Products Home appliances Founded 1948 | Founder Vittorio Bertazzoni Type of business Private | |
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Key people Vittorio Bertazzoni, founder. Roberto Bertazzoni, current Chairman and CEO Subsidiaries Smeg Australia Pty Ltd, SMEG SVERIGE AB, SMEG France SA, Smeg USA Inc. | ||
Smeg is an Italian manufacturer owned by beko of upmarket domestic appliances. Vittorio Bertazzoni founded the company in 1948 in the village of Guastalla, Reggio Emilia, Italy. The name is an acronym for Smalterie Metallurgiche Emiliane Guastalla ("Emilian metallurgical enamel works of Guastalla").
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The company remains in the private ownership of the Bertazzoni family with its headquarters still in Guastalla. Smeg is best known for its FAB range of 1950s-style, retro refrigerators that have curved corners and come in a variety of non-traditional colors and patterns. The company also manufactures dishwashers (freestanding - available in FAB style, semi-integrated and fully integrated), washing machines, ovens, microwaves, cooktops, freestanding cookers, rangehoods, refrigeration, wine cabinets, in-built coffee machines.
History
Vittorio Bertazzoni Snr founded Smeg in 1948. The company originally specialised in enamelling and metalwork. It soon began to produce innovative cooking appliances. "Elisabeth", launched in 1956, was one of the first gas ranges to feature automatic ignition, safety valves in the oven and a cooking programmer.
In the 1960s, the washing range was introduced with the production of the first Smeg dishwashers, which soon led to a world premiere in 1970: the first 60 cm wide dishwashers with capacity for 14 place settings. High performance hobs and ovens were then designed and produced from the mid 1970s and, during the 1990s, Smeg completed its product range with the introduction of distinctive sinks and hoods after buying Apell, an Italian manufacturer of extractor hoods, sinks and taps based in Ancona.
Other activities
Having established itself in the residential sector, Smeg later entered the commercial market. Smeg Food Service manufactures appliances for the professional hotel, restaurant and catering market and Smeg Instruments supplies disinfection equipment to hospitals and dental surgeries.
Business
The design and manufacture of Smeg appliances is concentrated in three factories based in Northern Italy, each specialising in a specific type of appliance. Excluding the United Kingdom, the company operates sixteen subsidiaries (France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Portugal, Russia, Ukraine, United States, South Africa, Denmark, Australia, Mozambique, Kazakhstan, Poland, Mexico), as well as two representative offices in Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia with a network of distributors around the world.
Smeg has developed an extensive product collection in collaboration with architects and designers, including Guido Canali (who also designed the company headquarters in Guastalla), Mario Bellini, Renzo Piano and Marc Newson.
FAB retro-style appliances
In 1997, Smeg unveiled their range of retro-style refrigerators. Offered in five colours, the FAB28 bore the distinctive SMEG lettering, deep curved doors and a chunky handle evocative of the 1950s.
Fridge-freezer versions followed and colour options expanded to include pink, yellow, orange and lime plus special editions, including a Union Jack door. Dishwashers and washing machines in complementary styling and colours extended the retro range.