Development
Faced with a total lack of interest by the public in his expensive and unfamiliar new gadget, Hoover placed an ad in The Saturday Evening Post offering customers ten days' free use of his vacuum cleaner to anyone who requested it. Using a network of local retailers to facilitate the offer, Hoover thus developed a national network of retailers for the vacuums. By the end of 1908, the company had sold 372 Model 0s. By 1912, sales had been made to Norway, France, Russia, Belgium, Holland and Scotland.
In 1919, Gerald Page-Wood – an art director of Erwin, Wasey & Company, Hoover's advertising agency – came up with a succinct slogan which summed up the Hoover's cleaning action: 'It Beats...as it Sweeps...as it Cleans'. At this time, it referred to the action of the revolving brushes, which vibrated the carpet and helped loosen the trodden-in grit. This offered an advantage over competitors' machines, which used suction alone to remove dirt, and therefore were not as efficient as the Hoover. Seven years later, the famous slogan would adapt to even more significance.
Hoover's business began to flourish, and, a year after Hoover acquired the patent from Spangler, he established a research and development department for his new business. By 1926, Hoover had developed the 'beater bar' - a metal bar attached to the rotating brush roll, situated in the floor nozzle cavity of the upright vacuum cleaner.[5] Introduced on Models 543 and 700, the beater bars alternated with the sweeping brushes to vibrate the carpet while sucking. It provided a more distinct 'tap' than the bristle tufts used on the former machines, and led to a 101% increase in efficiency. This cleaning action was marketed by Hoover as "Positive Agitation". 'It Beats...as it Sweeps...as it Cleans' rang more true now than ever.
In 1929, Hoover introduced the Model 200 Duster. This would be their first attempt at a cylinder cleaner. It used a Model 575 motor with a modified suction impeller, which was mounted on a unique aluminum body with runners, allowing the cleaner to be pulled behind the user. The Duster was produced for only three months and roughly 9,000 were made.
Herbert W. Hoover Sr. took over as president of the company in 1922 and as chairman of the board of the Hoover Company in 1932.[2] 1930 saw the introduction of the world's first handheld vacuum cleaner, the Hoover Dustette. The good design and exceptional durability of these machines mean many are still in service today, some at over 80 years old.
In 1932, Hoover introduced a new optional headlamp called the Hoover Hedlite on Models 425, 750 and 900. By March 1932, it had become standard equipment on Models 750 and 900, and a $5 extra-cost option on Model 425. The Hoover Hedlite illuminated the floor ahead of the cleaner, useful for dimly-lit rooms and corridors, and under furniture. Several new slogans mentioned the light, including 'It shows you the dirt you never knew you had!', and 'It lights where it's going...it's clean where it's gone!'.
In 1936, Hoover introduced the top-of-the-line Model 150. It had a time to empty bag indicator;[6] automatic height adjustment; a magnesium body, which made it weigh less than previous models; instant tool conversion; and a two-speed motor. One of the first Dreyfuss designs for Hoover, it was the symbol of the machine age; the beautiful Bakelite hood hid the entire motor from view and there were no protruding knobs or gadgets. It was the first Hoover cleaner that was not of the traditional "coffee can" style, which Hoover had been using since its earliest years. The cleaner sold from 1936 to 1939 and was priced at $80 ($ today). Two other lower-priced Hoovers sold along with the 150: the Model 25 (1937–38), which was the middle-of-the-line cleaner priced at $65 ($ today), and the Model 300 (1935–38), which became the bottom-of-the-line cleaner and sold at $49.75 ($).[7][8] Due to the backdrop of the Great Depression, Hoover produced only 166,000 150s in its three-year production run.
From 1941 to 1945, Hoover ceased all vacuum cleaner production and converted the North Canton, Ohio factory to support the war effort. When World War II ended in 1945, Hoover started producing cleaners again and unveiled the Model 27 for post-war America to enjoy.
In 1950, Hoover introduced the Veriflex, which was the first rubberized suction hose in the industry.[9] Other cleaners at the time were using cloth-braided hoses, which would deteriorate and lose suction over time. In 1954, Herbert W. Hoover Jr. took over the presidency of the company from his father.[10] A nephew of the founder, H. Earl Hoover, also served as chairman and honorary director.[11] The sombre and restrained colors of the previous decades gave way to bright, striking modern color-schemes, starting with the Hoover Model 29 in 1950, which was red instead of the regular black and brown colors of the past.[12] This was part of their policy of the continual development and modernization of their output.
