March 6, 2001

Thor Appliance Company
(206) 850-6596 

(LOS ANGELES) – Thor Appliance Company, a leading supplier of specialty home appliances, today unveiled its most energy-efficient line of laundry machines in the company’s 94-year history.

“Consumers today are searching for efficient laundry machines that also meet their high expectations for cleaning and performance,” said Michael Lee, Thor’s Vice President of Product Development. “By designing a line of appliances that combines superior cleaning with energy efficiency, we provide our customers with the best of both worlds.”

 The next generation of Thor laundry machines are 58 percent more efficient than standard laundry equipment available today, saving an average household 14,000 gallons of water annually. Thor's ultra-efficient front-loading design and high-speed spin cycle allows it to clean and dry as thoroughly as standard laundry machines, while significantly reducing energy consumption. On average, Thor’s annual energy cost for single household use is 75 percent less than a typical stand-alone washer and dryer set. In addition, Thor machines exceed strict new U.S. Government ENERGY STAR® efficiency standards, qualifying the appliances for all incentive rebates offered by local water and power utilities. 

Spurred by the Department of Energy’s 2004 deadline for production of low energy consumption laundry machines, most U.S. appliance manufactures are now returning to the drawing board to design more efficient products. "We decided to get out well ahead of the requirements," said Lee. “The Thor design represents the future in laundry equipment, but we feel that consumers shouldn't have to wait three years to purchase a more efficient appliance."

Adding to its energy efficiency advantages, Thor also offers a variety of space-saving attributes. As an all-in-one machine measuring 23 inches wide by 33 inches tall and requiring no dryer vent, Thor can fit where traditional laundry appliances cannot. In addition, the machine is practically silent during operation, allowing for installation in areas usually off-limits to standard laundry machines because of noise constraints.

Although still uncommon in North America, washer/dryer combinations have been a mainstay in European homes for decades due to high energy costs and space limitations. “As more Americans choose to live in smaller condominiums and apartments, the size of standard appliances becomes a limiting factor," said Lee. "The technology to build better, more compact appliances has been around for years - we just haven't had an incentive to redesign these products. Now we do."

Los Angeles-based Thor Appliance Company is a leading supplier of specialty laundry appliances for residential use. In 1907 Thor changed forever the way Americans wash clothes when it invented the first electrically powered clothes washer. With the reintroduction of its historic brand in January 2001, the Thor name appears on a laundry machine for the first time in over 30 years. For more information on Thor and its history, please visit www.thorappliances.com.