CAREL was founded by four partners, and was initially called C.AR.EL, an acronym standing for electrical panel construction. The partners started the company with the idea of shifting the production of electrical panels to north-eastern Italy, closer to the company that would become its very first customer, Hiross.

In the beginning, there were four-five employees working in production, and two in the office. However, the need to try something new soon became clear: electrical panels were very simple products with low margins, so the company began to explore new avenues and grow. This desire for diversification led CAREL to start manufacturing humidifiers, initially for the same customer, Hiross. These operated using immersed electrodes in a disposable cylinder with a plastic casing, appliances that today are quite common, yet at the time were very innovative. It took a few months to go from designing to marketing this first product, with an external consultant providing the design and production of an elementary analogue controller, while the company designed and built the water circuit. Initially it was an uphill struggle, but after a few attempts HUMITRONIC was released in 1978.

In 1986, CAREL entered the programmable electronic controllers sector, and indeed was one of its pioneers. At the time a gradual transition from analogue to digital was underway, with our technologies being applied to products. At the same time, the company grew not only by expanding its range, but also and above all at an organisational level, applying the lean philosophy from the early 2000s.

CAREL’s history of sustainability began when the Group was founded in 1973. Over time, technologies, needs and sensitivities have evolved, and with these also the objectives and means to achieve them. Today, even more than yesterday, the strategy that drives innovation in the Group can be best defined as “sustainable success”. This strategy guides the continuous search for solutions developed to guarantee high efficiency and energy savings, whatever approach is adopted by customers and partners in the construction of their refrigeration units and systems.