LONDON: The sale of oven maker Aga Rangemaster to a US owner with global ambitions caps the transformation of a quintessential English country brand created by some of the biggest names in global design, advertising – and espionage.
The acquisition of Aga for US$202mil (RM868.68bil) by Middleby Corporation follows a brief bidding war with US rival Whirlpool for the maker of the colourful cast-iron stoves that can weigh as much as a male polar bear, cost US$18,000 (RM77,407) and, in older versions, take two days to heat.