Premium American appliance brand Viking is now available from Middleby UK, the wholly owned subsidiary of The Middleby Corporation based in Illinois. Middleby UK, based near Wigan, has a long history of supplying the company’s commercial catering brands, including Pitco, Middleby Marshall, Blodgett, Houno, Brema and Holman.
The Middleby Corporation, listed among the top 100 on the New York NASDAQ, purchased the Viking brand, along with all manufacturing, sales and marketing infrastructure in 2013. Following a period of restructure and investment, which has included a brand new 50,000 sq ft UK headquarters building in Goldborne, the company will re-launch the Viking brand to highly specialist retailers and interior designers.
Former Samsung Appliances employee Stephen Stroud has been heading up the residential sales division since January 2014. He commented: “We’ve been working away in the background for almost 12 months to ensure that Viking customers get the service the brand demands. We’ve taken over all legacy servicing and taken a good hard look at the entire range in the UK. It’s important to make clear we’re not just distributing the range; Middleby Corporation own Viking which means it will receive the investment it needs to enable it to reach its potential. Viking is a highly specialist product range and we anticipate much of its growth coming through designer specification. It’s our job to make the products available, to look after them all properly and convey the American Dream.”
Middleby UK managing director Adrian Wood added: “Middleby is well known internationally and nationally for its commercial catering brands. The company is hugely successful and growing strongly by acquisition. The Viking brand is a perfect fit for Middleby, while moving us into the high end of the residential market – a market that also offers us potential with our other brands. During early summer we will unveil a brand new 10,000 sq ft dedicated Viking showroom. It will take pride of place alongside all our other brands and be an inspiring destination showroom for consumers used to an extraordinary buying experience.”
