Viking Range - History

History

In the 1980s Fred Carl, Jr., founder and CEO of Viking Range, discovered some major flaws in the design of commercial appliances with respect to their installation in a residential kitchen he was designing for his family. These flaws among other things made them impractical and undesirable for use in the home. After much research and development, Carl worked through the problems and finally introduced the first commercial-type range in 1987. The unanticipated volume and growth experienced by Viking quickly overwhelmed the capacity and capabilities of the California manufacturer and production was subsequently moved to a household appliance manufacturer in eastern Tennessee that was more accustomed to larger volumes. Although this company provided some degree of improvement, various problems and challenges persisted which were beyond Carl's control and he knew another change had to be made. Therefore, in October 1989, Viking began preparations for manufacturing its own product line in Carl's hometown of Greenwood, Mississippi, located in the historic Mississippi Delta. By February 1990, the first Viking-produced range top went into production. Production of the 48-inch range followed in April, and by July 1990, all models were in production in Greenwood. For the first time Viking assumed full responsibility for the in-house manufacture of its own product line. Since then the company has expanded with its increased success and currently manufactures such premium items as cookware, dishwashers, cutlery and professional counter top appliances.