Gold Peak Industries Limited is a Hong Kong-based multinational battery manufacturer established in 1964. They are listed on Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 1984. The Group has built few brand names for its major product categories, such as GP batteries, KEF premium consumer loudspeakers and Celestion professional loudspeakers. Gold Peak Industries Limited currently owns 85% interest in GP Industries while GP Industries holds an approximately 62% interest in GP Batteries. Both GP Industries and GP Batteries are publicly listed in Singapore.
GP Industries Limited
GP Industries is mainly engaged in the development, manufacture and marketing of electronics and acoustics products. This includes KEF consumer speakers and Celestion professional speaker drivers.
Automotive wire harnesses
GP Industries is one of China's leading manufacturers of automotive wire harnesses for the domestic market. Furthermore it supplies Japanese, European and American automobiles. The products are supplied to major Chinese JV automakers including Shanghai Volkswagen, Shanghai General Motors and Cummins worldwide operations. In addition, the products are also supplied to the second tier customers like Shanghai Koito in China, as well as Valeo, Decoma and Visteon in the US.
GP Batteries manufactures and markets batteries and battery-related products including primary batteries, rechargeable batteries and chargers which includes portable solar chargers. They are one of Asia's largest battery manufacturing companies. GPBI supplies battery products to original equipment manufacturers, leading battery companies as well as consumer retail markets under the GP brand name. GP Batteries also produces batteries for electric vehicles and emergency starter batteries using thin metal filmlead acid technology.
Workers at GP factories have been routinely exposed to Cadmium dust, an extremely toxic chemical used in the manufacture of batteries that can cause kidney failure, lung cancer and bone disease. In 2006 more than 100 female factory workers in southern China attempted to sue their former employers over suspected cadmium poisoning. On 24 August 2010, over a hundred workers protested outside GP's factory in Huizhou. GP had promised compensation to workers affected by poisoning but severely reduced the negotiated amount offering a "take it or leave it" situation. Karin Mak's documentary Red Dust follows female workers fighting for medical care from their former employer, China's GP Batteries factory, after suffering years of cadmium poisoning.
