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., known globally as Foxconn, since 2016.
Sharp is a 100-plus-year-old Japanese electronics pioneer that makes microwave ovens, cookers, washing machines, and refrigerators, and is especially well known in the United States as a leading manufacturer of built-in microwave drawers used by numerous luxury kitchen appliance brands.
Foxconn is the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer, headquartered in New Taipei City, Taiwan, with annual revenue exceeding 198 billion dollars, making Sharp a relatively small but strategically important consumer brand within Foxconn’s vast global manufacturing empire.
Knowing that Sharp pioneered the microwave drawer concept now used by premium brands like Wolf and Monogram explains why Sharp’s name appears far more often in American kitchens than most consumers realize, even when their appliance carries a different brand label.
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 continues to design and manufacture its own kitchen and home appliances under Foxconn’s majority ownership.
Sharp Manufacturing Company of America, located in Memphis, Tennessee, has assembled microwave ovens and televisions since 1979 and remains a key American production site, historically producing about 900,000 microwave ovens annually.
Sharp is also a major OEM supplier of microwave drawers and microwave ovens to other premium appliance brands, meaning Sharp’s engineering appears inside many appliances sold under entirely different brand names.
In 2017 Sharp formed a European white goods partnership with Vestel, with Vestel selling Sharp-branded refrigerators and microwave ovens manufactured by Sharp in Thailand and China, as confirmed in Sharp’s company profile.
Where Are Sharp Appliances Made?
Sharp manufactures appliances at multiple global facilities, including Sharp Manufacturing Company of America in Memphis, Tennessee, which produces microwave ovens and other products for the North American market.
Sharp also operates a refrigerator manufacturing facility in Karawang, Indonesia, established in 2014, and Sharp Manufacturing Poland Sp. z o.o. in Toruń, Poland, which became part of Sharp’s network through its 2017 majority acquisition of Skytec UMC.
Additional manufacturing for refrigerators and microwave ovens takes place in Thailand and China, supplying both Sharp-branded products and Sharp’s Vestel licensing partnership for the European market.
Sharp has scaled back display panel manufacturing significantly in recent years amid intensified Chinese competition, but its appliance manufacturing operations continue across these multiple international facilities.
Who Owns Sharp Appliances?
Sharp Corporation is majority owned by Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., known internationally as Foxconn, which acquired a 66 percent controlling stake in Sharp in 2016 for approximately 3.5 billion dollars.
Foxconn is the world’s largest contract electronics manufacturer, headquartered in Tucheng District, New Taipei City, Taiwan, and remains the controlling shareholder of Sharp through both direct and affiliate holdings as of 2025.
Sharp retains a Tokyo Stock Exchange listing with a public float held by domestic trust banks, global asset managers, and retail investors, though Foxconn’s controlling stake means its board representation drives strategic decisions.
The Foxconn-Sharp ownership structure and its ongoing evolution are documented in Foxconn’s company profile.
What Is the History of Sharp?
Sharp was founded in 1912 by Tokuji Hayakawa in Honjo, Tokyo, originally producing metal buckles and mechanical pencils before being incorporated as the Hayakawa Metal Works Institute in Osaka in 1924.
The company built its reputation across the 20th century as a Japanese consumer electronics pioneer, expanding into kitchen appliances, televisions, calculators, and audio equipment, becoming one of Japan’s most recognized industrial names.
Sharp faced significant financial struggles in the 2010s amid intense competition from Korean and Chinese electronics manufacturers, ultimately leading to Foxconn’s 2016 acquisition of a controlling stake for 3.5 billion dollars.
Under Foxconn ownership, Sharp has restructured its business toward profitability while continuing to manufacture appliances, displays, and components, with Foxconn CEO Wu Po-hsuan emphasizing the need to invest in Sharp’s promising consumer brand business going forward.
Sharp vs Panasonic: How Do They Compare?
Sharp and Panasonic are two of Japan’s most historic electronics and appliance brands, both founded in the early 20th century and competing across overlapping consumer electronics categories.
Panasonic remains independently Japanese-owned and operates as a larger, more diversified conglomerate spanning automotive components, batteries, and consumer electronics alongside its appliance business.
Sharp, now majority owned by Taiwan’s Foxconn, has a narrower but still significant footprint in microwave technology, where its OEM supply relationships with premium American appliance brands give it outsized influence relative to its consumer brand recognition.
Both companies maintain Japanese engineering heritage, though Sharp’s ownership transition to Foxconn marks a notable departure from Panasonic’s continued Japanese corporate independence.
Are Sharp Appliances Any Good?
Sharp appliances are well regarded particularly in the microwave category, where the company’s pioneering work on the microwave drawer format has become an industry standard widely used and licensed across the premium appliance market.
Sharp’s decades of Memphis, Tennessee manufacturing experience for microwave ovens reflect deep engineering expertise in this specific appliance category, contributing to the brand’s strong reputation for microwave reliability.
Sharp’s broader appliance lineup, including refrigerators and washing machines sold primarily outside North America, competes at a value-to-mid price point against established Japanese and Korean competitors.
Buyers should note that Sharp-brand appliances sold directly differ from Sharp’s OEM-supplied components inside other branded products, so warranty and service expectations vary depending on which channel the appliance was purchased through.
For buyers specifically seeking a microwave drawer or compact microwave, Sharp’s century of specialized engineering and its role as the industry’s pioneering microwave drawer manufacturer make it one of the most credible choices in that specific category.
For more on related appliance brands, see Who Makes Bosch Appliances and Who Makes Haier Appliances.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sharp Appliances
Who makes Sharp appliances?
Sharp appliances are made by Sharp Corporation, a Japanese company founded in 1912. Sharp has been majority owned by Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry) of Taiwan since 2016.
Where are Sharp appliances made?
Sharp appliances are made at facilities including Memphis, Tennessee (microwaves), Karawang, Indonesia (refrigerators), Toruń, Poland, and additional facilities in Thailand and China.
Is Sharp owned by Foxconn?
Yes. Foxconn, also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry, has owned a majority 66 percent controlling stake in Sharp Corporation since 2016, when it acquired the stake for approximately 3.5 billion dollars.
Does Sharp make microwaves for other brands?
Yes. Sharp is a leading OEM supplier of microwave drawers, often private-labeled by luxury brands such as Wolf and Monogram. Even when the badge on an appliance shows a different brand, there is a strong chance Sharp manufactured the underlying microwave technology.
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.