ADVANCES - Mideaimg.midea.com/global/about_midea/publications/201701/P...Advances Newsletter, Q4...

Advances Newsletter, Q4 2016

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Vol. 6, #7, Q4 2016, No. 61

Midea’s Miracle Year

2016 remembered

ADVANCES


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ADVANCES Newsletter

Contents

Midea Advances Newsletter is published monthly

by the International Strategy Department of

Midea Group. We welcome all comments,

suggestions and contribution of articles, as well as

requests for subscription to our newsletter. You

can reach us by email at: [email protected]

Address:

ADVANCES, International Strategy Department

Midea HQ

No. 6 Midea Road

Beijiao, Shunde, Foshan, Guangdong

P.R.C. 528311

Tel: +86-757-2360 4714

Web: www.midea.com

Quote for the

Quarter:

“Money was never a

big motivation for

me, except as a way

to keep score.” -

Donald Trump

NEWSLINE

Midea, Clivet Complete

Share Transfer PAGE 4

What a Year! PAGE 3

Listed by Thompson Reuters

as Top Innovator PAGE 3

Sponsor of FINA Games PAGE 6

Fellow of UK Royal Academy

of Engineering PAGE 5

www.midea.com

USA: From Jefferson to Jazz

Music PAGE 16

Japanese Quality

Certification Page 13

Carrier Midea India Partners

with Kohinoor Technical

Institute PAGE 10

JV Manager Presented with

Award by Belarus Deputy

Prime Minister PAGE 9

$396 Million E-Commerce

Revenue in One Day PAGE 11

1st Dubai Brand Showroom PAGE 11

Technology Unites Factories

from 4 Corners of the Earth Page 15

Olympics Happy Couple

Visit HQ PAGE 7

CAC Training in Saudi Arabia PAGE 12

FUSION

Partnership with DHL in

Indonesia PAGE 8

Air Con Installed at One of

Asia’s Largest Real Estate

Projects PAGE 13

CAC Shines at Georgia

Exhibition Page 14

Q3 Report: Profit up 16%

Year-on-Year Page 14


3

What a Year!

By Kevin McGeary

T he Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first

time in 108 years, Leicester City won the premier league after

being built on a fraction of the budget of their competitors, and

a few significant things may have happened in international poli-

tics. Just about everything that happened defied expert predic-

tions.

2016 was quite a year and Midea had a few momentous

occasions of its own. Here are a few:

Fortune 500

Midea Group entered the Fortune Global 500 for the first

time on July 20. Midea debuted at 481st after a strong 2015 that

saw the company achieve US$22.17 billion revenue, and total

profit of US$2.02 billion. The group also rose to 402 on the

Forbes 2000 list.

Kuka

Midea announced late December it secured approval for its

bid to take over German robotics firm Kuka. The group will

promote the robot and automation technology around the

world.

Midea

announced

the bid on

June 16, of-

fering to pay

115 euros

(around

US$120) per

share. It will

take 94.55 percent of Kuka after the bid is settled. Kuka, found-

ed in 1898 and based in Augsburg, has a workforce of 12,000

and its 2015 revenue was over US$3 billion.

Toshiba

Toshiba and Midea entered into a Definitive Agreement to

transfer an 80.1% stake in Toshiba Lifestyle Products & Ser-

vices Corporation (“TLSC”). The transaction price for the

stake was determined at JPY51.4 billion (US$500 million).

First announced March 30, the deal officially went through

three months later. Under the conditions, Midea will be licensed

to use the Toshiba brand worldwide for 40 years.

NEWSLINE

Listed by Thompson Reuters as Top

Innovator By Midea

Last year Midea entered the Fortune Global 500. This is of

course a big deal, however, even more

important than being huge is being

innovative. Of the original Fortune

500, published in 1955, 88 per cent

are no longer there. It is companies

that consistently innovate that last the

course. Midea was named by Clarivate

Analytics December 8 as one of Chi-

na's 100 most innovate companies, joining Huawei, Alibaba and

Tencent. Clarivate, formerly the IP & Science

business of Thomson Reuters, recognizes excellence in innova-

tion, technology, and intellectual proper-

ty.

