Smeg (appliances)

Vittorio Bertazzoni Snr founded Smeg in 1948. The company originally specialised in enamelling and metalwork. It soon began to produce cooking appliances. "Elisabeth", launched in 1956, was one of the first gas ranges to include 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. 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 sinks and hoods after buying Apell, an Italian manufacturer of extractor hoods, sinks and taps based in Ancona. In the 2019 Smeg took control of "La Pavoni", a historic manufacturer of coffee machines, based in San Giuliano Milanese.

Having started in the residential sector, Smeg later entered the commercial market. Smeg Food Service manufactures appliances for the hotel, restaurant and catering market and Smeg Instruments supplies disinfection equipment to hospitals and dental surgeries.

The design and manufacture of Smeg appliances is concentrated in four factories based in Northern Italy, each specialising in a specific type of appliance. Smeg has subsidiaries worldwide, overseas offices and an extensive sales network. Smeg has developed a product collection in collaboration with architects and designers, including Guido Canali (who also designed the company headquarters in Guastalla), Mario Bellini, Renzo Piano, Marc Newson and deepdesign.

Refrigerator with a retro style

In 1997, Smeg released their retro-style refrigerators. Produced in several 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.

In 2014, Smeg extended the FAB 50s style range further, with a collection of small domestic appliances such as toasters and kettles.

• 2010: Good Design Award granted by the Chicago Athenaeum, Museum of Architecture and Design and the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies, for their FP610SG oven and the P755SBL hob from the innovative Newson product line.[1]

• List of Italian companies