SMEG is the Rolls Royce of home appliances. The company’s line of iconic kitchen appliances dates back to its beginnings in the 1950s. SMEG appliances were famous throughout the 1950s and 1960s and have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity due in part to the popularity of their iconic vintage refrigerators SMEG has now expanded its product line to include freestanding kitchens and washing machines. Since its founding in 1948 by Italian Vittorio Bertazzoni, SMEG has continued to delight customers with its innovative design style and use of bright colours.
The founder of SMEG refrigerator, Vittorio Bertazzoni, was from a small town in Italy called Guastalla. He began his career as a manufacturer of enameled appliances. His unique designs and unusual color choices quickly earned him fame as a designer of quality home appliances. The company name is an acronym for Smalterie Metallurgiche Emiliane Guastalla, which means “Guastalla metal enameling factory”. The iconic portmanteau is popular due to the fact that the actual name is a bit difficult for non-Italian customers to remember or pronounce.
Although SMEG had very humble beginnings as a manufacturer of kitchen appliances, its innovative design concepts quickly gained popularity among European and American homeowners. The sleek design of the SMEG refrigerator was complemented by the variety of bright colors the refrigerator came in, giving consumers a way to brighten up their kitchen when they bought a new refrigerator. SMEG refrigerators are not only aesthetically pleasing, but are quality built and meant to last a lifetime. The original 1950’s SMEG refrigerators can still be found working in kitchens today.
SMEG refrigerators have become media icons and have been featured in films such as “East Enders” and “V for Vendetta”. Everyone is familiar with the SMEG aesthetic, even if they don’t know it. Their fame has kept them popular with the old and new generations.
Today the SMEG Company is still in the hands of the Bertazzoni family. Although Vittorio himself has retired, the company is today run by Roberto Bertazzoni. He is the current CEO and Chairman of SMEG. SMEG remains a privately owned company and its headquarters remain in Guastalla, where it all began.