Smeg S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of domestic appliances. Vittorio Bertazzoni founded the company in 1948 in the town of Guastalla, Reggio Emilia, Italy. The name is an acronym for Smalterie Metallurgiche Emiliane Guastalla. 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. The company also manufactures dishwashers, washing machines, ovens, microwaves, cooktops, freestanding cookers, rangehoods, refrigeration, wine cabinets, in-built coffee machines and small domestic appliances.
History
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.
Other activities
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.
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. 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, Mario Bellini, Renzo Piano and Marc Newson.
FAB retro-style appliances
In 1997, Smeg released their retro-style refrigerators. Produced 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 similar styling and colours extended the retro range. In 2014, Smeg extended the FAB 50s style range further, with a collection of small domestic appliances such as toasters and kettles.
Awards
2007: Domotica award for the head office, given during Green Architecture week. In the same year, the architect, Guido Canali, was also invested with the Medaglia d’Oro all’architettura italiana by Triennale di Milano for the same design, while Smeg won the Dedalo e Minosse award.
2015: Good Design Award, for the Victoria TR4110 cooker and the 60 cm oven, the kettle concept and the blender, and the LInea 45 cm oven
2016: Good Design Award, for the 45 cm Smeg wine coolers, the sommelier drawer, the 60 cm oven, the laminar flame hob with artistic grids and the mixed 90 cm hob, all from the new Dolce Stil Novo range
2017: Good Design Award, for the Dolce Stil Novo blast chiller, the 60 cm and 45 cm oven from the Linea range, the 90 cm free-standing Opera cooker with the new cavity. These products were accompanied by the HBF02 hand blender, the CJF01 citrus juicer and the ECF01 espresso coffee machine from the 50s Style range.
2018: Good Design Award, for the 120 cm free-standing Portofino cooker with double cavity, the wine cooler from the Linea range, the vacuum drawer, the new built-in coffee machine and the Dolce Stil Novo oven but also the TSF03 toaster and the DCF01 drip coffee machine from the 50s Style range.
iF Design Award: In 2015, the Smeg mixer SMF01 and the toaster TSF01 have received the iF Design Award, one of the most coveted seal of excellence composed by an international high-profile jury.
The toaster TSF01 have received the Red Dot Design Awards 2015. The toaster has met all the criteria of evaluation of the award jury, composed by international professionals experienced in design with various background.
Red Dot Design Award 2016: the TR4110 Victoria cooker have received the “Red Dot: Best of the Best” for top design quality and ground-breaking design and the BLF01 50s style blender for the “Red Dot for high design quality”.
iF Design Award 2017: the Portofino cooker and 45 cm Dolce Stil Novo wine coolers have received the iF Design Award, one of the most coveted seal of excellence composed by an international high-profile jury.
Red Dot Design Award 2017: the 50s style espresso coffee machine and the citrus juicer, the CPF9GM Portofino cooker and the CVI618N Dolce Stil Novo wine cooler.
Red Dot Design Award 2018: the SFP6102TVS Linea oven, the A1-9 free standing cooker and the SAB4604N Dolce Stil Novo blast chiller.