Clarivate Analytics provides trusted in-

sights and analytics to customers around

the world, enabling them to discover,

protect and commercialize new ideas,

faster.

The owners, curators and analysts of the

most complete and authoritative knowledge.


4

Midea, Clivet Complete Share

Transfer Press Release

O n Monday, October 31st, at Clivet’s headquarter in

Feltre (Belluno) took place the ceremony of completion of the

acquisition of 80% of Clivet S.p.A., Clivet España S.A. and relat-

ed real estate assets by Midea Group Co., Ltd (SZSE: 000333,

“Midea”).

“Today marks a major step forward towards an industrial

partnership between Midea and Clivet” said Mr. Paul Fang,

Chairman and President of Midea, “We look forward to leverag-

ing on our complementary resources and capabilities to fully

realize the potential of the partnership. We believe our continu-

ous investment in the brand, technology, marketing and people

and unwavering commitment to product quality will enable us to

serve our customers better and create more value for the society.

Eric Tian, President of Midea Commercial Air Condition-

ing Division, commented: "Through this win-win strategic alli-

ance, Midea will

further reinforce

its presence on

the European

markets and ex-

plore growth

opportunities

together with

Clivet.”

Clivet Gen-

eral Manager

Stefano Bellò also

commented.

"Clivet is proud

to become a Eu-

ropean center of

excellence for innovative solutions of Midea Group. Through

joint efforts with Midea Commercial Air Conditioning Division

we will have a stronger impact on changing the way Comfort

and Heat Pump systems are traditionally designed, winning the

sustainability challenges the world is facing for the future. This

industrial alliance, in fact, will speed up the diffusion of our

principles of energy saving, air quality and sustainable comfort.”

Stefano Bellò concluded: “As far as our territory is con-

cerned, this strategic alliance lays the foundation for a develop-

ment of our production site with the opportunity to create new

jobs”.

As previously announced, Midea had entered into a Defin-

itive Agreement (“DA”) on June 21, 2016 to acquire 80% stake

of Clivet S.p.A., Clivet España S.A. and related real estate assets.

As of October 31, 2016, all the condition precedents of the DA

have been satisfied and the relevant regulatory approvals have

been obtained.

About Clivet

Clivet is a European leading company based in Italy that

since 1989 is designing, producing and distributing systems for

cooling, heating, air ventilation and air purification for residen-

tial, commercial and industrial markets.

The Company has an operational area of 50,000 m2 locat-

ed in Feltre

(Italy) and com-

mercial offices

and internation-

al subsidiaries in

6 different

countries: UK,

Spain, Germany,

United Arab

Emirates, Russia

and India. The

company em-

ploys over 700

people. Clivet's

research and

development

area includes a team of over 50 designers.

Clivet, knowing that each building has specific characteris-

tics related to its use, has gone beyond the concept of the prod-

uct and has developed complete and advanced heat pump sys-

tems specialized for the different applications, ensuring high

quality comfort, optimizing design and installation times, grant-

ing great efficiency and respect for the environment.

To find out more about Clivet, please visit http://

www.clivet.com/

NEWSLINE


5

Fellow of UK Royal Academy of Engineering

By Advances

D r. Zhu Ziqiang of Midea’s Motor Research & De-

velopment Center was elected a fellow of The Royal Academy

of Engineering in the United Kingdom September 8. The acco-

lade is considered one of the highest honours in the engineering

profes-

sion.

Founded

in 1976,

the Royal

Academy

of Engi-

neering

has a

total of

1550

fellows,

and to

become

one re-

quires a

comprehensive 2-year vetting process by existing fellows. Engi-

neers around the world dream of becoming one of the maxi-

mum of 60 fellows that can be added every year.

Born in 1962 in Ningbo in southeastern China’s Zhejiang

Province, Zhu Ziqiang entered Zhejiang University’s Electrical

Engineering Department in 1977, completing his Bachelor’s in

1981 and his Master’s three years later. In 1991 he completed his

PhD at Sheffield University in the United Kingdom.

