More than 90 years have passed since the company was established by Axel Wenner-Gren. This visionary understood how to develop products for the future. Axel Wenner-Gren underlined Passion for Innovation, Customer Obsession, and Drive for Results, and these values still comprise the foundation for Electrolux operations.
Then
Passion for innovation
"This task is not an easy one, but one that will transform homes around the world," Axel Wenner-Gren said to the team of engineers and scientists sitting before him. Next to Wenner-Gren was a basic prototype of an absorption refrigerator created by two young engineers, Baltzar von Platen and Carl Munters, for a University degree project. Wenner-Gren’s decision to acquire the patent for the absorption refrigeration technology, which used electricity, gas or kerosene to circulate water and safely turn heat into cold, was his first step toward diversifying Electrolux. However, it was a bold step, because although Electrolux had secured its spot as the world leader in vacuum cleaners, absorption refrigeration was a concept that was far from fully developed.
"We now know that you can create cold through heat using water," Wenner-Gren said to the engineers. "But the problem with this technology
is that not all households have running water and every home from China to America will need a refrigeration machine." Wenner-Gren paused, and looked at each member of the team. "That is why we are going to cool with air, because we all have access to that."
Customer Obsession
Axel Wenner-Gren unfolded a sketch made during a board room meeting for a team of Electrolux engineers to examine. On the page was a drawing of a vacuum cleaner. Rather than standing like the traditionally shaped bucket, however, Wenner-Gren had sketched the vacuum cleaner laying on its side, with rounded edges and sled-like runners attached to the base. "This will be our next model," Wenner-Gren explained. The idea had come to him a few days earlier when a young salesman visited his office to report that a customer was having difficulties with her vacuum cleaner. The lady had told the salesman that her vacuum cleaned well, but that she found it tiring to lift and carry the machine throughout the house. From that moment, Wenner-Gren was resolute on making the vacuum cleaner move easier.
"This will be our next model"
Axel Wenner-Gren
Drive for Results
Axel Wenner-Gren barely noticed the stores as he walked down the biggest shopping street in Vienna. The year was 1908, Wenner-Gren was on his way to a meeting and his broad steps and freshly pressed suit signalled a sense of purpose. That is, however, until something caught his eye, 
brought him to a stop, and pulled him to a shop window for a closer look. Propped on display was a machine that must have weighed 20 kilos with a price tag that could suck up the savings of almost any wealthy household. Window shoppers either smirked at or ignored the industrial display, but Wenner-Gren couldn’t take his eyes away from it. In his mind, the machine became smaller, lighter, sleeker and less expensive. He envisioned women gliding small vacuum cleaners around their houses. He would bring convenience to houses around the world.
Importance of Design
Axel Wenner-Gren had visited Electrolux showrooms in around thirty countries, and was always amazed by how captivated people would get, even though nothing was actually for sale. The atmosphere in the showroom on this day was different, however. The crowd was still, hushed, and gathered around the latest addition to the Electrolux collection: the Model vacuum cleaner. The Model shaped by the internationally renowned industrial designer Lurelle Guild, was one of the first vacuum cleaners in history to be created with aesthetic appeal in mind. As cars and trains had become streamlined, Wenner-Gren saw the value in bringing a similar sleek elegance to home appliances. In fact, he had personally tracked down the foremost industrial designers, so that life for Electrolux customers would not only be cleaner and easier, but also more attractive. Looking at the Model vacuum cleaner, Wenner-Gren said to Guild: "You have given Electrolux products attractive design and perfect form."
Today
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Passion for InnovationFresh produce is valuable and should be handled as such. Consumers want refrigerators and freezers that preserve the nutritional value and freshness of food and lead to less being discarded. The latest models in the Electrolux range of refrigerators and freezers are equipped with FreshFrostFree technology, which means that fresh produce can now be preserved longer. In addition, food is cooled faster and vitamins are retained longer. |
Customer ObsessionUnderstanding consumer needs is the basis for all products developed by Electrolux. Since it was launched in 2004, the Ergorapido vacuum cleaner has been a success in homes all over the world. As well as helping to change cleaning habits, the timeless, elegant design of this product has become a natural feature in home decors. The latest version of the vacuum cleaner is the Ergorapido Plus Green. |
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Professional products operation has existed since the 1940s |
Drive for Results
Electrolux is the only appliances manufacturer in the industry to offer complete solutions for professionals and consumers. The Group’s professional products operation has existed since the 1940s and has developed through organic growth and several key acquisitions. Today, Electrolux is a leading producer of innovative, resource-efficient products for professional kitchens and laundries all over the world.
Importance of Design
In December 2010, the new Casa Electrolux concept was opened in a newly built facility in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Casa Electrolux is a product "embassy" where consumers, retailers, architects and other opinion-makers can experience the design and function of more than 200 innovative Electrolux products.
