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History
When Westye Bakke incorporated his freezer manufacturing business in 1945, he named it Sub-Zero Freezer Company, after his inspiration for the new standard in the safe freezing of food. Bakke’s freezers, unlike most, could keep food at a constant below-zero temperature.
In 1943, Westye F. Bakke built the first freestanding freezer in his Madison, Wisconsin, home, and he was able to meet the new below-zero quality standards. A businessman with a keen ability to anticipate refrigeration trends, he founded Sub-Zero Freezer Company just two years later.
By the mid-1950s, Sub-Zero’s new upright freezers were in such demand that a new plant was built to double the manufacturing space. Meanwhile, Westye’s son Bud was developing a built-in refrigerator, which, when customized to match a kitchen’s decor, could blend in and become virtually invisible. In summer 1972, the presidency of the company passed to Bud, but Westye continued to serve on the board until his death in 1974. The appointment of Homer Price as president instigated ambitious sales targets and a new, unlimited warranty — the best in the industry — to guarantee customer satisfaction. In the 1980s, Sub-Zero expanded into a new plant in Phoenix, and Jim Bakke, Westye’s grandson, took over as president and CEO.
The year 1995 ushered in a new era of Sub-Zero innovation with the introduction of a revolutionary concept in refrigeration: an integrated system, which provided the consumer with a choice of components, while 1998 saw the introduction of premium wine storage systems.
A new century finds Sub-Zero stronger than ever, with roots still in Madison and products sold internationally. The acquisition of the Wolf Gourmet name in 2000 led to the birth of a brand-new cooking company: Wolf Appliance Company. In order to support this new brand of cooking appliances, Jim Bakke built a state-of-the-art manufacturing complex in the outskirts of Madison. Together, Sub-Zero and Wolf provide an unsurpassed range of award-winning, highly desirable appliances, offering superior performance and leading-edge design.
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