He achieved tenure at Sheffield University in 2000 after

taking part in research projects for companies including

Rolls-Royce, Siemens, Toyota, and Nissan. During this

time he was responsible for 53 patent applications and

wrote over 900 peer-reviewed papers, 290 of which were

published in international journals. He has also supervised

over 70 PhD candidates.

At Midea, projects he has been involved in include

the Aipu Lan Award-winning smart drum washing ma-

chine motor and his work has also been garlanded with the

China Appliance Technology Progress Award. His pres-

ence as a Midea employee augurs well for the company’s

ability to continue bringing world class products to the consum-

er.

NEWSLINE

Dr. Zhuziqiang

Dr. Zhu with Group CEO Paul Fang


6

Sponsor of FINA Games

Press Release

F orty-six gold medals were won in Windsor, Canada at

the FINA Aquatics World Championships. Midea, as a proud

official sponsor was right in the middle of the actions and the

Midea brand was extremely visible throughout.

Midea, the world’s #1 appliances producer, partnered with

FINA to showcase its comprehensive range of home appliances.

The company packed that message into a video called: “A Midea

Day” that spectators could see on the big screen in the arena.

“A Midea Day”

The video tells the story about how Midea products from

all categories accompany the consumer 24/7. It shows how the

day starts at 7:22am with a hot shower from a Midea Water

Heater and every half-hour a different Midea product is used by

millions of people in offices and at home to guarantee “you al-

ways feel at home”.

Global Brand Launch from Indonesia to Canada

Midea commenced its global brand positioning activities in

September with a major press conference in Jakarta, Indonesia.

It then shared several messages with the world – the new

slogan: “make yourself at home” and its news status as

the “world’s #1 major appliances producer”. In Canada in

December, there was more much-welcome brand expo-

sure in FINA’s official magazine.

The next generation

Midea is heavily investing

in the next generation at home

and abroad. In Windsor the

company gave 120 free tickets

for the final races every night to

local schools and swim clubs.

“What a spectacular event

here in Windsor”, said Brando

Brandstaeter, Head of Global

Brand & Communication at

Midea HQ. Having been myself a swimmer, it is not only a priv-

ilege but also an amazing experience to work for a company like

Midea, especially given its strong support for sports like swim-

ming. At Midea, we are looking forward to working together

with FINA on several programs across many countries to edu-

cate young kids to learn how to swim which is a basic survival

skill and we hope that we are paving the way for some young

children to perhaps participate in future FINA Worlds Champi-

onships – beating world records.”

World Records

Midea also proudly sponsored each world record at the

championships. The first one was broken on the first night in

Windsor by the US Women’s 4x50m Medley Team and the

second on Thursday night by South Africa’s Chad Le Clos.

NEWSLINE


7

Olympics Happy Couple Visit HQ

By Advances

T he public marriage proposal of Chinese diver Qin Kai

to teammate and girlfriend of six years He Zi was one of the

stories of the Rio Olympics (she said “yes”). On September 19,

the couple visited Midea Group’s global headquarters to say

hello to the company that has sponsored China’s swimming and

diving team through the most successful period in its history.

Both have eye-wateringly impressive records. Qin Kai won

gold in 3m synchronized diving at Beijing 2008 and London

2012 among many other major achievements. He Zi won gold in

synchronized springboard at London 2012 and has won four

gold medals in World Championships.

Yet what they are most famous for is the image of Qin

getting down on one knee by the swimming pool after an event

at Rio 2016 and He, after wiping a tear away, accepting his pro-

posal. As if to prepare for married life, they attended a Midea

cooking class where they tried out a range of products including

Midea’s IH rice cooker, M-smart microwave and juice maker.

