Thread Number: 24534
2 More HOOVER factories are closing
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Post# 274817   4/4/2014 at 23:07 (3,673 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)        

gottahaveahoove's profile picture
I just heard that this spring, both El PAso and Juarez HOOVER factories are shutting down, moving all production to CHINA! Juarez closing this month will cause a 700 job loss. All that's left in U.S, is the Distribution Center in North Canton. So much for the hope of HOOVER helping America's workforce. This is NOT progress. Looks like that talk about HOOVER making a retro Convertible is shot! I also heard that "Convertible" will return.... with Vera BRadley bags!! Can you believe THAT?? Well, that could never have been on the table.
Last year, the bag plant, #2, now, El Paso and Juarez... Dear God, what's happening??/?
John


Post# 274818 , Reply# 1   4/4/2014 at 23:09 (3,673 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)        
And this correct, but distressing news

gottahaveahoove's profile picture
came DIRECTLY out of North Canton. El Paso was built 25 years ago, and the home of Windtunnel production, afyter that "union mess" in '96, ish. They called their bluff and moved it to El Paso.

Post# 274823 , Reply# 2   4/4/2014 at 23:57 (3,673 days old) by super-sweeper (KSSRC Refurbishment Center)        
shame!

super-sweeper's profile picture

What a great American brand, one that has sadly followed the path as many others have done, the one to China of all places! Eureka, HOOVER, all once great names and cleaners, now cheap WAL-MART junk. Whatever happened to buying a metal, quantity HOOVER in the local Montgomery Ward? You could run a Hoover over a landmine decades back, I'd love to see a modern one run over a power cord without melting, burning or just completely making a mess of itself.


Post# 274833 , Reply# 3   4/5/2014 at 03:02 (3,673 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

TTI strikes again!!!Look what they did to Royal-Butchered them!Moved production of Royal machines to China-yes,they are metal Royals-but are they as good as the US built ones?I can remember when Ohio was the vacuum building capitol of the US- Guess only The Ohio Kirby site is left.Hated how TTI dropped the Royal metal Prince hand vac and the metal Royal "Pony" series canisters.Vac shops and customers liked them.

Post# 274862 , Reply# 4   4/5/2014 at 10:13 (3,673 days old) by HooverCelebrity (Germany)        

That's too bad. Such a far cry from the company it used to be.

Here's an article about the plant closings:

www.elpasotimes.com/business/ci_2...


Post# 274869 , Reply# 5   4/5/2014 at 11:38 (3,673 days old) by paulg (my sweet home Chicago)        
That sucking noise

paulg's profile picture
Was TTI pulling USA manufacturing to China.
C'mon, did you REALLY expect any different from any Chinese manufacturer ?
Oreck is next, just you wait and see.
When "China" says, "We will keep manufacturing in USA", their next message will be, "Oh... that answer was only temporary..."
When will this country learn the lesson? TVs, most radios, cube refrigerators, air-conditioners, dehumidifiers, most vacuum-cleaners and small appliances. USA workers used to put their kids through college with those jobs. We blew it yet again.


Post# 274870 , Reply# 6   4/5/2014 at 11:58 (3,673 days old) by jade_angel (Fort Collins, CO)        

The metal Royals are mostly still as good as they used to be - but I'm beginning to think they're the exception that proves the rule. Pretty much nothing else in the line is especially well-made. TTI still has some interesting designs, but the build quality leaves a lot to be desired.

Post# 274936 , Reply# 7   4/5/2014 at 21:44 (3,672 days old) by daknx1994 (Southern Indiana)        

You know I really hate to say it but, I would not be surprised if TTI does move Oreck to china. A good amount of Oreck vacuums are already made there. Will just have to wait and see.

Post# 274937 , Reply# 8   4/5/2014 at 22:09 (3,672 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)        
If TTI will close a 25 yr old state of the art HOOVER

gottahaveahoove's profile picture
factory, I can't see them keeping Oreck here, can you? You know what they say: The last chapter hasn't been written yet"!

