▁re fr iger ators ▁a ▁month , ▁and ▁the ▁factory ▁was ▁close ▁to ▁bank rupt cy . ▁The ▁Q ing da o ▁government ▁h ired ▁a ▁young ▁assistant ▁city - manager , ▁Z hang ▁Ru imin , ▁responsible ▁for ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁city - owned ▁app liance ▁companies . ▁Z hang ▁was ▁appointed ▁the ▁man aging ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁factory ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 . ▁ ▁Found ing ▁Ha ier ▁had ▁been ▁founded ▁as ▁Q ing da o ▁Re fr iger ator ▁Co . ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 . ▁With ▁China ▁opening ▁up ▁to ▁world ▁mark ets , ▁foreign ▁corpor ations ▁began ▁searching ▁for ▁partners hips ▁in ▁China . ▁One ▁of ▁these , ▁Germany ' s ▁re fr iger ator ▁company ▁Lie b herr , ▁entered ▁into ▁a ▁joint - vent ure ▁contract ▁with ▁Q ing da o ▁Re fr iger ator ▁Co ., ▁offering ▁technology ▁and ▁equipment ▁to ▁its ▁Chinese ▁counter part . ▁Re fr iger ators ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁manufact ured ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁Q ind ao - L ieb herr ▁( ). ▁The ▁current ▁brand ▁" Ha ier " ▁came ▁from ▁the ▁last ▁two ▁sy ll ables ▁of ▁the ▁Chinese ▁transl iter ation ▁of ▁Lie b herr ▁( ). ▁ ▁The ▁installation ▁of ▁Lie b herr ' s ▁equipment ▁and ▁technology ▁was ▁accompanied ▁with ▁new ▁quality ▁control ▁and ▁management ▁processes . ▁By ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁Q ing da o ▁Re fr iger ator ▁had ▁returned ▁to ▁profit ability ▁and ▁grew ▁in ▁sales