Bissell Inc., also known as Bissell Homecare, is an American privately owned

vacuum cleaner A vacuum cleaner, also known simply as a vacuum, is a device that uses suction, and often agitation, in order to remove dirt and other debris from carpets, hard floors, and other surfaces. The dirt is collected into a dust bag or a plastic bin. ...

and floor care product manufacturing corporation headquartered in

Walker, Michigan Walker is a city in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A suburb of Grand Rapids, Walker borders the city to the north and west. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 25,132. Walker was originally organized as Walker Tow ...

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City of Walker. Retrieved on December 25, 2012. The headquarters of Bissell Inc. are at B4, labeled as "Bissell" The company is the number one manufacturer of floor care products in North America in terms of sales, with 20% marketshare.

History

Melville Bissell developed an early carpet sweeping machine to aid in cleaning the crockery shop he and his wife

Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna of East Anglia, King (died c.654) * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th c ...

owned and operated. The device was patented as the Bissell Carpet Sweeper in 1876. In 1883, Bissell built the company's first manufacturing plant in Grand Rapids. By the 1890s the company had an international presence and was producing 1000 sweepers per day. Melville Bissell died in 1889 and his wife Anna took over as leader of the company. She served as the company president from 1889 - 1919 and chair of the board from 1919 - 1934. Over the years the company expanded from manufacturing only mechanical sweepers to producing vacuum cleaners and carpet shampooers.

Today

In 2004, the company acquired a license for the

Woolite Woolite is an American brand of laundry detergent and cleaning products owned by the English-Dutch company Reckitt Benckiser. The company acquired the Woolite brand when it bought Boyle-Midway from American Home Products / Wyeth in 1990. The c ...

trademark for all carpet and upholstery cleaning formulas for $62 million. It has also moved into the pet-care industry, manufacturing attachments and solutions designed specifically for cleaning up pet hair and stains. Whereas other competitors saw sales decline by numerous percentage points during the

economic downturn In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction that occurs when there is a period of broad decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be tr ...

, Bissell's sales remained steady. In 2009, they outpaced

Hoover Hoover may refer to: Music * Hoover (band), an American post-hardcore band * Hooverphonic, a Belgian band originally named Hoover * Hoover (singer), Willis Hoover, a country and western performer active in 1960s and '70s * "Hoover" (song), a 201 ...

to take the number one position for floor-care sales in North America. Their top-selling carpet shampooer is Bissell ProHeat 2x Revolution Pet Pro which is the market leader as of 2020. It was the title sponsor for the Bissell Pro Cycling Team. Bissell also has a pet foundation. With every purchase, it donates some percentage to the foundation to save pets, and grant money and assistance to various animal non-profits in all 50 states.

References

External links

Official Bissell website
* {{citation , title=Melville and Anna Bissell , work=The Engines of Our Ingenuity , author=Andrew Boyd , issue=2572 , url=http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2572.htm , access-date=27 March 2019 , date=2010 Vacuum cleaner manufacturers Manufacturing companies based in Michigan Companies based in Kent County, Michigan American companies established in 1876 Manufacturing companies established in 1876 1876 establishments in Michigan Privately held companies based in Michigan Home appliance manufacturers of the United States American brands Family-owned companies of the United States