A branding expert says Fisher & Paykel Appliances is just trying to keep up with being a global brand.

The company announced it will close it's East Tamaki factory in Auckland and take it's manufacturing offshore, taking around 180 jobs with it.

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Brand strategist at Radiation Jill Brinsden said for quite some time Fisher & Paykel has been sought after on the world stage.

"We're proud that they're a global player on the global stage and unfortunately this is just now one of the ramifications of it to have to stay competitive and relevant in the marketplace, they have to follow the crowd unfortunately."

Ms Brinsden said it's a sad day in Fisher & Paykel's history, but shouldn't tarnish the company's image locally.

"But it certainly won't be the end of how New Zealanders have held that brand, along with many other brands that now have to manufacture off shore, close to our hearts as one of ours that originated from our place."

Employers and Manufacturers Association Kim Campbell said the writing was on the wall.

"Interestingly labour costs are becoming less these days because of automation but being a long way away from markets is a disadvantage, so it was probably going to be inevitable anyway that we wouldn't be making these kind of appliances in New Zealand."

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