Our story began on 1st May 1945, a stone’s throw from the medieval walls of Marostica, in the province of Vicenza, when Walter Viaro and Francesco Gusi chose to celebrate the end of the war in their own special way. May Day had not yet been established in Italy, but although devastated, the country had a huge appetite for reconstruction.
Vimar is one of the leading Italian players on the low-voltage electronic and electrical scene. Boasting over 12,000 items distributed across more than 100 countries, annual production of over 185 million parts, 1,300 employees, of whom 1,000 are based in Italy, 4 production plants in Marostica and 9 branch offices world-wide, Vimar is a beacon for people looking for top-performing solutions, product quality, technological innovation and bewitching designs in keeping with the latest style trends. On the strength of its leading role in the market for over 50 years, Vimar was awarded the prestigious designation of “Historic Brand” by the Italian Ministry for Economic Development in 2021, bearing witness to the company’s long tradition and Italian pedigree.
At a time when digital technologies are rewriting the rules of the market and revolutionising the way companies design and develop their products, Vimar is embracing connectivity with VIEW, an acronym derived from the words Vimar Energy on Web. VIEW is an ever-growing system of smart products and interconnected, stylistically coordinated systems that can be integrated with products and systems from other manufacturers. It offers IoT solutions that deliver comfort, security, energy efficiency and total supervision by means of simple Apps designed around users’ needs.
Vimar consolidates its international presence by opening branches in Chile, China, Austria, Mexico, France, Dubai and Singapore, enabling it to sell its products in over 100 different countries. Vimar was appointed as an official supplier to the Italy Pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai, thus confirming its status as a major player on the world stage. Eikon Evo is released, marking a huge aesthetic and technological step forward, and is followed shortly afterwards by Arké. Both are an instant hit. With the acquisition of Elvox - a leading manufacturer of video door entry, automation and CCTV systems - Vimar can now offer a comprehensive range of solutions for both indoor and outdoor applications.
This is the decade of new approaches to living space, and new trends in architecture and technology. Renowned designers develop Plana and Eikon, and the company launches By-me, the home automation system that combines control, comfort, security and energy efficiency, which has been the intelligent heart of all the wiring series ever since. New branches are opened in Greece and Venezuela.
These are the years of “Total Quality”. It’s a new approach, in the extremely complex electrotechnical sector, with its vast number of products and components, and its wide range of technologies. One of the uppermost design goals is ease of installation, which is pursued by constantly liaising with the market, in order to forge meaningful partnerships. Human resources are involved at every level, and customer satisfaction is the metric of success. Such as the success achieved by the Idea series, which, over 30 years since its launch, is still emblematic of the company’s focus on quality.
This is the period in which the concept of safety of electrical equipment develops growing importance. Products are therefore designed to guarantee total protection for the people who use them, and are the result of tested components, guaranteed materials and unique patents. Such as the patent for the “Sicury” protective shutter of 1968, which is a plastic “butterfly” that prevents accidental contact with the live parts of socket outlets. Deemed too important for keeping people safe, the patent was granted free of charge to all manufacturers and quickly became a normative standard.
With the economy booming and Italy rebuilding at pace, electrical systems start seeing rapid evolution too. Switches and socket outlets are developed, with a glass disc covering the devices. Porcelain soon comes into use for the manufacture of certain parts, before the 1960s herald the arrival of technopolymers, which open the door to innovative product construction criteria. Taking full advantage of these new opportunities, the company extends its production lines and, with over 300 employees, increases the speed at which it can respond to the needs of a growing market. In fact, the first wiring series are launched, and revolutionise the concept of a lighting device.
In the early years, the company is based in an old hat factory. The idea, which turned out to be a winner, was to specialise in products for the residential use of electricity, based on parts made by moulding thermosetting resin. Initially, production was confined to basic products, such as lampholders, plugs, socket outlets and pins for household irons, but by the end of the decade, the pear-shaped switch came into production, and became a common sight in countless Italian homes for many years.
