Hoover is a major vacuum cleaner brand on the market today, with a long history that dates back to the early 20th century.
In 1907, a night janitor named James Murray Spangler in Canton, Ohio, had an idea to invent a device that would make cleaning easier.
At the time, he was suffering from asthma, which was made worse by the dust on the carpet. So, Spangler invented a small vacuum sweeper using a fan, a tin soap dish, a broom handle, and a sateen pillowcase.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have the ability to mass-produce his invention. So he teamed up with William Hoover, who was running a local leather goods store at the time.
Hoover agreed to work with Spangler and founded the Electric Vacuum Sweeper Company (later renamed the Hoover Company) to sell the product.
In 1908, Spangler’s patent application for the vacuum sweeper was approved, and he sold it to Hoover, but remained actively involved in the company’s affairs as a partner.
Hoover started out as a tinker tool for cleaners, but with its well-developed marketing and dealer network strategy, vacuum cleaners soon became a household necessity.
Although Hoover has its roots in the United States, you might be surprised to learn that it is now owned by a Chinese company: Techtronic Industries (TTI).
Hoover’s current owner, Techtronic Industries (TTI), is headquartered in Hong Kong and is a global supplier of power tools, hand tools, outdoor power equipment, and floor care equipment, with major markets covering North America, Australia, and Europe.
While TTI itself is not well known to consumers, it is actually the parent company of well-known tool brands such as Ryobi, Milwaukee, and AEG.
TTI was originally founded in 1985 by German entrepreneurs Horst Julius Pudwill and Roy Chi Ping Chung. Initially, the company supplied cordless power tools to a large American distributor.
Three years after the company was founded, its first manufacturing plant in Dongguan, China officially went into operation. In 1990, TTI was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and officially became a public company.
Currently, the main shareholder of TTI is the Pudwill family, but companies from Europe and North America also hold some shares in the company.
Hoover’s partnership with TTI began in 2007. In the same year, Hoover’s then-owner Whirlpool Corporation and TTI completed the acquisition of the vacuum cleaner company.
This prompted TTI to establish TTI Floor Care North America and bring Hoover under its umbrella.
Today, TTI Floor Care North America is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and also manages two other vacuum cleaner brands: Oreck and Dirt Devil.
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