Electrolux

AB Electrolux
Public Aktiebolag
Traded as Nasdaq Stockholm: ELUX B
Industry Home appliance
Founded 1919 (1919)
Headquarters Stockholm, Sweden
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Jonas Samuelson (President and CEO), Ronnie Leten (Chairman)
Products Major appliances, Small appliances
Revenue SEK 123.51 billion (2015)[1]
SEK 2.74 billion (2015)[1]
Profit SEK 1.56 billion (2015)[1]
Total assets SEK 83.47 billion (end 2015)[1]
Total equity SEK 14.97 billion (end 2015)[1]
Number of employees
55,245 (2015)[1]
Parent Investor AB (13.6%)
Website www.electrolux.com

AB Electrolux (commonly known as Electrolux) is a Swedish multinational home appliance manufacturer, headquartered in Stockholm.[2] It is consistently ranked the world's second-largest appliance maker by units sold (after Whirlpool).[3] Electrolux products sell under a variety of brand names (including its own), and are primarily major appliances and vacuum cleaners intended for consumer use.[4] The company also makes appliances for professional use.[5]

Electrolux has a primary listing on the Stockholm Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the OMX Stockholm 30 index.

History

The Autoluxlamp, a kerosene lamp manufactured by Lux and used in railway stations around the world in the early 20th century.

The company originates from a merger of two companies—Lux AB and Svenska Elektron AB, the former an established manufacturer and the latter a younger company founded by a former vacuum salesman who had also been an employee of the former firm.[6] The origins of Electrolux are closely tied to the vacuum, but today it also makes major appliances.

Sales company to major manufacturer

In 1919 a Svenska Elektron AB acquisition,[6] Elektromekaniska AB, became Elektrolux[7] (the spelling was changed to Electrolux in 1957.)[8] It initially sold Lux-branded vacuum cleaners in several European countries.[7]

In 1923, the company acquired AB Arctic and subsequently added absorption refrigerators to its product line.[9][10] Other appliances soon followed, including washing machines in 1951,[11] dishwashers in 1959,[11] and food service equipment in 1962.[12]

Mergers and acquisitions

The company has often and regularly expanded through mergers and acquisitions.

While Electrolux had bought several companies before the 1960s, that decade saw the beginnings of a new wave of M&A activity. The company bought ElektroHelios, Norwegian Elektra, Danish Atlas, Finnish Slev, and Flymo, et al., in the nine years from 1960 to 1969.[12] This style of growth continued through the 1990s, seeing Electrolux purchase scores[13] of companies including, for a time, Husqvarna.[13][14]

Hans Werthen

Hans Werthen, President and later Chairman of the Board, led the strategic core of an increasingly decentralized Electrolux—and was instrumental to its rapid growth.

Restructuring

While attempts to cut costs, centralise administration, and wring out economies of scale from Electrolux's operations were made in the 1960s and 1970s[12][13] with the focus so firmly on growth,[13] further company-wide restructuring efforts only began in the late 1990s.[15]

A public company

Vacuum Cleaner designed by Lurelle Guild ca. 1937 Brooklyn Museum

Electrolux made an initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange in 1928 (it was delisted in 2010)[16] and another on the Stockholm Stock Exchange in 1930.[10][17]

Currently, its shares trade on the NASDAQ OMX Nordic Market and over-the-counter.[18] Electrolux is an OMX Nordic 40 constituent stock.

2000 to present

In North America, the Electrolux name was long used by vacuum cleaner manufacturer Aerus LLC, originally established to sell Swedish Electrolux products. In 2000, Aerus transferred trademark rights back to the Electrolux Group, and ceased using the Electrolux name in 2004.[19] Conversely, Electrolux-made vacuums carried the Eureka brand name, which Electrolux continued to use while also selling Electrolux-branded vacuums after 2000. Electrolux USA customer service maintains a database of Electrolux-made vacuums and provides a link to Aerus's website for the convenience of owners of Electrolux-branded Aerus vacuums.[20]

Keith McLoughlin took over as President and CEO on January 1, 2011, and became the company's first non-Swedish chief executive.

In August 2011, Electrolux acquired from Sigdo Koppers the Chilean appliance manufacturer CTI obtaining several brands with the purchase including: Fensa, Gafa, Mademsa and Somela.[21]

On February 6, 2017, Electrolux announced that it had agreed to acquire Anova Applied Electronics, Inc.,[22] the U.S. based provider of the Anova Precision Cooker.[23][24]

Notable products

Electrolux Assistent, 1940.

Brands

An Electrolux canister vacuum cleaner

Electrolux sells under a wide variety of brand names worldwide. Most of them were acquired through mergers and acquisitions and only do business in a single country or geographic area. The following is an incomplete list.

Europe
Australia and Oceania
North America
Latin America
Middle East
Global/other

Note: This list does not include brands such as Kenmore and John Lewis, which may sell Electrolux-produced appliances but are not owned by or affiliated with Electrolux, as Electrolux acts as an OEM for these brands.

