 1,700 retail locations, as well as through its website. But unlike traditional SIPS – rigid foam insulation between two panels of oriented strand board (OSB) – the new product will be made with sheets of magnesium oxide, often referred to as MgO.

RIDGEFIELD PARK, N.J. — Samsung Electronics America Inc.received the highest customer satisfaction ranking in three categories in the annual J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Kitchen and Laundry Appliance StudiesSM. The company was a winner in the refrigeration category for the seventh year out of the last eight years, the dryer category for the fifth consecutive year and the washer category for the fourth consecutive year.

Pittsburgh -- Ikea has plugged in the new solar energy system installed at its Pittsburgh-area store in Robinson Township, Pa. The 86,800-sq.-ft. PV array consists of a 694-kW system, built with 2,884 panels. It will produce approximately 852,200 kWh of clean electricity annually, the equivalent of reducing 648 tons of carbon dioxide, eliminating the emissions of 115 cars or powering 73 homes yearly.

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — Electrolux has assigned Scott Bolbock to its Canadian headquarters to lead the development of canister vacuums for Electrolux Home Care Products across North America.