Vax UK Ltd is a British based brand that manufactures electrical goods and cleaning products in the floor-care and air treatment sectors, and which has its headquarters in the United Kingdom. Since 1999 the brand has been owned by a company called TTI Co. Ltd Group, which is based in Hong Kong. Vax UK Ltd has its main headquarters and R&D centre located in the city centre of Birmingham, West Midlands and a service, warehouse and depot operation in the village of Hampton Lovett, near Droitwich, Worcestershire.[1][2] Vax branded machines are manufactured in China. Vax employs over 400 staff across its Birmingham and Droitwich sites in the UK.[3]
History
Vax UK Ltd was founded in December 1977 by Alan Brazier, who had prior experience in the field of industrial carpet cleaning. Brazier developed a prototype of a machine suitable for a household but capable of washing carpets and handling accident spillages or flooding. In 1979, Vax launched an "orange tub" multi-functional floor-care machine to fulfil this purpose and initially engaged with consumers by door-to-door sales of the device. This product was a world first.[4]
Trademark conflict with DEC and advertising slogan
Although Digital Equipment Corporation's VAX minicomputer was introduced October 25, 1977[5] and Vax UK Ltd was formed months later, DEC (for a while) still had a trademark problem.[6]
In 1986-87 and some later advertisements, the company adopted the slogan, "Nothing sucks like a Vax!" This echoed its competitor's slogan from the 1960s, "Nothing sucks like Electrolux".
External links
References
- Comdevelopment Ltd. VAX LIMITED retrieved 26 March 2015^
- TheBusinessDesk.com. Vax invests £1m in new R&D lab in Birmingham city centre retrieved 15 February 2017^
- Insider Media Ltd. NEW RANGE HELPS VAX CLEAN UP