In 1957, Hoover introduced the Convertible Model 65 (the De Luxe 652 in the UK). It was the last machine designed by Henry Dreyfuss, the industrial designer who had worked with the company since the early 1930s.[13] This cleaner introduced what Hoover called 'Automatic Shift', a system whereby the tool converter plugged into the rear of the cleaner. This was not a new idea: instant tool conversion had been introduced in 1936 with the Model 150 Cleaning Ensemble. However, new to Model 65, and slightly later in Britain on the 652A, was the introduction of a switch which automatically shifted the motor to a higher speed as the converter was inserted. The Convertible, or the Senior, in Britain, remains Hoover's worldwide bestselling cleaner. Although the domestic line was finally discontinued in 1993, a version called the Guardsman is still available in the commercial sector.
1963 saw the introduction of the Dial-A-Matic in the US – sold in Australia as the Dynamatic, and in Britain as the Convertible. This was the first-ever clean-air upright cleaner. The clean-air principle is similar to the flow of air through a cylinder/canister cleaner. Rather than the dirt passing directly through the suction fan and being blown into the bag, it passes through the bag first, leaving only clean air to pass through the fan. This principle was soon adopted by many manufacturers and continues to be used today. Also, the machine was constructed out of hard plastic. Hoover produced this cleaner from 1963 until the late 1970s in America.
In the summer of 1969, Hoover further refined the Dial-A-Matic's design when they launched the 'Powerdrive' self-propulsion system on the Hoover model 1170. This idea took much of the effort out of pushing the cleaner, because, by using a system of gears, wheels, and belts, the cleaner used its own power to drive itself forward and backwards, the speed and direction being controlled entirely by the user though the 'Triple-Action' handgrip. The powerdrive feature on the model 1170 was so efficient, the user could push the bulky machine forward with one finger, and the feature could also be disengaged with a button on the handgrip so the machine could travel easily from room to room with the motor turned off, the machine was very difficult to push when the motor was turned off and the powerdrive was still activated. This was also the first vacuum cleaner available commercially that used the self-propulsion system. This extra technology made the Dial-A-Matic even heavier than the original and more expensive, at around $150 ($ today). The 'Powerdrive' system was carried over into the Concept range in 1978. The powerdrive system was later renamed "Self Propelled". Hoover continued to use this feature on many products of the 1980s and 1990s. It is still being used today by Hoover and numerous other companies.
In 1986, the Hoover family sold the company to the Chicago Pacific Corporation, which was created using the remnants of the bankrupt Rock Island Railroad.[10] It was acquired by Maytag Corporation in 1989.[10]
On Friday, 6 March 2009, Hoover confirmed that it would discontinue production of washing machines and other laundry products at its Merthyr Tydfil factory, Mid Glamorgan from Saturday, 14 March 2009; giving the reason, the company stated that it could no longer manufacture competitively priced laundry products at the plant.
Hoover had initially announced its closure intentions on Tuesday, 18 November 2008, beginning a period of staff consultation. The company was established in the town just over sixty years prior, its factory at Pentrebach, Merthyr Tydfil, opening on 12 October 1948.
Though 337 jobs were lost because of this decision, Hoover UK anticipated retaining its headquarters, logistics, storage and after sales service functions at the site, with some 113 workers retained. In 2019, Hoover opened a new head office in Warrington, Cheshire. It retained a distribution centre at Pentrebach. Hoover are the current shirt sponsor for Rugby League club Warrington Wolves.
Popular Hoover machines
- The Junior: Introduced by Hoover Limited (UK) in the 1930s, the Hoover Junior is a smaller upright type vacuum for apartments or small houses which was easy to carry around. The Junior was very popular in the UK; Hoover sold millions of them, and it became the biggest selling vacuum there. Various models were produced, with the final machine being manufactured in 1987. Hoover Limited made Juniors for export to the US from the mid-1960s to the late 1970s. The exported Juniors were converted to American electrical standards by The Hoover Company in North Canton, Ohio. Finding a Hoover Junior in the USA is quite rare. The Junior was never referred to as such in the USA; it was tagged in official Hoover literature as the Lightweight Upright.
- The Dirtsearcher: Introduced again by Hoover Limited (UK) in 1969, was a development of the Junior with a Model 638 style headlamp fitted in place of the tool adapter cover at the front. This model the 1354 went on to be the most successful UK Hoover manufactured model selling in both European and Commonwealth markets, however it was never sold in the US, although there were 110 V versions of the UK-market Juniors sold in Canada (such as the 1354A). They were sold alongside the Junior and Senior/Ranger models becoming the now rare models U1016 and U1040.
- The Portable: The Hoover Portable was launched by Hoover in 1963. It is a "Suitcase" type canister that did not have wheels; it would tugged around with by the user. When finished, the hose, attachments, and power cord would be stored inside the machine. In 1969, Hoover added wheels to the Portable. The Portable was manufactured until 1978. Also, it used the same motor as the Hoover Dial-A-Matic, the first clean-air upright.
- The Constellation: In 1954, Hoover introduced the Model 82 Constellation. It was a radically new design in cylinder and tank cleaners. Designed by Henry Dreyfuss,[14]
