First established by entrepreneur Kenneth Wood in 1947, Kenwood started life as Woodlau Industries before changing its name to Kenwood shortly afterwards.
 
In 1968, Kenneth Wood sold the company to Thorn Industries Ltd, but continued to take a close interest in the company until his death in 1997. In 1989 Kenwood management bought the company from Thorn EMI, floating the company as Kenwood Appliances PLC on the London Stock Exchange in 1992.
 
Further expansion followed, with Kenwood acquiring Waymaster in 1993 and Ariete in Italy in 1994, building up its houseware range and manufacturing capability across Europe.
 
In 2001 Kenwood became part of the De'Longhi Group, strengthening its offering and international presence even further. Today Kenwood is a household name in over 80 countries, manufacturing leading houseware and kitchen appliances in the UK, Italy and China.
 
Kenwood headquarters are in Havant, Hampshire, UK with a second base in Hong Kong for overseeing its operations in the Far East.