Post# 274942 , Reply# 9   4/6/2014 at 00:30 (3,672 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland)        

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With every factory that closes, I am thinking more and more along the lines that Hoover needn't even exist anymore.  What used to be a market-leading brand is now no better than a cheap store brand vacuum cleaner for goodness sake.


Post# 274952 , Reply# 10   4/6/2014 at 08:19 (3,672 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

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Well things may change in the future for the better, Jamie - I don't want to see Hoover losing out completely.

Post# 274968 , Reply# 11   4/6/2014 at 10:06 (3,672 days old) by daknx1994 (Southern Indiana)        

John I completely agree.

Post# 275011 , Reply# 12   4/6/2014 at 16:06 (3,672 days old) by rainbowjoel (Dexter NM)        

its so sad. its 4 hour drive from me. I always pass by when coming from Las Cruces.

Post# 275162 , Reply# 13   4/7/2014 at 19:55 (3,670 days old) by floor-a-matic (somewhere)        

Hopefully Hoover will be free from the TTI "cult" & come back to the USA; & bring back:

  • Convertible
  • Dial-A-Matic
  • Concept
  • Dimension
  • Spirit
  • Constellation
  • Celebrity
  • Futura
  • Floor-A-Matic
  • twin brush shampooer/polisher
  • Quik Broom with "Cassette" bag

And of course, uprights & Powermatic Nozzles with metal brush rollers with replaceable bristle strips & metal beater bars

 

Wouldn't a Elite or WindTunnel be great if it had metal brush rollers?


Post# 275180 , Reply# 14   4/7/2014 at 22:18 (3,670 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)        
In a perfect world............. but, sadly,

gottahaveahoove's profile picture
slim chance and fat chance mean the same thing.

Post# 275188 , Reply# 15   4/7/2014 at 23:43 (3,670 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon)        

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And an even slimmer chance of TTI selling off its floor care division. Any news of TTI doing so is all so many rumors.

~Ben


Post# 275221 , Reply# 16   4/8/2014 at 15:42 (3,670 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        
Really Guys?

dysonman1's profile picture
You have to understand how manufacturers work. I know exactly how they do, since I work for one of the remaining vac manufacturers. Hoover will never return to the outdated machines of yesterday. They would NEVER be able to sell Convertibles or Dial A Matics today. No one would buy them. They MUST be able to sell the machines that are produced.

The consumer is ultimately the one who decides how a manufacturer will go. A company can only judge a machine by how much profit they make from the sales. Remember the Constellation of a few years back? No one except vac collectors bought them. The average consumer found it irritating to use (the floating thing blew dust from the rugs and blew dirt on the bare floors - terrible idea of exhausting air from the bottom). They also returned them in droves as the turbo brush quit working quickly, bound with hair and unable to deal with large debris like rocks.

Take a look at the Shark. Many of us decry it as "junk" but most of the consumers who buy one, really like it and more importantly RECOMMEND it to a friend. It does what the customer wants - they "feel" it is cleaning because they can see the dirt. It swivels, which is important to the consumer. It 'lifts away' to become a portable canister unit. Everything the consumer wants, but at a price they are willing to pay ($200).

Ultimately, it doesn't matter to any manufacturer about us collectors going on and on about the 'old' machines. Yesterday is the past, never to be repeated. The future is the only thing they can change. They MUST give the customer what she or he wants, or they won't be in business very long. It's a sad state to be in, BUT, not all vacuums are 'junk'. Look at the Maytag line up. It's flawless, made in the USA, and 200 AMERICANS have jobs making them. Instead of going on and on about the 'loss' of storied brands of yesteryear, let's support American Jobs and buy a Maytag, Simplicity, or Riccar (or Kirby or Rainbow).



Post# 275225 , Reply# 17   4/8/2014 at 16:45 (3,669 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)        

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Well I personally think this is a GOOD move for TTI to make with Hoover. Chances are, if the El Paso plant really is 25 years old, the equipment is probably worn out & needs replacement. Not only can they replace the equipment, but save on labor costs at the same time. There was a similar situation a few years back with Wonder Bread here in Ontario....they had 3 plants with outdated equipment needing replacement. Instead of replacing 3 plants worth of equipment, they consolidated the 3 factory's production into one mega-plant in Quebec which runs with less employees than what they would need with 3 plants.

As far as quality is concerned & the machines made in China, I think it's a non-issue. All the Hoover's I have seen that were made in China seem to be about the same quality as the Mexican made models. Last year I bought a Hoover Air Pro upright, & I must say I have been impressed with the quality & performance it has! I am SO GLAD I bought it over a comparable Dyson Ball model & saved 1/2 the price.

Chinese manufacturing is the norm now....and we better get used to it, like it or not. Even premium brands are getting into the act. Riccar & Simplicity use Chinese made motors & components in their American made vacuums, & outsource their mid-line & bottom-line models to Kingclean in China. Aerus has been using Chinese-made Johnson motors for at least a decade now. The new Sirena water filtration vacuum sold in vac stores is Chinese made, & it must be well-made if Tom Gasko raves about it & says it's a good alternative to Rainbow. And it won't be long before Filter Queen, Rainbow & Kirby switch to Chinese manufacturing....it's not a matter of IF it will happen, but WHEN.

Rob


Post# 275257 , Reply# 18   4/8/2014 at 21:34 (3,669 days old) by daknx1994 (Southern Indiana)        

I am not trying to defend these brands but, I honestly do not see the higher end and door to door brands moving to China anytime soon. It is going to take a big precursor for them to make that decision. Obviously these brands have survived through one of the greatest economic downfalls in our history since the Great Depression. With these companies surviving through that, I am sure they will be with us for a while. Plus one of the selling points to these vacuums is being made in America. When was the last time you heard an ad from Hoover praising themselves for quality or American Pride? (Not dissing the brand just stating.) As for Tacony, if they were concerned about cheap labor or what not, I am sure that instead of expanding their operations and manufacturing the Maytag line of vacuums in America, they would have done it in China.

Now to be frank about Hoover, if you look at the parent company, TTI, which is a Chinese company to begin with, who had already been making their power tool lines and Dirt Devil and Royal vacuums in China, it does not surprise me that they have moved Hoover to China since 2007. Add into the mixing bowl the fact that the Hoover plant needed much renovations, put that into the oven to bake and what do you expect to come out as a result? Now at the same time made in China is not a bad thing. Everyone is going to have their views on that subject.


Post# 275260 , Reply# 19   4/8/2014 at 21:41 (3,669 days old) by kirbyloverdan (Egg Harbor Twp . NJ aka HOOVERLOVERDAN ❤️)        
Thank you

kirbyloverdan's profile picture
Tom you are exactly right if the vacuum industry had to rely on collectors they'd be out of business .
Hoovers made in China are extremely well built I have many that John Gregory gifted me and I am
very impressed with the quality .The customer is who is in control not the collector and that's what large companies must cater to .

You are also correct if those who are concerned about American jobs they need to let go of the brands
that they used to love but now hate and support Tacony ,Kirby , Aerus ect .
That would show you really care about American jobs if you want to support Americans
there are plenty of quality made vacuums being made right here .

As I have said before without the so hated TTI Hoover would be no more they have saved one of my
favorite brands .

Dan


Post# 275287 , Reply# 20   4/9/2014 at 09:28 (3,669 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

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I agree Dan: Hoover vacuums today are, out of the 'big box' machines commonly available, probably the best quality and performance. If we look at Eureka, we see very thin plastic, cyclone systems that load the filter with dirt, noisy brush rolls, etc. They were designed to fail within a year or so. Hoover cleaners, on the other hand, are made to last a "relatively" long time in the hands of an uncaring consumer. Shark cleaners have no parts availability - you are buying, in essence, an orphan. Bissell products are made to be inexpensive, and thrown away.