NEWSLINE

In the products showroom

Domestic bliss


8

Partnership with DHL in

Indonesia By Advances

M idea Electronics Indonesia (MEI) and global logis-

tics powerhouse DHL held a grand opening October 6 of the

warehouse from which joint operations will be based. MEI has

outsourced its logistics operations to DHL with the long-term

aims of improving delivery time, providing end-to-end visibility,

and optimizing supply chain network and cost efficiency.

With the launch of MEI’s P100 project, the backend ware-

house and logistics operations have been in need of improve-

ment. A rapid increase in sales and increased brand awareness

mean that MEI needs to work with a professional, trustworthy

and hi-tech partner, and DHL fits this requirement.

DHL has implemented its own standard operating proce-

dures, KPI management, electric forklifts, a warehouse manage-

ment system, and transportation management system. It even

uses drones with WIFI cameras to survey any issues with the

building, such as a leaking roof.

The cooperation with DHL will bring Midea to the next

level in logistics in Indonesia, providing a higher level of satis-

faction to customers.

About DHL

DHL Express is a division of the German logistics compa-

ny Deutsche Post DHL providing international express mail

services. Deutsche Post DHL is the world's largest logistics

company and is a particular leader in sea and air mail.

NEWSLINE


9

JV Manager Presented with Award by

Belarus Deputy Prime Minister By Advances

Y ou Baofeng, General Manager of joint venture Midea

-Gorizont, has been presented with an award for outstanding

management by Belarus First Deputy Prime Minister Vasily

Stanislavovich Matyushevsky. The event was part of a celebra-

tion marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of Horizont,

the Belarusian consumer electronics manufacturer with which

Midea holds the joint venture.

At the awarding ceremony, Vasi-

ly Stanislavovich Matyushevsky said that Midea-Gorizont was

one of the world’s great home appliances joint ventures. He

compared the work of a manager of such an organization to that

of the captain of a football team,

not someone who stands at the

side of the field shouting instruc-

tions, but one who is out there

with his teammates in the heat of

battle.

Since being appointed to

the role in 2014, You Baofeng

has overseen the implementation

of strategy, team-building and

diversification at Midea-Gorizont.

He has also personally organized

a number of philanthropic and

charitable activities to bring his

team together.

In 2014,

Mr. You

achieved prof-

itability at

Midea-

Gorizont. The

following year,

he accom-

plished cumu-

lative profits.

This year began

with the intro-

duction of wa-

ter heaters to

the joint ven-

ture's product

range, a project

that is already

proving successful.

In August, Midea and Horizont between them had a mar-

ket share of 40.8 percent. In microwaves, Midea’s own brand

rose from having a market share of 0 to 10.8 percent in just six

months. In May, the two companies signed an agreement to

manufacture water heaters, over 90 percent of which are for

export, cementing the joint venture's influence in the Eastern

Bloc and beyond.

NEWSLINE


10

Carrier Midea India Partners with Kohinoor

Technical Institute Press Release

C arrier Midea India and Kohinoor Tech-

nical Institute (KTI) signed a memorandum of un-

derstanding (MOU) October 7 to launch vocational

training for air conditioning & refrigeration techni-

cians. India suffers from a severe shortage of HVAC

technicians so it is in the interest of both parties that

KTI uses its capacity to train over 1000 students a

year in Midea’s variable refrigerant flow (VRF) tech-

nology and other relevant specialties.

The MOU signing ceremony at MIG cricket

club Bandra, Mumbai, which was covered by local

and national media, saw the two parties agree to

some major conditions:

Addition of a module on Midea VRF dur-

ing the regular HVAC course

Practical training on Midea VRF

KTI will allow Midea to display its brand in their labs

to increase awareness with trainees

Short-term course to be designed by KTI specially for

Midea’s VRF dealer network

KTI will offer their facility to Midea for any training

to be done for its dealer network

About KTI

Established in 1967, Kohinoor Technical Institute (KTI)

is a pioneer in vocational training for technical courses. It has a

vision to empower the young workforce of India by imparting

skills that are government-approved and industry-ready.

