Smeg

Founded in 1948 by Vittorio Bertazzoni as an enamelling and metalworking company, the company preserves the memory of its original purpose and location (Guastalla, Reggio Emilia) in the name acronymised as Smeg, Smalterie Metallurgiche Emiliane Guastalla ("Emilian Metallurgical Enamelling Works Guastalla").

During the 1950s, the company’s metalworking background was accompanied by the production of its first cooking appliances. In 1955, the company presented "Elizabeth", one of the first gas stoves equipped with automatic ignition, a safety valve in the oven and a cooking programmer.

In the 1960s, Smeg introduced its first washing machine, the Leda, and then the large 60 cm Niagara dishwasher, with capacity for 14 place settings.

In 1971, the company began production of built-in hobs and ovens.

In 2019, Smeg acquired the Italian espresso machine manufacturer La Pavoni, which continues to operate as part of the Smeg Group.

The design and manufacture of Smeg appliances is concentrated in four factories located 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 products 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.

Production takes place in six plants in Italy and China (Guastalla, Milan, Turin, Chieti, Bonferraro and Shenzhen). The subsidiary SMEG Deutschland GmbH is active in Germany. SMEG is represented worldwide with 17 branches, in the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, South Africa, the USA, Australia, Mexico, and Mozambique, as well as two representative offices in Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia.