Sharp appliances are made by Sharp Corporation, a Japanese electronics company headquartered in Sakai, Osaka, that has been majority owned by Taiwan-based Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., better known as Foxconn, since Foxconn completed its 3.5 billion dollar acquisition in 2016.
Sharp is one of Japan’s oldest and most established electronics companies, founded in 1912, and is particularly well known in the kitchen appliance world for pioneering the microwave drawer, a product now privately labeled by several luxury appliance brands.
Foxconn is the world’s largest contract manufacturer of electronics, headquartered in Tucheng District, New Taipei City, Taiwan, with 2023 annual revenue of approximately 198.5 billion dollars and a workforce of over one million people globally.
Knowing that Sharp’s microwave drawer technology is so widely respected that competing luxury brands like Wolf and Monogram privately label Sharp-built units helps explain the brand’s continued relevance in premium kitchens despite its broader corporate restructuring.
This article covers who makes Sharp appliances, where they are produced, who owns the brand, its history, how it compares to a rival, and whether the appliances are any good.
So let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Who Makes Sharp Appliances?
Sharp appliances are made by Sharp Corporation, which produces kitchen appliances including microwave ovens, cookers, washing machines, and refrigerators under its own brand and as an OEM supplier to other companies.
Sharp is internationally recognized as a leader in microwave drawer technology, a product category it pioneered and continues to manufacture for premium kitchen brands that do not produce their own microwave drawers in-house.
The company also makes solar cells, vacuum cleaners, air purifiers, dehumidifiers, printers, computer displays, and televisions, reflecting its broad consumer and business electronics portfolio beyond kitchen appliances.
Sharp’s net sales reached approximately 2.55 trillion yen in fiscal year 2022, with the home appliances segment representing a meaningful portion of its overall business, as confirmed in Sharp’s company profile.
Where Are Sharp Appliances Made?
Sharp manufactures appliances at facilities across multiple countries, with Sharp Manufacturing Company of America in Memphis, Tennessee, producing microwave drawer units and other appliances for the North American market.
The Memphis plant has been operational since 1979 and historically assembled approximately 900,000 microwave ovens annually alongside television production, making it a long-standing American manufacturing presence for the Japanese company.
Sharp also operates a refrigerator manufacturing facility in Karawang, Indonesia, established in 2014, along with production facilities in Poland and historically in Thailand and Malaysia for various appliance categories.
In Europe, Sharp partnered with Vestel starting in 2017 to manufacture Sharp-branded white goods including refrigerators and microwave ovens in Thailand and China, while Sharp’s own European business shifted focus to business-to-business products.
Who Owns Sharp Appliances?
Sharp Corporation is majority owned by Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., known internationally as Foxconn, which completed a 66 percent controlling stake acquisition in 2016 for approximately 3.5 billion dollars.
Foxconn’s acquisition was driven primarily by Sharp’s leading display technology, particularly its low temperature polysilicon and oxide LCD panel expertise, though the deal also brought Sharp’s full consumer appliance and electronics portfolio under Foxconn’s control.
Sharp continues to trade publicly on the Tokyo Stock Exchange with a free float held by institutional and retail investors, though Foxconn’s majority stake gives it effective control over governance and strategic direction.
Foxconn’s broader portfolio and the Sharp acquisition details are documented in Foxconn’s company profile.
What Is the History of Sharp?
Sharp was founded in 1912 by Tokuji Hayakawa in Honjo, Tokyo, initially producing metal belt buckles before the company adopted the name Sharp from its early mechanical pencil invention.
The company established itself as the Hayakawa Metal Works Institute in Abeno, Osaka, in 1924, growing over the following decades into one of Japan’s leading consumer electronics manufacturers across radios, calculators, and televisions.
Foxconn’s initial 806 million dollar stake purchase in 2012 was followed by a full controlling acquisition in 2016, marking a significant shift in Japan’s historically insular electronics industry as a Taiwanese company took control of a century-old Japanese icon.
Sharp has faced significant challenges in its display business in recent years due to Chinese competition, leading to the 2024 shutdown of its TV display production lines, though its appliance business has remained a more stable contributor to overall revenue.
Sharp vs Panasonic: How Do They Compare?
Sharp and Panasonic are both century-old Japanese electronics companies that have taken very different paths in the modern appliance market.
Panasonic remains an independent, publicly traded Japanese conglomerate with a broad global appliance and electronics portfolio spanning batteries, automotive components, and home appliances.
Sharp, now majority owned by Foxconn, has narrowed its focus toward display technology and core appliance categories like microwave drawers, where it maintains technical leadership as an OEM supplier to other premium brands.
Both brands carry strong reputations for Japanese engineering quality, though Panasonic’s independence gives it more direct control over its long-term brand strategy compared to Sharp’s position within the Foxconn group.
Are Sharp Appliances Any Good?
Sharp appliances are well regarded, particularly in the microwave and microwave drawer category, where the brand’s decades of technical leadership have made it a trusted OEM supplier for premium competing brands.
The fact that brands like Wolf and Monogram use Sharp-manufactured microwave drawers under their own labels speaks to the consistency and engineering quality Sharp delivers in this specific product category.
Sharp’s broader appliance lineup, including refrigerators and washing machines sold internationally, generally earns solid but not flagship-tier reviews compared to dedicated premium appliance specialists.
Sharp’s US manufacturing presence in Memphis, Tennessee, for select products gives American buyers some domestically produced options, though many Sharp appliances sold globally are manufactured in Indonesia, Poland, Thailand, or China.
For buyers specifically seeking a microwave drawer or who encounter Sharp-built components inside other premium brand appliances, Sharp’s engineering reputation in this niche makes it a genuinely strong and proven choice.
For more on related appliance brands, see Who Makes Bosch Appliances and Who Makes Miele Appliances.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sharp Appliances
Who makes Sharp appliances?
Sharp appliances are made by Sharp Corporation, a Japanese company founded in 1912 and headquartered in Sakai, Osaka. Sharp has been majority owned by Foxconn of Taiwan since 2016.
Where are Sharp appliances made?
Sharp appliances are made at facilities across multiple countries including Memphis, Tennessee for the US market, Karawang, Indonesia for refrigerators, and Poland, Thailand, and China through manufacturing partnerships.
Does Sharp make microwaves for other brands?
Yes. Sharp pioneered the microwave drawer category and is a trusted OEM manufacturer, with brands including Wolf and Monogram privately labeling Sharp-built microwave drawers under their own names.
Is Sharp owned by Foxconn?
Yes. Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., has held a majority controlling stake in Sharp Corporation since 2016, when it completed a 3.5 billion dollar acquisition.
I am Jack Neel, a mechanical engineer, researcher, and writer. I created this website to share my knowledge about different brands and products with you. I research the manufacturers behind the brands and provide you with the information you need to make smart buying decisions.