Samsung Techwin America has announced that the company will officially be changing its name in North America to Hanwha Techwin America effective April 1, 2016. The move comes less than two years after South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group purchased a controlling stake in the company from its former parent Samsung Electronics. “While our name is changing, the innovation, quality and reliability of our products will remain the same,” said Soon Hong Ahn, president, Hanwha Techwin America. “The same is true for our factories, sales companies and channel partners which remain unchanged – Hanwha Techwin America will continue to offer the best in value and performance to the professional surveillance and security industry.”
Tom Cook, the company’s vice president of sales for North America, said in a press conference that while the company name will change over, its products, at least for now, will retain the Samsung brand. “We are co-owners of the Samsung brand. At this point… all of our products are branded as Samsung and that will continue,” said Cook. “As we look to the future, it will be our decision going forward whether or not we keep the Samsung brand on our products or we decide to change it to something else.”
Cook conceded, however, that eventually they do want to make products under their own brand. “The Samsung brand does carry some weight in the consumer mentality when you talk to end-users and consultants. When we went through this transaction, we negotiated that it is up to us (when we will transition),” said Cook. “As you go through transitions like this, you want to make sure you don’t hurt your company from a standpoint of sales and momentum. It will be our decision when to do that and when it’s the right time.”
Cook said the reason the company decided to announce the rebrand now instead of waiting closer to the official date was to make sure all of their dealers were aware of the change heading into its dealer summit over the weekend, as well to have some time to promote it in advance of this year’s ISC West show. From an organizational perspective, however, Cook said everything will pretty much be business as usual.
