By James Wells

SYDNEY: Electrolux CEO Hans Stråberg visited Sydney late last week to visit manufacturing facilities and local retailers as well as to inspect the progress of the company’s new head office which is being constructed near the international airport at Mascot.

The new 3,300 square metre premises will feature modern open plan work stations and will incorporate a 500 square metre interactive showroom and product training area on the ground floor which is designed to capitalise on the location at the corner of O’Riordan and Coward Streets in Mascot which is also a major design and homemaker retail precinct.

The new premises, which are under construction and due for occupation before the end of the year, will not only incorporate the local subsidiary’s head office which will move from its present site at Bonds Road in Riverwood, it will also include a new home for the Electrolux Design & Innovation Centre, currently at Pyrmont.

The fitout of the new Electrolux head office is being managed by Woods Bagot in collaboration with the Electrolux Design Centre.

During his visit, Stråberg commended local management and staff for their hard work and improved international competitiveness of the refrigeration plant at Orange.

Stråberg was particularly impressed by the factory’s ability to mass produce large two-door and side-by-side refrigerators which are selling well in the local market and have also attracted strong interest in export markets.

Stråberg’s visit was part of a regional visit which included the Electrolux Asia Pacific office in Singapore and Electrolux operations in China.