ARE KIRBY COMPANY MAKING A BIG MISTAKE WITH ONLINE SELLING OF KIRBY AVALIR 2
WHATS THE FUTURE HOLD FOR KIRBY DISTRIBUTERS / Kirby Vacuums Online Sales
WHATS THE FUTURE HOLD FOR KIRBY DISTRIBUTORS / Kirby Sells Online In 2022


Jim Kirby designed the first Kirby vacuums for George Scott and Carl Fetzer after World War I, although the Kirby name was not used on a vacuum cleaner until the 1930s.James Kirby invented the "vacuette" circa 1920. The company's primary competitors included The Hoover Company and The Eureka Company, both of which began operations in 1909, as well as Bissell that started building carpet sweepers in 1876. Their primary European competitor was Electrolux, which started 1924. Dyson, Miele and Sebo followed in the 1980s.

Introduced in 1925, the Vacuette Electric featured a removable floor nozzle and handle and became the forerunner of current multi-attachment Kirby vacuum models. In 1935, the company introduced the Kirby Model C, the first product to carry Jim Kirby's name.The Vacuette was briefly offered as a manual vacuum cleaner, utilizing a spring-loaded worm gear driven by pulling the vacuum cleaner backwards; when pushing the machine forward, the worm gear would power a turbine that provided suction. As long as the cleaner was consistently pulled backwards, tension in the spring would remain constant and the turbine would continue spinning. It was designed for rural areas that did not have electricity and was very similar to the carpet sweeper.

One of the features of the Kirby system is the modular design of both vacuum and accessories, allowing machines to be configured for numerous uses, from normal floor cleaning to furniture shampooing and as a compact, handheld vacuum (despite its weight). This versatility also provides for add-on sales or bundling of the complete system.

Kirby has remained with its original design, materials and functionality with enhancements added to aid in its operation and durability. The company changes the appearance of the cleaner with revised colour schemes and introduces new models with a similar core design. The attachments and appearance items are interchangeable between generations and some machines consist of parts from multiple models. Machines built in the 1930s, 40s, 50s and 60s are in operation worldwide and can be repaired or rebuilt with parts from the factory.

In the 1930s and the 1940s, Kirby started to offer their products in retail environments, and introduced the "R" series. They are identical to their "C" series, with differences being the power switch installed on the handle. The first model was the R, followed by the 2R, 3R and 4R. In 1970, input from Kirby distributors, dealers, management and customers guided Kirby engineers in developing the Kirby Classic. This ushered in the second generation models and was an instant success, with soaring sales[citation needed], allowing the company to expand its manufacturing facilities outside of Cleveland for the first time. This coincided with the rising popularity of wall-to-wall custom installed carpet. In 1972, Kirby West began operations in Andrews, Texas at 1345 NW 101 Street (also known as North Seminole Highway), which doubled the company's manufacturing capacity The company maintained a presence in Canada, located at 1009 Burns Street East in Whitby, which is no longer staffed.

Berkshire Hathaway bought Kirby parent Scott Fetzer in 1986 for $315 million.Two years prior, Ivan Boesky had offered to buy Scott Fetzer for $60 a share, or $420 million.Warren Buffett has singled out Scott Fetzer to Berkshire's shareholders as the "prototype" for the "kind of company — and acquisition — he was interested in."According to Berkshire managers, "absolutely no changes were made to the existing Scott Fetzer business or management, and the entire business was preserved.

As of 2003 Kirby was the largest source of revenue and profit for Scott Fetzer, with approximately 500,000 sales per year, about a third of which are outside the United States. In 2003, Scott Fetzer sold the vacuums to about 835 factory distributors, who in turn sell the vacuums door-to-door.[9] As an incentive to new customers, Kirby offers the Service Centre Vacuum Rebuild Program for original owners who have been registered with the company. As long as the customer owns the machine as the registered owner, if the cleaner needs repair, they can send it back to the Rebuild Department and have it restored to "like-new" condition. The company will completely disassemble it, repair or replace any worn Kirby parts, and sandblast, polish and buff metal parts back to a shiny "new" appearance. Internal components are also thoroughly inspected and repaired with Kirby replacement parts so that it will perform as originally designed

In 2021, Berkshire Hathaway sold Kirby to the Chicago, Illinois based Right Lane Industries, ending its long history with Scott Fetzer.

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