A total of 24,460 tons of swamp coolers worth $46.61 million were exported from Iran in the first three months of the current Iranian year (March 21-June 21), registering a 31% rise in value compared with the similar period of last year, data released by the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Association show.
Turkey, Kuwait, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Iraq and Sudan were the main destinations for Iranian swamp coolers during the period.
Also known as desert cooler and evaporative coolers, swamp coolers can reduce energy consumption as an alternative to compressor-based cooling in arid climates. These are one of the main home appliances exported from Iran.
Arj Home Appliances Company is a major producer of swamp coolers in Iran.
The company reopened in March after five years of closure, after 2 trillion rials ($6.4 million) were invested for it to get back on its feet mainly by Social Security Investment Company, according to CEO of Tamin General Industrial Holding Company, affiliated with SSIC.
“The reopening of Arj would create around 800 direct and more than 2,500 indirect jobs,” he said.
“Plans are for Arj to manufacture some 228,000 household appliances within the next four years. The manufacturing methods will be SKD [semi-knocked-down kit] and CKD [complete knocked-down kit]. The company is also looking to become self-sufficient in producing 60% of the required parts,” Mohsen Mohammadi, CEO of Tamin General Industrial Holding Company, was quoted as saying by IRNA.
Established around 70 years ago, Arj is considered one of the oldest producers of home appliances in Iran. It went bankrupt in the fiscal 2016-17. The company’s officials were quoted as saying at the time that the main reason for its going bust was increasing competition from foreign brands, including the onslaught by Chinese and South Korean brands.
Arj originally began operations with a small factory producing metal products. Gradually, it broadened its range of products, increasing the number of employees to eight in the 1940s. On expanding the company, the brand moved to Tehran-Karaj Road – the main industrial area to the west of the capital – where it broadened its range to include several household appliances, according to bne IntelliNews.
Yadollah Tahernejad, the head of the company’s board of director, says the company plans to manufacture nine different kinds of home appliances within the next three years.
