Fulgor Milano, a luxury brand in the built-in household appliances sector, is recognized for the mastery and craftsmanship inherent in its product lines, appreciated worldwide thanks to a particularly extensive distribution network. The company’s mission lies in fully satisfying demanding consumers in search of uniqueness, exclusivity and technology at the highest level.
That – in a nutshell – is Fulgor Milano’s contribution to redefining the concept of the kitchen of the future: continuous cooktops in ultra-performing materials, clean lines with an elegant and modern appearance, never without a distinctive material or visible feature. Already known for its strong identity, the brand has undertaken a new development path. In 2009, thanks to the intuition of Gianni Meneghetti – the entrepreneur fascinated by the pioneering and innovative spirit of the brand – decided to acquire Fulgor in Gallarate and integrate it with his company Meneghetti Spa, for the global market and significantly increase the export share, particularly towards North America.
Incorporated into the Meneghetti Spa production lines, the brand was reinvented as Fulgor Milano to create a greater depth of range of professional products made in the Vicenza province, to integrate the activities successfully carried out until then in the sector of the production of household appliances for third parties, to follow up on the launch of new and proprietary products on the global market. Fulgor Milano, which celebrated 75 years of history, is one of the few Italian household appliance brands currently present worldwide. At the time of the acquisition, it was already present in North America and continued its expansion between the USA and Canada by developing retail and contract channels. Thanks to the opening of three new showrooms, Fulgor Milano currently has 60 single-brand stores in China. The brand is present in Australia and the Middle East as a luxury brand and distributed throughout Europe and the United Kingdom. Furthermore, it recently acquired new distributors in Mexico and Brazil.
The company has adopted the principles of the lean production method, implementing an integrated system that guarantees efficiency and control over all processes linked to the creation of the final product, starting from the selection of suppliers to the analysis of the technical components. There is a digitalized R&D laboratory with 35 engineers and specialized personnel, including architects and designers, equipped with cutting-edge technologies and systems based on artificial intelligence. All production lines are equipped with digital equipment and 4.0 software. In short, the computers at each workstation communicate in real-time with the operators, reducing errors to a minimum. Furthermore, AI application suggests the most ergonomic, less stressful and more efficient operations. In this way, Fulgor Milano designs its products to meet the needs of a complex, highly diversified and fragmented global market.
“Our pride and greatest success are that we are increasingly requested by customers who want to bring our products to the various markets of their relevance. Fulgor Milano is recognized as a brand of Italian quality and competence, an ambassador of craftsmanship and attention to detail. This confirmation pushes us to do better and to invest in innovation and technology“, said Gianni Meneghetti, General Manager of Meneghetti Spa.
The latest trends in the kitchen sector encourage us to explore new combinations of colours, materials and technology to create aesthetically pleasing, practical and sustainable environments. Among the most relevant themes, the reduction of environmental impact stands out through the use of recycled or easily recyclable materials, with the adoption of energy-efficient solutions. Furthermore, the importance of maintaining total transparency with customers is growing and involves research for security, functionality and versatility high-standards. In that context Fulgor Milano’s Italian character represents a fundamental added value.
Although the national market does not currently present short-term development prospects (with exports still accounting for 80% of turnover), Italy remains both a showcase and the engine of its production for Fulgor Milano. “In recent years, in Italy and around the world, the Company has managed to position itself in the premium segment, collaborating with customers and distributors who recognize the value and quality of Fulgor Milano. Much has been done in the field of communication – in which we are actively engaged – to convey our exclusive values. Fulgor Milano represents a brand that combines content and innovation, increasingly expressing the Italian ability to integrate industrial logic with an “artisanal” approach. We are extremely proud to have reached a milestone, placin g us in other countries – such as the United States – alongside prestigious brands such as SubZero-Wolf and Miele. The growing requests for exclusives for areas or countries confirm our vision. Today, Fulgor Milano is more than ever a luxury brand, a symbol of the excellence of Italian manufacturing.”
2024 ended with around twenty projects in the pipeline for this year for kitchen+hob+oven cooking systems increasingly focused on new electronic platforms and AI. At Fulgor Milano, the household appliance has always been considered the kitchen’s fulcrum, despite today being called upon to integrate in a versatile and complete way. With chameleon-like characteristics just like the production process that gives rise to it, whose real strength lies in its ability to be increasingly made to measure. Whether meant for gas or induction cooking, Fulgor Milano represents a symbol of traditional cooking: ovens and hobs are designed to last a lifetime.
“Thinking about the future of horizontal cooking, induction certainly represents the most fascinating challenge, especially in Europe. For this reason, we decided to present ourselves at FTK, focusing on this technology. Fulgor Milano is a globalized brand and, as such, also evaluates the needs of countries where gas is still in high demand (85% in the USA and even more in China and the Middle East). We have overcome the simplification that features the gas hob market, investing in high-performance and versatile burners research. The resulting CRESCENDO burner offers five different types of flame that differ in power and size (diameter). That burner is, therefore, multifunctional. It can go from a minimum flame of 375 W, ideal for melting chocolate, to a maximum power of 5.5 kW without moving the pan from one burner to another“.
Over the years, the brand’s recognisability and success comes mainly from an outstanding craftmanship, a close attention to detail, and using unique materials. “Every day, we interact with kitchen manufacturers, especially premium ones.
The continuous demand is to update products based on new trends. Fulgor Milano is always ready to satisfy and even anticipate the consumers’ need, increasingly ortiented towards innovative solutions and advanced products with client companies and partners. We are working on artificial intelligence technologies and applications that will support user activities in the future. The main objective is to integrate skills and increase the end user’s experience“.
Fulgor Milano products are characterized by finishes and details that identify Made in Italy, designed to adapt to every kitchen. An authentic passion, a true “artisanal intelligence”. Among the most recent and constantly evolving innovations, the cooktops of Enova Line stand out for its elegant and iconic dashboard (with customizable metal finishes) and the functional knob control. The Sofia kitchen, an iconic product of the Professional line – initially designed for the North American market – is now available to meet the needs of chefs and great cooking enthusiasts, also in the 150 cm wide version. Unique in the world, the ALL GLASS INDUCTION model features a continuous 150 cm glass ceramic hob to give the right amount of space to its eight cooking zones (powerful and diversified in size). These features, with the addition of a patented power management system and the use of knob control, maximize the flexibility and functionality of use required by the most demanding users.
The international market could not miss the ‘Range Top Induction 120 All-Glass’ model, insertion hob with front controls from the Professional Line. This model represents the ideal choice for those who want high performance in the kitchen, thanks also to the seven induction cooking zones. The intuitive knob control with which it is equipped is notoriously preferred for its proven ease of use. All this testifies to the brand’s commitment to offering advanced, high-quality solutions for the modern kitchen. The challenge is, therefore, to be able to continue to emerge as a leader in the innovation and design of high-end household appliances, keeping alive the tradition and excellence of Made in Italy.
“In our vision we give a lot of importance to the appliance, placing it at the centre of our design, so for us, at the moment the desire to “minimize” it in size to the point of making it almost disappear is still very far away. Surely the household appliance today must be increasingly contemporary, modern and tailor-made but not minimalist“.