Kirby, Rainbow, and Tacony are the only three major manufacturers left in the USA. Filter Queen, Silver King, etc. are so small they don't even make a blip on the vacuum radar.

I do love the Sirena. It's a good vacuum, and a great alternative to spending over two and a half thousand dollars on a Rainbow. One thing I've learned is that the Chinese will make a product with any quality a manufacturer (like TTI) is willing to pay for. They CAN make metal vacuums (like Royal), and they can make cheap junk too. It's all about how much a company is willing to pay at wholesale.

I'm so tired of the old argument that if a motor is made in China, the entire machine must be bad. This is a very uneducated and somewhat backwards view, spouted by people who know nothing about the vacuum cleaner industry. While Tacony does use motors made in Mexico, Korea, as well as China, the entire vacuum is injection molded and created right in St. James Missouri. 200 Americans have jobs (with benefits) making them, painting them, designing and engineering them. The motors are made uniquely for Tacony (the DuraTec double fan motor used in the Ultra Premium will run more than a thousand hours).

The goal of a manufacturer is to be profitable so the shareholders will benefit. The goal of engineering is to make a machine that the consumer will like, keep, use, and recommend. The goal of manufacturing is to make the machine for the lowest cost in proportion to the highest quality. When all three work together, you get vacuums like the Maytag line as well as Simplicity and Riccar. Those cleaners are made to clean American homes, to clean them well, and to last long enough that no one is ever sorry they bought one.




This post was last edited 04/09/2014 at 11:48
Post# 275357 , Reply# 21   4/9/2014 at 17:08 (3,668 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)        

fan-of-fans's profile picture
I will say that Hoover has some nice vacuums out, there are a few current models that I like. It would be nice to see manufacturing jobs brought back to the US, but it just won't happen.

And I agree that as much as collectors would love to see old models being made again, it would likely never happen. Almost no one would buy anything without on board tools and lightweight plastic.


Post# 275381 , Reply# 22   4/9/2014 at 18:20 (3,668 days old) by floor-a-matic (somewhere)        

I don't mind the WindTunnel MAX bagged upright & the Platinum Lightweight bagged uprights; & the bagless cyclonic canisters.  However, I may be buying either a Quiet Force bagged canister or WindTunnel Air canister


Post# 275943 , Reply# 23   4/12/2014 at 17:28 (3,665 days old) by kirbyloverdan (Egg Harbor Twp . NJ aka HOOVERLOVERDAN ❤️)        
Some contacts at

kirbyloverdan's profile picture
Hoover guess they didn't tell you ZERO American jobs are lost and they will be building Hoovers in the USA as always ...

Dan


Post# 276810 , Reply# 24   4/17/2014 at 23:21 (3,660 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)        
Actually,

gottahaveahoove's profile picture
lots of American jobs have and will be lost. I personally know that several at Plant 2 lost jobs. SOME were moved to The Distribution Plant... seniority bumped a few of them out there.
Many untruths were flying around.
For example: HOOVER was never ging to put Vera Bradley bags on a vacuum. Can you imagine what that would add to the price? And, do you think Vera would want her name on a dirtbag? The return of Convertible was not pushed back due to the Oreck takeover. As they say, "it'll all come out in the wash".


Post# 276818 , Reply# 25   4/18/2014 at 02:31 (3,660 days old) by Durango159 (State College, PA)        

durango159's profile picture
Very very sad news!!! The new ones just don't have the similarities of the Hoover brand that we look for!!! I miss that pleasant Hoover sounding motor, excellent grooming, convenience and Made in the USA quality.


Post# 277052 , Reply# 26   4/18/2014 at 19:08 (3,659 days old) by kirbyloverdan (Egg Harbor Twp . NJ aka HOOVERLOVERDAN ❤️)        
Questions

kirbyloverdan's profile picture
Where is the Oreck Factory located and who owns it ???????

Dan



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