Slogan

The company's current international slogan is "Thinking of you".[54]

In the 1960s the company successfully marketed vacuums in the United Kingdom with the slogan "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux".[55] In the United States it was frequently assumed that using this slogan was a brand blunder. In fact, the informal US meaning of the word sucks was already well known in the UK at the time, and the company hoped the slogan, with its possible double entendre, would gain attention.[56]

In Indonesia, the Electrolux previous slogans as "Kalau saja semua seawet Electrolux"

Controversy

In 2003 the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission resolved a complaint that Muslim workers at the St. Cloud factory were not allowed a sufficient number of breaks to observe their daily prayers.[57]

In 2010 and again in 2011 complaints against the company were filed by Muslim workers in Electrolux's plant in St. Cloud, Minnesota, with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The 2010 complaint, that workers were not able to observe Ramadan, was resolved.[58] The 2011 complaint stems from the 30-minute breaks agreed to in 2010 being later reduced to 20 minutes by Electrolux.[59]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Annual Results 2014" (PDF). Electrolux. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  2. "Electrolux Group Headquarter". Electrolux. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  3. "Major Appliances Millionaires Club - new 2010 company rankings". euromonitor.com. Euromonitor International. December 3, 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
  4. "National consumer brands; Electrolux Group". Electrolux.com. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  5. "About Electrolux: Products". Group.electrolux.com. 2013-03-26. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
  6. 1 2 Gantz, Carroll (2012). The Vacuum Cleaner: A History. McFarland. ISBN 9780786465521.
  7. 1 2 "Founding an international company; Electrolux Group". Group.electrolux.com. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  8. "Elektrolux becomes Electrolux; Electrolux Group". Group.electrolux.com. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  9. "Revolutionary products; Electrolux Group". Group.electrolux.com. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  10. 1 2 3 "History 1920-1929 | Electrolux Group". Group.electrolux.com. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  11. 1 2 3 "History 1950-1959 | Electrolux Group". Group.electrolux.com. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  12. 1 2 3 "History 1960-1969 | Electrolux Group". Group.electrolux.com. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "A new president with new strategies | Electrolux Group". Group.electrolux.com. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
  14. "History 1970-1979 | Electrolux Group". Group.electrolux.com. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
  15. "History 1990-1999 | Electrolux Group". Group.electrolux.com. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
  16. "Electrolux delisted from the London Stock Exchange ; Electrolux Group". Group.electrolux.com. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  17. 1 2 3 "Growth and industrial design ; Electrolux Group". Group.electrolux.com. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  18. "The Electrolux share | Electrolux Group". Group.electrolux.com. Retrieved 2010-09-02.
  19. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
  20. Kitchen Appliances Manufacturers Best Kitchen Brand in India
  21. "Electrolux acquires Chilean appliance company CTI | Electrolux Group". Group.electrolux.com. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
  22. 1 2 "Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy | Anova Culinary". Anova Culinary. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
  23. 1 2 "Electrolux To Acquire Fast Growing Smart Kitchen Appliance Company Anova" (PDF). ElectroluxGroup.com. Electrolux. 6 February 2017.
  24. 1 2 Svajian, Stephen (6 February 2017). "Everybody Has A Seat At The Table". AnovaCulinary.com. Anova.
  25. "Svensk Köksmaskin Hushållsassistent Köksassistent Kitchen machine Kitchen Assistant - Bäst i Test". Assistent Original. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  26. "History 1940-1949 | Electrolux Group". Group.electrolux.com. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  27. "Trilobite 2.0". Trilobite.electrolux.com. Retrieved 2010-09-02.
  28. "Elektro Helios". Brand. Electrolux Group. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  29. "Faure". Brand. Electrolux Group. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  30. "Marijnen". Brand. Electrolux Group. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  31. "Progress". Brand. Electrolux Group. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  32. "Rex Electrolux". Brand. Electrolux Group. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  33. "Rosenlew". Brand. Electrolux Group. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  34. "Voss-Electrolux". Brand. Electrolux Group. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  35. "Zanker". Brand. Electrolux Group. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  36. "Electrolux / 90 Years of Innovation and Design". Singapore: Electrolux Singapore. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  37. "Zanussi Professional". Brand. Electrolux Group. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  38. "Zoppas". Brand. Electrolux Group. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  39. http://dishlex.com.au/AboutUs
  40. "Kelvinator Commercial".
  41. "Simpson". Brand. Electrolux Group. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  42. "About Westinghouse". www.westinghouse.com.au. Australia. Retrieved 2016-08-26.
  43. "Official Electrolux ICON Site - Electrolux ICON Appliances". Electroluxicon.com. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  44. "Eureka". Brand. Electrolux Group. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  45. "Gibson acquired by Hupp Corporation". Brand. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  46. "Somela - Exportaciones". Chile: Somela.cl. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
  47. "Beam". Brand. Electrolux Group. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  48. "Dito-Electrolux". Brand. Electrolux Group. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  49. "Frigidaire". Brand. Electrolux Group. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  50. "Juno-Electrolux". Brand. Electrolux Group. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  51. "Molteni". Brand. Electrolux Group. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  52. "Tornado". Brand. Electrolux Group. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  53. "Volta". Brand. Electrolux Group. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
  54. "Vac from the Sea". Electrolux.se. 2011-12-10. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
  55. "The Project Gutenberg Etext of The New Hacker's Dictionary version 4.2.2". Gutenberg.org. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
  56. "EEOC and Electrolux Reach Voluntary Resolution in Class Religious Accommodation Case". Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 2003-09-24. Retrieved 2012-06-16.
  57. "EEOC and Electrolux Reach Settlement in Religious Accommodation Charge Brought by Muslim Employees". Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 2010-08-06. Retrieved 2012-06-16.
  58. "Muslim St. Cloud Electrolux workers file EEOC complaint". Minnesota Public Radio. 2011-08-23. Retrieved 2012-06-16.
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