On February 25, 2020, Sharp Manufacturing Company of America (SMCA) took time out to celebrate with their employees a production milestone accomplishment – 1 million microwave oven drawers!  This is the most recent milestone for SMCA, established in 1979, as Sharp’s primary manufacturing facility in North America.  Over the facility’s 40-year history, SMCA has employed as many as 2,000 employees at one time and has produced over 30.5 million microwave ovens, including the drawer product, for North and South American markets.

SMCA members gather to celebrate 1 million microwave drawers production

The concept for the Memphis, TN original drawer product was conceived in 1998 by then SEMCA Marketing AVP Anne Howard and SMCA’s own Harry Hessen, AVP of Product Planning.

A trip to the 1998 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show had inspired the two. “We were walking the show and we realized that there were a number of products in drawers – refrigerators, warming drawers, dishwashers – and we said to each other, we should do a microwave in a drawer,” said Hessen.

It took a few years to get the drawer to the consumer market, but their efforts created a microwave product that quickly became a top seller. Manufacturing of the first microwave drawers began in March of 2005 and continues today.

SMCA currently focuses on high-end ovens and provides product for 14 OEMS in addition to their Sharp lineup.

SMCA was joined by guests from SEMCA, SECL, and several local Sharp groups to celebrate.  Following group commemorative photos and comments from SMCA’s Sr. Vice President Mike Kelly and SHCA’s President Jim Sanduski, the entire SMCA campus enjoyed a catered luncheon together.  We all look forward to the continued growth of our SMCA footprint in the kitchen cooking appliance arena.

Scenes from luncheon

SMCA Microwave Drawer website