Difference between Kenmore and GE
The Kenmore and GE names are both associated with popular ranges of electronic goods and while Kenmore focuses on these types of consumer appliances, General Electric is an enormous multinational conglomerate that produces a huge range of different products. Kenmore is a brand name that is controlled by Sears, but used by many different manufacturers, including GE, while GE is actually a company in its own right.
Size
General Electric has been ranked by Forbes as the second largest company in the world. It is a massive company that works internationally, employing more than 304,000 people globally. General Electric has an annual revenue of $157 billion dollars.
Kenmore appliances are some of the most popular in the United States. This name appears on appliances in a third of the homes in America.
Organization
GE or General Electric is a large electrical goods manufacturer based in New York state. The company is divided into five different sections, each of which focuses on a different aspect of the business. These segments are NBC Universal, Consumer and Industrial, Capital Finance and the Energy and Technology Infrastructure sections.
General Electric was founded in 1892 through the merger of two pre-existing electrical companies. In 1896, the company became one of the first to be listed on the Dow Jones and it is the only one of the originally listed companies to remain listed today. The company has grown and expanded significantly since this time, however, becoming a much more diverse company that has acquired many smaller companies.
Kenmore is a range of consumer appliances that are manufactured by a number of different companies including Panasonic, Whirlpool Corp, Electrolux and LG. GE actually uses the Kenmore name on some of their appliances. The name is controlled by the Sears Corporation and the brand is sold exclusively by Sears and Kmart.
The Kenmore name was first used on a laundry appliance manufactured by Sears in 1927. Over the next decade, Sears sold a million laundry appliances using this brand name and the popularity of Kenmore appliances has continued to grow ever since. It enjoyed particularly rapid growth during the period after the Second World War.
Products
The range of products manufactured by General Electric is incredibly large and diverse. The company manufactures a lot of electronic goods, machinery and equipment including consumer appliances and electronics, locomotives and aviation products. It is also involved in the energy industry, including oil and electricity distribution, as well as in areas such as software, health care, entertainment and finance. The General Electric or GE brand enjoys wide recognition.
The Kenmore name is associated with consumer electronics such as refrigerators, microwaves, vacuum cleaners and washing machines. The brand has become associated with high quality and energy efficiency as well as with some innovative designs that have helped make Kenmore one of the most popular types of electronics in the United States. Kenmore appliances include an Elite luxury range and the professional quality Kenmore Pro range. The range of appliances produced by Kenmore has evolved over time to meet changing needs and to make use of new technologies, but it has remained focused on electronic appliances, unlike the much larger GE.
Summary
- Both Kenmore and GE appliances are very popular in the US, but these two names are attached to very different entities.
- GE is a huge international conglomeration with a huge range of products in addition to its electrical appliances.
- Kenmore is a brand name that appears on the consumer electronics produced by a number of manufacturers, including GE, but, and which is controlled by Sears.