KTI does this by imparting quality technical education focused

on employment and livelihood. Founded by the Honourable

Dr. Manohar Joshi, KTI

started with a single cen-

tre at Dadar in Mumbai,

and has now grown into

a national network of

over 77 centres across 8

Indian states.

The Institute is a training

partner of National Skill

Development Corpora-

tion (NSDC), Govt. of

India. Programs con-

ducted at KTI are NSDC

and Sector Skill Council

(SSC) affiliated.

NEWSLINE


11

1st Dubai Brand Showroom

Via Eros

E ros Group - the sole Middle East distributor of

world-renowned brands, including Samsung, Hitachi, TCL and

Linksys, is showcasing extraordinary solutions of surprisingly

friendly home appliances brand, Midea, on a grander scale at the

Eros Digital Home store in BurJuman Centre, Around 2000 sq.

ft. of space at the

store has been sole-

ly dedicated to the

global brand, giving

consumers a chance

to see Midea’s di-

verse product offer-

ings in the home

appliances segment.

The store was inau-

gurated by Deepak

Babani, CEO, Eros

Group, Niranjan Gid-

wani, Deputy CEO,

Eros Group and So-

phie Shao, Head of

Marketing at Midea

International, Elvis

Wang, General Man-

ager, Midea Middle East, in the presence of senior management

from Midea and Eros Group. Eros Group has an exclusive

partnership with Midea after a deal was signed between both

companies earlier this year, in May. The Home Appliances giant

total revenues in 2015 is over US$21 billion; which is a sign of

the brand’s popularity in the home appliances segment not just

in Asia but across the globe.

NEWSLINE

$396 million E-Commerce Revenue in

One Day By Midea

M idea made US$396 million in E-Commerce sales on

November 11, which has become an E-Commerce bonanza in

China in recent years. Midea was the top appliances brand on

the day, with subsidiary brand LittleSwan ranking tenth.

Midea's residential air conditioners made US$46 million;

kitchen appliances made US$67 million; and washing machines

pulled in US $83

million. Each de-

partment and

product division

pulled its own

weight to maintain

Midea's status as a

leader in E-

Commerce.

Established

in the mid-1990s,

November 11—with

its four uses of the

digit 1 - is known as Single’s Day in China. To mourn (or cele-

brate) single status, consumers are encouraged to spend big

online and companies compete for their dollar. It is of a similar

scale and status to Black Friday in the United States.

Entertaining the troops: Midea Group President Paul Fang takes a selfie with E-Commerce staff


12

CAC Training in Saudi Arabia

By Advances

M idea Commercial Air Conditioning (CAC) held a

training seminar in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia November 7, gathering

key partners to promote its main products and strengthen coop-

eration.

The event began with a speech from Mr. Jamal, Vice Presi-

dent of CAC's regional distributor, about the market. Other

speeches talked about the selling points and technical points of

core technology such as variable refrigerant flow.

Dan Brown, who oversees Midea's own brand business in

the region, introduced the situation and market share of Midea

CAC in Saudi Arabia, describing the blueprint for future devel-

opment.

To become the global leader in the industry, CAC will

continue providing reliable products and world-class service.

NEWSLINE

Mr. Jamal gives an introductory speech

Regional manager Dan Brown gives a speech.

Guests at the seminar


13

Air Con Installed at One of Asia's Largest

Real Estate Projects By Advances

F orest City in Johor, Malaysia is the largest internation-

al real estate project of Chinese property developer Country

Garden. It will be built on four man-made islands with an area

of 14 million square meters, over 9 phases in a period of 20

years. As well as being one of the largest real estate development

projects in Asia, it will also be a pioneer of eco-friendly con-

struction.

Within a month, Forest City will have its first duty-free

shopping mall at the Fisherman’s Wharf on Island 1, offering a

wide range of global brands. Midea has installed its variable

refrigerant flow (VRF) products at the offices and hotels in

Fisherman’s Wharf and two water-cooled screw chillers in its

sales office. The total capacity is up to 5,000 kW.

This is the latest in a long line of major international projects

scored by Midea Commercial Air Conditioning for one of the

real estate industry’s most ambitious companies.

