The Miele Heritage and how it changed the world
MANILA, Philippines - Back in the old days, butter was a highly prized commodity treasured for its versatile uses including as main ingredient in many dishes. But it was also painstaking to make, which is why it was not surprising that a butter churn was the first product Miele invented more than 100 years ago.
To make the process of butter-making less tedious and the lives of many a farmer’s wife a lot easier, Miele created the Meteor butter churn. It was also this same contraption that provided the German company the framework for one of the world’s first washing machines in 1901, a manually operated tub that featured the design and mechanism of a butter churn.
The success of the Model A washing machine was followed by equally ingenious inventions and pioneering technologies including an automated version of the tub released in 1911 and the water-powered washing machine in 1914, as well as the world’s first automatic dishwasher in 1929.
Miele, Europe’s leading manufacturer of premium home appliances, built its legacy on premium domestic appliances and is known today for creating some of the most innovative products that not only adapt to people’s changing needs, but also meet the highest standards of durability, performance, energy efficiency and design.
One legacy, two families
Much of Miele’s accomplishment through the years can be traced back to an unwavering leadership passed on from one generation to the next.
Founded in 1899 by Carl Miele and Reinhard Zinkann in Herzebrock, Germany near Gütersloh, the company never went public and is still run by fourth generation members of both families, including Dr. Markus Miele and Dr. Reinhard Zinkann who sit as executive directors.
“The main success factor for what we do is that we are still family owned and family run,” said Athmane Lakhlifi, Miele export sales director. “We are really driven by values, which is hardly found in a stock market.”
Such deep regard for family values is what held the company together during tumultuous times, sailing past two world wars, several changes in government, and financial crises. And even with their limited resources back then — 11 employees and sparse machinery — Carl Miele and Reinhard Zinkann steered the company to new heights and became Germany’s largest specialist factory for washing machines and butter churns.
Forever better
Getting inside the mind of customers — that is, anticipating their needs even before they ask for it — gave Miele an edge over its toughest rivals. The company solved everyday problems by looking around and figuring out how to do things that would bring efficiency and improve user experience.
Its principle of “immer besser,” which means “forever better” in German, encapsulates the kind of products that came out of its factories: unsurpassed quality and performance that have been lauded even by the most hard-to-please of customers such as Apple founder and innovator Steve Jobs.
They ended up getting a Miele washer and dryer made in Germany, “I got more thrill out of them than I have out of any piece of high tech in years,” Jobs said. (from the book Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson).
Its latest innovation, The Miele Generation 6000 appliances, sets new benchmarks in design, technology and innovation. This series was designed on the principle of “Design for Life,” which means all Miele appliances are tested to last 20 years and that each appliance flawlessly complements another in form, function and materials to elevate the culinary experience.
Today, Miele has over 17,000 employees and is represented in almost 100 countries around the world. It now operates 12 factories manufacturing not just washing machines but kitchen appliances and vacuum cleaners as well.
Miele is distributed exclusively by Focus Global Inc. It has showrooms at Twenty-Four Seven McKinley, 24th Street cor. 7th Avenue McKinley Parkway, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, 705-9999 (open Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.); Pioneer corner Reliance Sts., Mandaluyong, 634-8587 (open Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.); The Residences at Greenbelt San Lorenzo Tower, Esperanza Street, Makati City, 794-2095 to 96, 794-2097 (open Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.); and Design Center of Cebu, P. Remedios corner A.S. Fortuna Sts., Mandaue City, Cebu, +6332 520-9888/238-7605, fax +6332 239-2844 (open Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.).
