Viking Range Revitalizing Greenwood, Mississippi

Viking Range, an iconic American brand and high-end maker of quality kitchen appliances, has based its manufacturing and production in Greenwood, Mississippi since the 1980s. The town of Greenwood, Mississippi, historically an agricultural town, and later a hub of manufacturing, lost more than 2,000 jobs to manufacturing plants overseas between 2001 and 2011. In a town of 18,000, these losses were deeply felt. Viking Range, which was as affected by the poor economy as any other manufacturer, was forced to cut a small number of employees, but has since regained its numbers, once again employing nearly 1,000 workers. Many have called Viking Range a major revitalizer of a town once devastated by job loss and neglect.

Viking Range has not only provided nearly 1,000 jobs for the citizens of Greenwood, Mississippi – the company has also directly contributed to the surrounding community. Viking Range has spearheaded projects to revitalize Greenwood’s historical downtown district, to repair damaged roads, and to boost the local economy in every possible way. Viking Range has renovated a number of buildings in downtown Greenwood – both commercial and residential. Viking Range was recognized by the Mississippi Heritage Trust for these efforts and in 2004, Viking Range was honored with the National Trust for Preservation of Main Street Business Leadership Award.  The Mississippi Development Authority also honored Viking Range with the Governor’s Cup for the company’s impact within their local community.

For five years, Viking Range sponsored the Viking Classes, a PGA Tour tournament that raised money for over 90 charities in Mississippi. Viking Range employees have instigated fundraising events for their local chapters of United Way, March of Dimes, and the American Cancer Society. Viking Range holds regular blood drives for Mississippi Blood Services and many employees donate  lifesaving blood every time a drive is held.

Viking Range Named One of “30 Companies That Get It”

Viking Range, a maker of luxury kitchen appliances for over 25 years, has earned countless awards for its products and customer service. In October 2011, the notable magazine Fast Company named Viking Range one of its “30 Companies That Get It.” The article, entitled “The United States of Design,” explored the ways in which product design has helped businesses in the United States to endure and thrive despite difficult economic conditions and a competitive foreign marketplace. Viking Range was named among a list of other impressive, design-oriented corporations.

Fast Company’s list divided the winning companies into three categories: icons, sleepers, and newcomers. Viking Range was listed in the first category – an iconic, classic brand with both staying power and fresh innovation. Fast Company praised Viking Range’s “unquestioned good taste” and “pro” cooking power. Viking Range was also joined by Herman Miller, Apple, Burton, Jetblue, Nike, Kohler, and Starbucks on the “icons” list. Promising newcomers, who might one day join Viking Range on the list of iconic American brands, included virtual magazine app Flipboard, electronic sports car maker Tesla, social networking innovator Twitter, and flash-sale online shopping site Gilt Groupe.

Viking Range was also featured as a design-savvy company in the November 2011 issue of Monocle Magazine. The article focused primarily on Viking Range’s contributions to the town of Greenwood, Mississippi, where Viking Range currently employs nearly 1,000 employees. The article, entitled “Delta Force – USA,” praises Viking Range for “transforming” the town’s economy. In addition to its recognition as a key area employer, Viking Range is credited with restoring Greenwood’s historic downtown district and creating a vibrant, bustling community of shops and restaurants – not to mention a cooking school. Monocle admits that Greenwood has not been historically associated with high-quality design, and lauds Viking Range for creating an innovative design hub in a small, historically agricultural town.

Viking Range Connects with Consumers Through Social Media

Throughout its 25 years in business, Viking Range has been dedicated innovation, quality and performance. Known internationally as a company committed to ensuring customer satisfaction, Viking Range remains dedicated to their clients and is actively using technology to reach more consumers on a personal level.

Viking Range views social media as a fantastic way to start a dialogue with their consumers. In addition to spreading awareness about its products, Viking Range is actively keeping consumers informed about innovative developments within the company as well as news about the company’s involvement in the community. Viking Range is using Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and blogs to develop a relationship of trust and communicating their confidence in the quality of their product line. 

The team at Viking Range has added multiple social media badges to the company’s website, so it is now easy to connect with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube. Through communicating with their clients via social media, Viking Range hopes to keep clients aware of company updates as well as inform consumers about new products and upcoming sales promotions. As Viking Range’s top priority is customer service and satisfaction, the company is always in the process of communicating its services and products to meet the needs of its clients.

Viking Range is also committed to helping improve the community and to preserving the environment. Through the use of social media, Viking Range can connect with consumers to share Viking news about community service and the environment. Through increasing consumer awareness about the company, Viking Range hopes to motivate individuals to give back to their communities.

Community Involvement Important to Viking Range

Viking Range, an appliance industry leader with a 25 year history, is dedicated to serving the community. Since its inception, Viking Range has been involved in charitable events, community service, and the preservation of local historical landmarks. Community involvement is extremely important to all members of Viking Range’s team. Listed here are Viking Range’s top reasons to get involved in your community.

First, Viking Range believes a major benefit of participating in community service is making connections with others. Through working together towards a common goal, community members gain a sense of accomplishment as well as form lasting friendships. Getting involved in the community can help an individual or organization identify areas in the community that need assistance. For example, Viking Range has been active in the restoration and preservation of historic landmarks in its hometown of Greenwood, Mississippi.

 

Additionally, engaging in community service activities can provide an individual with the opportunity to learn new skills while working as part of a team. Group volunteer work can be a great teambuilding experience for a company with the added benefit of enriching employee relationships. Through interviews with employees, the executive team at Viking Range has learned that community involvement experiences have positively impacted working relationships throughout the company.

Perhaps the most important benefit of becoming active in the community is the chance to help others. Within every community there are multiple opportunities to volunteer one’s time. Viking Range points out that through volunteer service aimed at benefitting children, families, the environment, or local civic organizations, we not only help others but can also enrich our personal lives. 

Viking Range believes that every community member has a duty to help their neighbor.  Even if an individual cannot actively participate as a volunteer, Viking Range encourages charitable donations that can work towards benefitting the entire community.