Gold Peak

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Gold Peak Technology Group Limited
Native name
金山科技工業有限公司
TypePublic listed company
SEHK:  40
IndustryElectronics industry
Founded1964
ProductsBattery and battery-related products, electronics and acoustics products
Number of employees
6,650 (as of 2023)
Website www.goldpeak.com

Gold Peak Technology Group Limited, formerly Gold Peak Industries (Holdings) Limited, is a Hong Kong-based multinational corporation which is established in 1964 and has been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 1984. The Group has built a few brand names for its major product categories, such as GP batteries, GP Recyko batteries, KEF acoustic products and Celestion speakers.

Contents

The company changed its name to Gold Peak Technology Group Limited in March 2022 to reflect its business strategy and direction in advanced technologies and manufacturing of batteries and electronics, and its investment strategies in R&D, innovation, design and brands. [1]

Gold Peak Technology Group Limited currently holds approximately 86% interest in GP Industries, which is publicly listed in Singapore.

Operations

Gold Peak employs a work force of about 6,650 worldwide. The Group occupies a total floor area of approximately 633,000 square metres, covering its five manufacturing and sales offices in the UK, Thailand, Malaysia, China, and Vietnam, as well as marketing and sales offices in over 10 countries in Asia, Europe, and Americas. [2]

GP Industries Limited

GP Industries is mainly engaged in the development, manufacture and marketing of electronics and acoustics products, including KEF premium acoustic products and Celestion professional speakers. The wholly-owned subsidiary, GP Batteries International Limited, specializes in the design and production of batteries and related products. [3]

GP Batteries International Limited

GP Batteries manufactures and markets batteries and battery-related products including primary batteries, rechargeable batteries and accessories. GP Batteries is one of Asia's largest battery manufacturers, supplying battery products to original equipment manufacturers, battery companies as well as consumer retail markets under the GP brand name.

The company stated its commitment in environmental conservation and has a clear roadmap for sustainable operation. A number of its manufacturing plants received UL Zero Waste of Landfill Validation and six plants in Malaysia, Vietnam and China have achieved Gold Level validation. In fact, the facility in Tebrau, Malaysia is the first plant in the country to earn Gold Level validation. [4]

GP Energy Tech Limited

GP Energy Tech is a member of Gold Peak Technology Group and focuses on rechargeable battery design and manufacturing. [5]

Incident

Workers at GP factories have been routinely exposed to Cadmium dust, [6] [7] an extremely toxic metal used in the manufacture of Nickel-cadmium batteries that can cause kidney failure, lung cancer and bone disease. In 2006 more than 100 female factory workers in southern China attempted to sue their former employers (GP) over suspected cadmium poisoning. [8]

On 24 August 2010, over a hundred workers protested outside GP's factory in Huizhou. GP had promised compensation to workers affected by poisoning but severely reduced the negotiated amount offering a "take it or leave it" situation.

Karin Mak's documentary Red Dust follows female workers fighting for medical care from their former employer, China's GP Batteries factory, after suffering years of cadmium poisoning. [9]

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References

  1. "PROPOSED CHANGE OF COMPANY NAME AND NOTICE OF GENERAL MEETING" (PDF).
  2. "Gold Peak Annual Report".
  3. "CORPORATE INFORMATION | GP Batteries HK". GP Batteries Hong Kong. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  4. https://www.ul.com/news/ul-announces-gp-batteries-achievement-gold-zwtl-validation-first-plant-malaysia
  5. https://www.gpet.com/
  6. "GP Cadmium Poisoning Case". Globalization Monitor. 9 October 2012. Archived from the original on 23 June 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  7. Liu, Chenyan (14 December 2006). "Cadmium poisoned workers battle for their lives". CSR Asia. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012.
  8. Frost, Stephen (16 December 2006). "Chinese workers sue GP". CSR Asia. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012.
  9. "Red Dust « Next Frame Student Film Festival". 26 April 2012. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2023.