The 60th edition of the Kbis, Kitchen and bath industry show, the most important trade fair event in North America, dedicated to products, systems and equipment for the bathroom and kitchen. The event - in which Italian companies also participate - was preceded by a very important announcement from Whirlpool because it marks a strong relaunch of the company in North America following the withdrawal from Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa following the sale of 75 percent of its subsidiaries to Turkey ARÇELİK. The company has in fact signed a commercial joint with the European company Explore, a prestigious brand in the induction cooking and air treatment area, for the distribution in North America of the very high-end induction hob collections with downdraft, under the brands of the two subsidiaries, Jenny Air and Kitchen Aid.
Whirlpool grows stronger with hi-tech induction cookers
It is no coincidence that Whirlpool chose Kbis for this announcement, first of all because it marks its major return to world fairs (it will also return to the next Eurocucina). And then because it decided to promote the launch in North America of hi-tech electric induction cooking, which is increasingly widespread elsewhere, instead of gas. And it will predictably have, with its substantial market share, a great influence on changes in Americans' cooking habits, strengthening itself in the built-in cooking segment which is worth and growing a lot (8 billion dollars in 2022).
Kbis, why Whirlpool chose the North American fair
The announcement of the agreement was made at Kbis because it is an irreplaceable platform for those who want to be protagonists on the gigantic and rich market of kitchen lovers of the American area.
The Kbis is in fact organized by the two most powerful associations in the sector, the National kitchen & bath association (NKBA), representing nearly 50.000 North American kitchen and bath industry professionals, in partnership with the National association of homebuilders international builders show (Ibs), which brings together the world of North American design and construction. Over 100 thousand visitors are expected in the three opening days, in an area of 100 thousand square meters net with more than a thousand exhibitors also coming from abroad. The Kbis formula, in its complexity, responds to the different needs of professionals in the sectors involved. Great space for design with a series of product awards, and a series of conferences and professional meetings, with demonstrations to put designers, manufacturers, companies, retailers and distributors in contact with each other. In particular the “Designhounds changemaker conference” aims to delve into the values and roles of human-centered designers in a rapidly evolving sector with high integration of international experiences. An evolution towards the design of a traditionally commercial fair but which increasingly welcomes exhibitors, contributions and visitors not only from North America.
Whirlpool-Bora, how the agreement was born
The agreement with the prestigious German-Austrian brand Explore (Bora Lüftungstechnik Gmbh) mainly concerns the (very expensive) collections of induction hobs, those with downdraft, the integrated fume extraction system in the plan, invented by Bora himself, who made his highly refined and technological plans famous throughout the world. Innovation has become - due to its significant formal and functional content - a trend established and taken up by all other manufacturers. In summary, the downdraft is a suction or filtering area located in the centre, next to the cooking areas that produce odors, fumes and vapours, which can replace the use of a hood in many cases. The announcement of the agreement is not only important for the corporate aspect but also because it marks a decisive turning point in the Whirlpool strategy, which in the United States has always produced and distributed gas hobs and cookers according to a tradition that is still dominant on the American market, unlike in Europe where induction cooking is spreading. As for the Whirlpool brand induction cooking segment, this is produced in Europe, in the Italian factory Indesit of Melano, in the Marche region, one of the most advanced and efficient hubs of the group.
The green transition of cooking
The announcement comes just as several states have placed limits on the use of gas for cooking in new buildings, both for greater electricity safety and for a more sustainable use of cooking appliances. And in fact the sale of induction hobs has grown in North America by 50 percent in the last seven years with very positive forecasts. “The appeal of the design, the health benefits – said a Whirlpool spokesperson – is a slow but steady spread of local restrictions on gas hobs in new construction (although some of these restrictions have been revoked) have led to an increase in the adoption of a technology introduced almost a century ago.” They are also changing, according to one Houzz study on kitchen trends of 2024, Americans' tendencies in choosing the location and layout of the kitchen. In fact, as many as 43% of renovations include a kitchen open onto the living room with the possibility of freely choosing the position of the hob without necessarily having to connect it to the traditional hood above. The extraction system integrated into the hob in fact eliminates most of the odors and fumes at the source, where they form. “It's the first time since Bora started that I've given away the rights to the technology,” he said Willi Bruckbauer, founder of the company. “I founded the company in 2007. More and more people liked the idea, as well as the product, and now it is ready to go from Europe to the United States.”
