Viking

The brand that created the pro-style residential range category in 1987. Premium ranges, ovens, refrigeration.

Watchlist

Founded: 1987
Website: vikingrange.com
HQ: USA
Manufacturing: USA
Ownership type: Conglomerate subsidiary
Parent: The Middleby Corporation (NASDAQ: MIDD)
Acquired: 2013
Status since: 2026-06-08

Ownership

Acquired by The Middleby Corporation (NASDAQ: MIDD), a public commercial-foodservice-equipment conglomerate, for $380M in early 2013. Kept in Greenwood, Mississippi.

Why Watchlist

Created the category but carried notorious reliability problems through the 2000s-2010s, and is now a public-conglomerate subsidiary. Watchlist (leans Former-Great-adjacent); monitor Middleby's stewardship.

Read the full investigation

Investigation · June 11, 2026

Your Appliances Got Worse On Purpose

One company makes the refrigerator you'll buy under four different names. Another sells the identical window unit under nine. GE is Chinese now, Frigidaire is Swedish, and Kenmore never built anything at all. Plus the few brands still built to last.

Read the full investigation

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