NEWSLINE

Japanese Quality Certification

By Midea

M idea was formally awarded No-

vember 3 with certification from the Japanese

Quality Assurance Organization (JQA) to

carry out product safety tests in its own labor-

atories. The JQA - established by the country’s

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in

1957 - is believed to be Japan’s most demand-

ing certification body.

Midea’s Kitchen Appliances Division

(KA) began applying for the certification on November 9 last

year, set up a task force in June this

year, and welcomed inspectors from

JQA to its laboratory from Septem-

ber 5-9 before finally receiving the

certification in late October ahead

of the formal presentation. KA

joins powerhouses of the Japanese

microwave industry Panasonic,

Sharp, and Hitachi in receiving the

certification.


14

CAC Shines at Georgia Exhibition

By Peck Zhao

A quatherm Tbilisi is Georgia’s only annual trade fair

for heating, energy technology, sustainable energy systems, sani-

tary appliances and installation technology, cooling, air condi-

tioning and ventilation. The Event, held from Nov. 9-11, is a

concentrated stage for products, communication and the ex-

change of information

Midea Commercial Air Conditioning (CAC) and its local

distributor attended this year's event to exhibit the ATW heat

pump, V5 X series VRF and VRF indoor units and other lead-

ing products. During this exhibition, CAC made contacts that

have the potential to be mutually beneficial and increased its

visibility in the booming East European country.

NEWSLINE

Q3 Report: Profit up 16% Year-on-Year

By Midea

M idea

Group’s Q3 report

has shown that

revenue for the

first three quarters

was US $17.36

billion, a year-on-

year increase of 4.5

percent. Profit was

at US$2.05 billion,

a year-on-year

increase of 16.3

percent.

The past quarter has seen advances in India, Indonesia

and the United

States, with in-

creased investment

in research and de-

velopment paying

dividends. Net cash

flow in the first three

quarters was US$2.8

billion, a year-on-

year increase of 6

percent.


15

Technology Month Unites Factories from 4

Corners of the Earth By Midea

D uring Midea's 21st Annual Technology Month, col-

leagues from factories around the world were invited to the

global HQ to talk about the past year's achievements and experi-

ences as well as bench-marking and strategy.

Their visit came in two parts, the first being a one-day

workshop, the second a series of activities including factory vis-

its aimed at identifying long-term and short-term needs.

The sharing conference on September 24th began with a

speech from Wu Shoubao of Midea Residential Air Condition-

ing. He talked about the changes that manufacturing has gone

through in the past year and the likely challenges of the next

twelve months.

The sharing conference on September 24th began with a

speech from Wu Shoubao of Midea Residential Air Condition-

ing. He talked about the changes that manufacturing has gone

through in the past year and the likely challenges of the next

twelve months.

Rajiv Yadav from the India factory shared what he had

learned from his outstanding work in factory culture, standardi-

zation of components, localization of procurement, optimization

of value chain and product quality.

Hvozdz Alexsandra from the Belarus factory talked about

how the microwave and water heater businesses have been built

from scratch. The microwave business has already become a

market leader, with share of 40.4% including both OBM and

OEM manufacturing. Midea’s own brand has gone from zero to

having a 20.8% share in just half a year.

Mohamed Yehia gave an introduction to the culture and

development of the Egypt factory. He talked about the Egyp-

tian air conditioner market and explained, from a technological

standpoint, how to make products that meet local demand.

After the sharing conference, MIB invited colleagues from

the Residential Air Conditioning, Kitchen Appliances, and Wa-

ter Heater divisions for a seminar on the development of KPI

in the past year and proposed strategy for the next.

At lunch time, visitors from overseas factories were taken on a

tour of Midea’s History Museum so they could learn more

about whose footsteps they are following in.

NEWSLINE


16

USA: From Jefferson to Jazz Music

By Kevin McGeary

W ith a new research and development center in

Kentucky and a lavish office in New Jersey, the United States of

America is one of Midea Group’s most important markets. Here

are some things you may not know about the world’s richest

country.

