100 years: Miele story

Miele is a German manufacturer of high quality domestic appliances and machines for commercial applications. The company was founded more than 108 years ago in 1899 by Carl Miele and Reinhard Zinkann and has always been a family-owned, family-run company.

Miele aims to manufacture the highest-quality domestic appliances and commercial equipment in the world and to be seen by markets worldwide as providing an absolutely top-class household product.

In the words of our founding fathers, Carl Miele and Reinhard Zinkann, "Success is only possible in the long term if one is totally and utterly convinced of the quality of one's products." Therefore, continuous innovation is the foundation of our business success.

The customer, for whom we provide first-class products and services, is at the center of attention. Thanks to this company philosophy which focuses on the dynamic development of quality and technology, the Miele brand is now identified with unsurpassed product quality.

1899           Foundation of Miele & Cie.; production of cream separators
1900           Production of butter churns and washing machines

1912-1914           Production of motorcars (125 vehicles)

1914           First washing machine with an electric motor; Branches set up in Brussels, Buenos Aires, Paris, Warsaw and Vienna
1924-1960           Production of bicycles and motorcycles in Bielefeld
1927           Production of first vacuum cleaners
1929           Production of Europe’s first electric dishwasher

 

 

1956           First fully-automatic washing machine
1958           First domestic tumble dryer

1978           First microprocessor-controlled washing machines, dryers and dishwashers

1997           First washing machine with a program for hand-washable woollens; first mobile receiver to process data transmitted by Miele domestic appliances

2001           Launch of the patented honeycomb drum
2003           Navitronic washing machines and tumble dryers with ‘Automatic’ program
2004           New G 1000/G 2000 dishwasher series using patented production process
2005           TouchControl operation for dishwashers, cookers, steam cookers and microwaves
37th Miele subsidiary set up in Korea
2006           New washing machine/tumble dryer series with innovative design