About ASKO
Our journey from relatively humble beginnings in a farming community in Sweden, to where we are now, with our appliances found in millions of homes worldwide, is something we're incredibly proud of. From one single washing machine, we've now progressed to the stage where we provide a full range of appliances for both kitchens and laundry. We always make sure that everything we produce displays our love for design, using visual flair and a strong aesthetic to create good-looking appliances for discerning customers. And we're driven to create appliances that are really useful, as well as solutions that improve the health and wellbeing of the people who use them.
We're also committed to caring for the environment. Our closeness to and respect for the Scandinavian natural landscape provides us with a constant source of inspiration, and compels us to preserve it for the next generation. We're motivated by the need to create the most environmentally friendly solutions possible, and use our resources in the most compassionate ways we can. As a rule, our machines are water and energy efficient, as well as being built to last longer for real hard-wearing sustainability.
ASKO's appliances are exported and distributed by sales companies in the Nordics, USA and Australia, as well as 50 other markets worldwide.
History
ASKO's story started in 1950, and was inspired by one young man's love for his mother. It was his dream to build her a washing machine that would not only make her life easier, but also give her more time to do the things she really cared about.
We're inspired by Scandinavian values: healthy living, fairness, care for people, functional and minimalistic design, dedicated craftsmanship and environmental responsibility. We want to reflect the values of care, honesty, reliability and respect and combine them with a feeling for quality and respect for the environment.
We are driven by the passion to create products that can become a much-loved part of your home, that are a joy to use, that take great care of you and your family, and that can provide you with the inspiration, the opportunity and the time to do the things you really enjoy.
Important Asko years
1918 Finnish carpenter Aukusti Asko-Avonius founded the ASKO furniture group.
1950 Karl-Erik Andersson produces his first washing machine in Vara, Sweden. Junga Verkstäder is established.
1952 Our first Finnish-produced household appliance – a refrigerator – is produced in Lahti, Finland.
1953 A first washer is produced in Lahti, Finland.
1957 Our first cooker is produced in Lahti, Finland.
1958 Our first cold iron is produced in Lahti, Finland.
1967 Our first dishwasher is produced, and export starts from Vara, Sweden.
1972 Our first built-in ovens are produced in Lahti, Finland.
1975 Our first tumble dryer is produced in Vara, Sweden.
1985 Quattro construction for washers is developed.
2006 ASKO becomes the first brand with a design-coordinated laundry care concept on the market.
2007 ASKO launches Hidden Helpers as a part of the Laundry Care concept.
2008 ASKO launches the Sense Series – our first design-coordinated cooking range.
2014 ASKO Appliances AB moves its head office to Lidköping, Sweden.
2014 ASKO launches the Pro Series – the company's first fully design-coordinated cooking range.
2015 The Elements design-coordinated cooking range is launched.
2016 The Craft design-coordinated cooking range is launched.
2017 Launch of the Pro Home Laundry range.
2017 The ASKO Pro Home Laundry concept is awarded the Red Dot Best of the Best prize.
Quality
At ASKO we design and manufacture premium quality appliances which reflect our love for form and function – and, in doing so, which exemplify classic, timeless Scandinavian design. Ever since we began to produce washers in the early 1950s, our goal has been to make premium quality products that will become cherished parts of the home, meeting and exceeding your expectations for years to come.
In order to make sure that the appliances take care of you as capably as possible, we need to make sure that they work perfectly. So, we test all of our products before they leave the factory – and any machine that fails to pass our comprehensive tests won't get sold.
Today we offer a full range of kitchen and laundry appliances, all of which meet the highest demands when it comes to design, function, durability and environmental awareness. They wash cleaner, use less water and energy, and last longer. And since 1995 we've also been certified to ISO 9001, which means that you can always trust our products to be of the highest quality.
Scandinavian design
One of the hallmarks of Scandinavian design is a combination of the kind of functionality that makes you want to use an item every day, with care for the environment, and clean, easy-on-the-eye lines that harmonize with your home. At ASKO, we adore this principle. We believe that carefully-designed products shouldn't just look good: they should also increase your quality of life. And in order to set ourselves apart in a market filled with cluttered, complex and voluptuous designs, we aim for a soft, humanistic minimalism based on the principle of quiet being the new loud.
The key elements of Scandinavian design – understated elegance, high quality craftsmanship and natural materials – are reflected in ASKO’s design language. And since we design and manufacture household appliances, we're also committed to making them as functional as possible. We want to make your life easier by giving our appliances user-friendly interfaces and plenty of practical functions, and by making them uncomplicated, long-lasting machines that will remain a joy to use for years to come.
Environment
We love, and are inspired by, the natural world. It's our duty to respect it.
And since nature is on our doorstep, it's only natural that we do everything we can to preserve and protect our environment. We're always trying to find the most environmentally friendly solutions and make best use of resources while we're making our products. We also try to minimize the environmental impact of all our activities and products.
Our factories are all certified in accordance with ISO 14001, meaning that our processes and routines are all carried out in the most environmentally friendly ways possible.