Where Are Vizio TVs Made (And Are Some Models Made In America)?
Vizio TVs have become ubiquitous fixtures in American homes. The company has come a long way from its initial days and has gone on to garner a sizable consumer base in the United States. The primary reason behind Vizio's massive popularity in the U.S. comes from its long-held reputation for delivering feature-loaded TVs at affordable prices.
However, with affordability often come questions about the true manufacturing origins of these products. So, where do these Vizio televisions that grace countless living rooms across the U.S. actually come from? Does Vizio manufacture any of its products in America?
Ever since Vizio became a household name in the U.S. back in the late 2000s, the company's business model relied a lot on outsourced manufacturing. This fact was revealed by none other than Vizio's co-founder and CEO William Wang in a 2009 Wall Street Journal interview. Back then, almost all of Vizio's TVs were made by outsourced Vizio partners based out of China and Mexico, Mr. Wang had said.
Fast forward to almost 15 years later, in 2024, it seems the company has largely stuck to this tried and tested business model. In fact, the company only seems to have expanded its partnerships outside of North America.
The last official document that sheds some light on Vizio's recent manufacturing landscape dates back to 2021, and happens to be Vizio's annual reports. It reveals that the company has tie-ups with ODMs (Original Device Manufacturers) like BOE, Foxconn, Innolux, KIE, Tonly, TPV, and Zylux, with plants spread across China, Mexico, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Does Vizio make any of its products in America?
Contrary to the hopes of those seeking an American-made product, Vizio has yet to commence manufacturing its TVs in the United States. If we take a closer look at the 2021 Annual Report referenced earlier, it clearly states that the assembly of Vizio products happens abroad, which essentially means no manufacturing was taking place in America, at least until 2021.
However, the report is quick to add that Vizio retains control over design and development. On its website, Vizio has also confirmed that all of Vizio's products are conceptualized and designed by its team in California. The company essentially follows the same strategy as Apple, which designs almost everything inside its products in California but ends up offloading the manufacturing bit to third-party vendors elsewhere.
Nevertheless, with the fresh developments of February 2024, Vizio's manufacturing landscape could take an interesting turn. Vizio was in the news of late after the retail giant Walmart decided to acquire the consumer electronics company for $2.3 billion. This acquisition has sparked speculations about potential changes in Vizio.
Interestingly, initial indications aren't looking particularly good for Vizio TVs since Walmart has made it clear that they are more interested in Vizio's SmartCast operating system than the actual Vizio TVs. It remains unclear at this moment if Walmart intends to keep the Vizio brand alive and possibly turn it into the company's in-house TV brand.
If Walmart does double down on Vizio's TV business, there is the looming possibility that Walmart's extensive supply chain network could influence future Vizio manufacturing locations.