Viking Variety Corporation - More Than Just a High-End Grill Manufacturer7273508
Some of the most innovative inventions stem from someone looking for a product that hasn't been produced yet. That's what occurred to Fred Carl Jr., the founder of Viking Range Corporation, when he was looking to renovate his home more than twenty years ago. As a fourth generation contractor, he was familiar with the good and negative attributes of commercial ranges, and noticed them appearing in residential homes. Realizing there wasn't a residential appliance out there that met each the rigors of high-heat restaurant-style cooking yet still conformed to strict building codes, he decided to create his own hybrid range. Following several years of research and development, by January of 1987 Fred Carl Jr. was distributing the first commercial-style residential range.
Today, Viking Range Corporation earns much more than 300 million dollars in annual sales and employs more than 1,000 local Greenwood, Mississippi residents. Being a lifelong Greenwood citizen, Carl Jr. just could not grow his business anywhere else. With a 87,000 square foot manufacturing plant and a number of distribution centers located in the Greenwood region, Carl Jr. has not only created one of the largest privately held businesses in the South, but also brought revenue to this depressed small town. Home to cotton, catfish, and the blues, the Mississippi delta region is one of the most impoverished in the nation, which is all the much more reason to praise Carl Jr. for his commitment and dedication to his hometown.
Carl Jr., in reality, has reinvigorated a dilapidated downtown, known as historic Cotton Row, and converted many abandoned buildings into Viking destinations. A Viking Mecca, so to speak, with 23 restored buildings and still counting. The Viking headquarters requires up two blocks of downtown and is located close to Viking's Alluvain Hotel and Spa, a luxury hotel and 7,000 square foot spa that entertains not only Viking dealers and sales representatives, but also customers and would-be customers who want to tour the Viking plant or take a cooking class at the nearby Viking Cooking School. But even if you do not make the pilgrimage to Greenwood, you can nonetheless test out your cooking abilities on a Viking variety at any of the 16 Viking Cooking Schools scattered across the nation. These state-of-the-art demo and lecture-style Viking classrooms draw much more than 70,000 students annually and provide classes from regional cuisine to formal cooking and grilling methods.
More than the years, Carl Jr. has added high-performance appliances to the Viking line up. From the first Viking outside grill in 1997 to a full outdoor kitchen line up in 2004, Carl Jr. has created appliances for the Viking indoor and outside kitchen that exceed expectations. The newest line is the Designer Series, a full line of appliances that appeals to the homeowner looking for a more modern, streamlined design that can be integrated into existing cabinetry. It is a more modern look with a much more competitive price point.
Viking manufactures virtually every appliance for the home including ranges, ovens, cook tops, dishwashers, refrigerators, and freezers. Countertop appliances such as toasters and blenders and cutlery also bear the Viking brand name. All products are manufactured in the United States and sold worldwide. And if you believe that Viking only produces stainless steel appliances, believe once more. Hot new colors from cobalt blue to racing red define a cooking space and visually entertain the eye, making the ideal blend of high-performance output with trend-setting style.
Even with the economic downturn, Viking Range Corporation has a bright future with its powerhouse appliances offering trend-focused styling and durable building. Carl Jr. has produced a way of life brand synonymous with a luxury way of life that many strive to live.
