The Innovation Center at the Sub-Zero Group Inc. campus in Fitchburg, WI.

Where We’re Going

Creating the kitchens of tomorrow with innovation and sustainability.

EXCERPTED FROM A BOOK PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HISTORY FACTORY.

In 1943, when Westye Bakke created his revolutionary home freezer, innovation was often a solitary pursuit. The lone tinkerer, armed with scrap metal and bold ideas, served as the face of invention in 1940s America.

Bud Bakke, left, and Westye Bakke, right, laid the early groundwork for Sub-Zero Group Inc.

Under the leadership of the Bakkes—including Bud, at left, and Westye, at right, Sub-Zero Group has never strayed from the quality and values that set it apart.

Today, within the L.C. Bud Bakke Innovation Center, our innovation process looks quite different. The need for bold ideas endures, but our sprawling workshop of tomorrow—all 300,000 square feet of it—aims to inspire organic and market-driven innovation through unprecedented levels of collaboration and the most advanced development tools available.

The Innovation Center is focused on leading the kitchen appliance industry with advanced product innovations.

The L.C. Bud Bakke Innovation Center is located a short distance from the Bakke Center in Fitchburg, WI.

The L.C. Bud Bakke Innovation Center is a hive of ideas, research, and experimentation, gathering all product development specialists in a single dynamic workspace.

Prior to opening the Innovation Center in 2021, our product-development specialists were scattered across our Madison headquarters and our campus in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. Now, they are centralized under one roof. Engineers. Product marketing and consumer insights teams. Designers. Testing specialists. Everyone brings their respective skill sets and perspectives to spur a freer, more nimble exchange of ideas for our brands.

The Innovation Center provides a unique space for teams to meet and collaborate in state-of-the-art facilities.

The Innovation Center represents an ideal vision of 21st century collaboration. It provides the space and resources teams need to introduce game-changing products.

REDEFINING SUSTAINABILITY

At Sub-Zero Group, we don’t view conservation efforts as aspirational aims. They are a present-day priority. That attitude filters through our business from the top, starting with President and CEO Jim Bakke. “Jim really [champions] these measures,” said Sara Northouse, Sustainability Specialist at Sub-Zero Group. “Any time we present a project, we get a nod like, ‘Yes, that’s what we should do.’ That’s a great feeling.”

Which is why, before building our Innovation Center, we partnered with the Wisconsin-based Focus on Energy group to make wise investments to bolster our already-elevated sustainability standards. Many of these strides will be invisible to visitors, but their impact will be felt for decades to come.

Our ice-bank chiller system generates ice during off-peak hours, reducing operating costs and energy usage. Closed-loop water systems eliminate unnecessary water waste. And energy-saving occupancy sensors—paired with high-efficiency boilers and furnaces—reduce the building’s carbon footprint.

At the same time, we wanted to ensure that our employees would work in a space bathed in natural light. Like other workspaces around our campus, the Innovation Center boasts electric vehicle charging stations and access to a commuter bike trail. Collectively, these investments underscore how inextricably intertwined we view social wellness and environmental stewardship.

PUBLISHED JULY 2022