Servis
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2012) |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Home appliances |
| Founded | 1929 |
| Headquarters | Windsor, UK |
Area served | United Kingdom |
| Products | Domestic home appliances |
| Parent | Vestel |
| Website | www.servis.co.uk |
Servis is a white goods brand well known in the United Kingdom. The company was founded in 1929 in Darlaston, an area of the West Midlands renowned for manufacturing. The company started out as a manufacturer, but fell into difficulties in the 1980s. From 1991 to 2009, the brand was owned and manufactured by Italian white goods company Antonio Merloni SpA. Antonio Merloni entered administration in 2009 and ceased manufacturing Servis appliances. In 2011 the brand was sold to Turkish white goods and TV manufacturer Vestel who re-launched the brand in 2012.
[File:Servis_quartz_1000_autowasher.jpg|thumb|right|Servis 1000rpm autowasher(from the early 80's]]
As a manufacturer
Servis Domestic Appliances manufactured washing machines (and later tumble driers). It acquired a patent on electronic controls for washing machine drums and the Servis Quartz was the first washing machine to be controlled by a microchip. The company went into liquidation in 1981. A new company was formed but in 1985 this too entered receivership. Subsequently, the brand has been used on white goods manuafctured overseas.
Origins of name
One source suggests that the name was the result of a staff competition. A more plausible explanation is that the spelling differentiates the name for trademark purposes.
Liquidation
In October 2008, Merloni announced that it would be placing the Servis operation into liquidation[1] with the loss of 150 jobs.
In September 2011, Vestel of Turkey was reported to have purchased the Servis brand from Antonio Merloni SpA [2]