The duo behind Stelton originally tried selling sports shoes and furniture, but sales did not really take off before they heard about a small factory in Fårevejle in Northern Seeland. The factory was called ‘Danish Stainless’.
Danish Stainless produced serveware in stainless steel which was very modern in Denmark during the 1960s. After having made a deal with the owner of Danish Stainless, Jørgen Knudsen, Stelton started promoting a sauce bowl in stainless steel which became very popular with the Danish hardware stores. At the same time the gravy boat became very popular outside of Denmark. In the US products form Danish Stainless were synonymous with Danish design and were sold in exclusive department stores and design shops.
In 1963 a young Peter Holmblad was engaged as a Sales Manager and later became the CEO of Stelton. He brought visionary ideas about how to market Stelton into the company. New catalogues, packaging and graphic design were part of his strategy to create a new design brand. Peter Holmblad was the stepson of renowned architect and designers, Arne Jacobsen.
Holmblad convinced Jacobsen to design a line of servewear for Stelton, and after three years of development, the Cylinda series was launched in 1967. At the time, the cylindrical profile was considered futuristic and innovative, and it was awarded several design awards.
The next important designer that worked for Stelton was Erik Magnussen who created the iconic EM77 vacuum jug in 1977, hence the name. Later, Holmblad introduced some of his own designs like the Original watering can which has become a design classic to aesthetics with green fingers, and the complete Original bar series inspired by the cylindrical shape.
In 2004 the Ring family acquired Stelton and since then Stelton has extended its collaboration with international architects and designers. They contribute to assuring that Stelton’s assortment is characterised by a synthesis between form and function and innovative ideas. Stelton has its own internal product development and quality control department and strives to be a brand that the world’s best designers wish to work for.