Last week I was hosted by LG for the ribbon cutting and VIP tour of its brand-new 30,770 square feet Home Appliance R&D (Research & Development) Center located in the Chicago suburbs. The ribbon cutting was led by LG Electronics USA President and CEO Wayne Park. It is LG's first R&D Center in North America.

A host of special guests were on hand for the LG Home Appliances R&D Center opening day including U.S. Congressman Robert Dold and AHAM (Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers) President Joseph McGuire. Also in attendance were representatives from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Underwriters Laboratories.

Committed to meeting the needs of US customers, meeting industry standards, and becoming a market leader in innovation, LG conducts rigorous performance and energy efficiency tests on their home appliances at their $6.5 million R&D Center.


Tim Barker, Lab Technician, explains sound and vibration testing for front-loading washing machine and dryer to Illinois State Representative Sid Mathias.

Based in South Korea with manufacturing facilities in both South Korea and Mexico, LG's R&D Center is a crucial component to ensuring consumers purchase energy efficient and high performance appliances. On all of the critical tests performed on LG's home appliances ranging from ovens and dish washers to washing machines to vacuum cleaners, R&D engineers gather information and forward the data to South Korea where necessary adjustments are made to the home appliance models.



Paul Champion showcases the compact size and simple cleaning features of an LG Kompressor vacuum.

In addition to tests that take place at the R&D Center, LG also conducts in-home ethnographic studies, and on-site studies about how real consumers use LG products.

From the amount of testing I saw at LG's Home Appliance R&D Center you can be assured that the LG home appliance you purchase has been tested and retested for energy efficiency and performance so you get the most for your hard earned dollars. That is critical in this economy where purchasing decisions aren't made lightly particularly when it comes to large appliance buys.

Visit LG at www.lg.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LGUSA

Photos Courtesy of LG