1. Founding

1776 is celebrated as the official beginning of the United

States as the Declaration of Independence was issued on July 4.

The declaration, authored primarily by Thomas Jefferson and

announced at Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, con-

firmed the then-thirteen colonies’ independence from The Unit-

ed Kingdom.

Biographers and historians have concluded that the

Founding Fathers—the group of men that established the Unit-

ed States—were exceptionally intelligent people. Jefferson spoke

seven languages and played five musical instruments. Benjamin

Franklin, a member of the Committee of Five who drafted the

declaration, was a leading scientist, author and inventor.

Despite having a relatively short history, the United States

can claim to be the world’s oldest democracy. In its 240 years it

has had no monarchs, no unelected heads of state and no mili-

tary juntas.

2. The Flag

Contemporaneously referred to as the Continental Colors,

the flag of the newly independent United States contained thir-

teen stripes of alternating red and white and a British Union

Flag on the top left corner. On June 14, 1777, the Second Con-

tinental Congress passed the Flag Resolution which stated:

"Resolved, That the flag of the thirteen United States be thir-

teen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen

stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation."

Flag Day is now observed on June 14 of each year. While

scholars still argue about this, tradition holds that the new flag

was first hoisted in June 1777 by the Continental Army at

the Middlebrook encampment.

As the nation grew territorially, the number of stars in-

creased. The most recent addition, bringing the total up to 50,

was Hawaii, which was added on July 4, 1960. One of the big-

gest cultural faux pas a visitor can commit in the United States

is to allow a flag to touch the ground.

3. Territory

Originally, the United States consisted of thirteen colo-

nies, ranging down what is now the east coast from New

Hampshire to Georgia. Throughout the nineteenth century, the

country expanded greatly, starting with the purchase of Louisi-

ana from France on April 30, 1803.

Sometimes by force, sometimes through treaties with Eu-

ropean empires, the expansion reached south through Florida in

1845 and west through states including Illinois in 1818 and Ala-

bama in 1819.

Though there is no scholarly agreement on what consti-

tutes the West, the “wild west” of the nineteenth century, has

taken on a mythic reputation as a place of unique ruggedness.

Its “taming” came through the expansion of railways and poli-

cies by the federal government, including sending women there

to tie more men down to marriage and subsequently stabilize

their lives.

4. The Star

Spangled Banner

"The Star-

Spangled Banner" is

the national anthem of

FUSION


17

USA: From Jefferson to Jazz Music (Cont.)

By Kevin McGeary

the United States. The lyrics come from "Defence of Fort

M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by the 35-

year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key.

Key was inspired by witnessing the bombardment of Fort

McHenry by British ships of the Royal Navy in The War of

1812. The poem was set to the tune of a popular British song

written by John Stafford Smith for the Anacreontic Society, a

men's social club in London.

The singing of the anthem is an essential part of major

events including presidential inaugurations and the Super Bowl.

Performing the anthem can be one of the biggest honors of a

singer’s career, making a reputation (Whitney Houston) or

breaking one (Roseanne Barr).

5. Presidents

With elections held every four years, the highest political

office in the

United States is

the presidency.

History’s most

celebrated presi-

dents include

George Wash-

ington, a military

leader and the

first man to hold the office; Thomas Jefferson; Abraham Lin-

coln, who presided over the nation during the Civil War; and

Theodore Roosevelt, who was known for both industrial devel-

opment and conservation efforts.

Those four figures are celebrated on Mount Rushmore,

located in the Black Hills of Keystone, South Dakota. The mon-

ument was completed by sculptor Gutzon Borglum in 1941.

Forty-three men have occupied the Oval Office. Barack

Obama is counted as the 44th president due to the historical

quirk of Grover Cleveland, who served two non-consecutive

terms and consequently gets to be both the 22nd and 24th presi-

dents. Of those, eight have died in office, four of whom were

shot dead—Abraham Lincoln (1865), James Garfield (1881),

William McKinley (1901), and John F. Kennedy (1963). With an

assassination rate of over 9%, it is statistically America’s most

dangerous job.

