Granny’s Brand No More: Kenmore CEO Revitalizes 100-Year-Old Company

You may think of Kenmore as your grandmother's brand. It’s true – the name first appeared on sewing machines in 1913. But the brand has been revitalized by their current CEO Sri Solur. In just 18 months, he’s doubled licensing revenue and scaled to thousands of new locations and online. This week, he talks about how he's brought innovation to this 100-year old company by using software development principles and agile business methods, from his background in wearable technology and robotics. Kenmore previously sold everyday appliances, such as fridges, washing machines, and vacuums, exclusively at Sears department stores, but went through a tipping point when Sears declared bankruptcy. Just 18 months ago, it was nearly impossible to find Kenmore products on shelves. Now they’re in more than 5200 locations, including Target. Solur shares the techniques he brought from the technical world to Kenmore, including leaning in on quality and speed of operations. He also talks about his advice to other legacy companies for appealing to younger generations, including through energy security and decarbonization initiatives. Innovation Heroes is an SHI podcast. New episodes are now available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. Visit https://blog.shi.com/podcasts/.