Where Are Samsung Appliances Made, And Who Owns The Company?

With a brand value that is estimated to be in the neighborhood of $100 billion, Samsung Electronics is the world's leading smartphone manufacturer.

According to Statista, the South Korean company has a significant presence in the tablet and wearables markets, where it trails only behind Apple. It also holds around 30% of the global television market, and is the number one semiconductor vendor worldwide. In 2023 alone, Samsung Electronics recorded a revenue of approximately $194 billion, which makes it one of the largest companies globally.

According to TraQline, Samsung Electronics is also the number one home appliance brand in the United States. In 2023, it led giants like General Electric, LG, and Whirlpool, in terms of both unit share and dollar share. In short, Samsung's home appliances have a stellar reputation and the numbers to prove it. But where are they made, and who owns this company? Here's everything you need to know.

Since Samsung is a giant in the true sense of the word, it is present all over the world. Samsung is headquartered in South Korea, so no matter what Samsung product you purchase at least some components of it are bound to be sourced from there. With that said, Samsung home appliances are manufactured in multiple other locations, primarily in China, Mexico, and the United States.

Samsung has long had a presence in Mexico, but in 2022 the company invested $500 million specifically in the production of home appliances in the country. As Reuters reported at the time, the substantial investment concerned facilities in the cities of Tijuana and Queretaro.

China is a global manufacturing powerhouse, and for the most part, there isn't a company that doesn't have manufacturing facilities there. Samsung is no exception. In recent years, however, it has shut down some of its plants in the country, according to The Korea Times.

Samsung Electronics Home Appliances America (SEHA), the American branch of Samsung that manufactures and sells home appliances, has a massive manufacturing facility in Newberry County, South Carolina. The total output of that plant in 2023 was $926 million.

To wrap up, here's what it all boils down to: If you're an American who owns, for example, a Bespoke Family Hub Plus Refrigerator there's a good chance it was made and assembled in South Carolina, but it's likely that parts of it were made in China, Mexico, and South Korea. 

The Samsung Group is a multi-national conglomerate that encompasses a wide range of subsidiaries, most of them united under the Samsung brand. Over the years, Samsung's portfolio has included a diverse mix of products, some of which you probably didn't know existed. 

Samsung has a rather complex ownership structure. Samsung Electronics is partially owned by two other Samsung Group subsidiaries. The executive chairman of Samsung Electronics Lee Jae-yong holds a large stake in both companies. Other domestic individual investors, foreign investors, and domestic institutional investors also hold significant stakes in the company.

Samsung Electronics itself has made a number of acquisitions over the years. In 2016, for example, Samsung Electronics acquired Dacor, an American luxury kitchen appliance brand. At the time, this was seen as a bold move by Samsung and described as an attempt by the South Korean company to build a whole new customer base in the US. Two years later, Samsung opened its South Carolina manufacturing facility.