6. Music

With its diverse population and colorful history, America

has contributed greatly to world culture, with inventions includ-

ing jazz, blues and country music.

Jazz, characterized by swing and blue notes, call and re-

sponse vocals, polyrhythms and improvisation, originated in

New Orleans, Louisiana in the nineteenth century. One of its

greatest practitioners was Louis Armstrong, who came to prom-

inence during the 1920s, also known as the Jazz Age. During

that period, prohibition gave rise to numerous new night clubs

which helped the form come into its own.

The phonograph, which was invented by Thomas Edison

in 1877, brought about the era of recorded sound and subse-

quently the international superstar performer. American musical

greats include Bob Dylan, who in 2016 became the first song-

writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.

7. Hollywood

In the

early 1900s,

most motion

picture pa-

tents were

held by

Thomas

Edi-

son's Motion

Picture Pa-

tents Com-

pany in New

Jersey, and

filmmakers

were often sued to stop production. To escape this, filmmakers

began moving west, where Edison's patents could not be en-

forced. Subsequently Hollywood, a recently-incorporated sub-

urb of Los Angeles, with its ideal climate for shooting loca-

tions, became the capital of the American film industry.

After a vote of 846 film critics, programmers, academics

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USA: From Jefferson to Jazz Music (Cont.)

By Kevin McGeary

and distributors, Sight & Sound magazine placed five American

films in the top ten on its “50 Greatest Films of All Time”.

Number one was the 1958 thriller Vertigo and number two was

the 1941 (thinly disguised) biopic Citizen Kane, both American

productions.

Adjusting for inflation, all of the top ten highest grossing

films of all time have come from Hollywood. Number one is the

historical epic Gone with the Wind, which grossed US$3.44 billion

after being released in 1939.

8. NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administra-

tion (NASA) is an independent agency of the executive

branch of the United States federal government responsible for

space programs as well as aeronautics and aerospace research.

Presi-

dent Dwight D.

Eisenhow-

er established

NASA in 1958

to encourage

peaceful applica-

tions in space

science.

NASA astronaut

Alan Shep-

ard became the

first American

in space on May

5, 1961 aboard

his Mercury spacecraft Freedom 7. The United States' Apollo

11 was the first manned mission to land on the Moon, on 20

July 1969. There have been six manned U.S. landings (between

1969 and 1972) and numerous unmanned landings.

The organization has a long, quirky history and has been

involuntarily politicized. However, it managed to get humans to

the moon with a computer system less powerful than a

smartphone.

9. Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley is a nickname for the southern portion of

the San Francisco Bay Area, in the northern part of California.

Home to many of the world’s largest high-tech corporations, it

boasts the headquarters of 39 businesses in the Fortune 1000,

and thousands of startup companies.

Silicon Valley became famous as the birthplace of the sili-

con-based transistor in the 1950s. A man named Don Hoefler

later entered the nickname into the public consciousness

through a series of articles he wrote for the Electronic News in

1971, having borrowed the term from his friend Ralph Vaerst.

By this time, the rapid growth of the tech industry was well un-

derway in California.

Google, Apple, Facebook and Hewlett-Packard have all

set up their headquarters there and aspiring tech entrepreneurs

are drawn

to the place

the way

would-be

movie stars

go to Holly-

wood.

10.

The Great

American

Novel

The

concept of

the "Great

American Novel" has been described by The LA Times as “a

book that most perfectly imagines the kaleidoscope of our na-

tion, its social fabric and its troubled conscience, its individual

voices and strivings, our loves and losses.”

Contenders for the title include “The Adventures of Huckle-

berry Finn” by Mark Twain, which broke many of the literary

rules of its time and thus set the pattern for much of American

literature ever since; “The Great Gatsby” by Scott Fitzgerald,

which captured the zeitgeist of the Jazz Age; and “The Adventures

of Augie March” by Saul Bellow, which follows the mixed odys-

sey of its eponymous hero.

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