▲ Group photo of employees at the "Vision 50-50" announcement event

[September 2, 2024] KD Navien hosted the “Vision 50-50” Proclamation Ceremony for its “Optimize Living & Environment” vision on Friday, August 30. The event gathered over 3,000 participants—including employees from KD One and affiliated companies as well as representatives from partner organizations—to share its future business vision aimed at driving sustainable growth.

The Vision Ceremony was held at KINTEX Exhibition Hall 1 in Ilsan, under the theme “50 Years of Innovation, 50 Years of Conviction.” With KD Navien’s 50th anniversary in 2028 and KD One’s 50th anniversary in 2031 approaching, the event served as a moment to reflect on past achievements and reinforce the commitment to achieving ambitious goals for the next 50 years. The ceremony began with the entry of executives and employees, followed by a video showcasing KD Navien’s past, present, and future. The program continued with brand strategy dialogue, talk show on corporate culture, and presentations on the Vision 50-50 strategy along with mid- to long-term goals & plans for overseas subsidiaries. The official ceremony concluded with celebratory performances by two guest artists.

Since its inception, KD Navien—in partnership with KD One and other affiliates—has provided innovative solutions that optimize energy efficiency and contribute to environmental protection. This foundation has enabled the company to capture the number one position in the North American boiler and tankless gas water heater markets while expanding its product exports to 47 countries worldwide, cementing its status as a “global enterprise.” Building on these achievements, the Vision Ceremony served as a platform for sharing strategies designed to expand its presence in the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) sectors—including cooling systems, heat pumps, and air purifiers—to rise as a “Global Top-Tier Provider of Living Environment Solutions.”

First and foremost, KD Navien introduced its new brand identity (BI), aptly named “Optimize.” The BI symbolizes the company’s unique technology that handles essential elements such as fire, water, air, and earth to deliver optimal living environment solutions for ensuring comfort in temperature, humidity, and cleanliness for everyday life. Furthermore, it reflects KD Navien’s commitment to eco-friendly innovations such as condensing technology and rooftop greening with artificial soil, in order to create an optimal global environment for future generations. This new BI also reinforces the “Optimize Living & Environment” vision. The new BI will be extended to KD One and other affiliates.

At the core of KD Navien’s future strategy is the principle of “3P Optimize.” The strategy aims to achieve sustainable growth by optimizing products, processes, and personnel. To optimize “products,” the company plans to expand its business portfolio to include not only boilers and water heaters but also condensing hydro furnaces, heat pumps, ventilation air purifiers, and cooling systems. KD One will also reinforce its product lineup for residential safety including fire-resistant insulation materials and fireproof doors. These key products—along with rental and care services—will be integrated into a unified system to create a more comfortable living environment. The company is also adopting AI technology to streamline operational efficiency and bring forth smart factories, thereby boosting productivity and cost competitiveness in its “process” optimization. The company will revolutionize how work is executed and foster an organizational culture rooted in "autonomous and accountable management" while simultaneously optimizing "personnel."

The company is advancing efforts to achieve “3P Optimize” by expanding its manufacturing hub at the Seotan factory. KD is set to invest 430 billion KRW to enlarge its factory to 100,000 pyeong (330578.51 m²) by 2026, doubling its production capacity from 2 million units to 4.39 million units while integrating AI and robotic technologies. This effort includes a push to achieve “Lighthouse Factory” status—an accolade recognizing factories that lead manufacturing innovation through IoT, AI, and big data—becoming the industry's first.

Meanwhile, the event also introduced the “KD Work Way,” a framework created by employees to drive innovation in organizational culture. This initiative was shaped through open and candid discussions among employees about the gaps and areas for improvement in KD Navien's organizational culture, resulting in 11 guiding principles for future work methods. What makes the “KD Work Way” stand out is that it was led by Millennials and Gen Z employees and embraced by management, signaling the beginning of a cultural shift.

"This Vision Ceremony marks a pivotal moment for KD Navien, laying the foundation for the next 50 years based on our accomplishments. We will methodically implement our strategies to become a leading global provider of living environment solutions,” CEO Kim Jong-wook vowed, concluding the ceremony.