Did Royal Sell Its Machines Door to Door?

[kirbyclassiciii]

While everybody knows that Kirby, more or less, is a company who sold their product door-to-door, I wonder if its fellow Cleveland-based competitor Royal did the same?

~Ben

 

[huskyvacs]

I do believe they did. Under Health-Mor Sanitation, which eventually became the Royal company if I am remembering this right. They were only in the Chicagoland area.

 

[hygiene903]

Door to Door Royals

Yes, from their beginning and at least well into the 30's, and maybe beyond that. Philip A. Geier started the P.A. Geier Company in 1905, first as a job order machine shop, then making parts for punch presses, and eventually making his own line of punch presses. He built his first vacuum cleaner in 1910, named it the Royal, and they sold so well that he soon dropped out of the punch press business and devoted his full attention to producing vacuum cleaners. These were sold mostly in homes at the time so people could see how it performed in their own home environment. Then in 1928 he redesigned it, reversing the direction of the motor and fan and moving the bag outlet from one side to the other and eventually expanding the line to 3 models: the Standard, the Super, and the Purifier, which had a crystal chamber on the front of the fan case where the nozzle or hose connected, and here is where the Royal story and the beginning of Electro-Hygiene connect.
A young man named Art Frankenfeld began selling Royals for the P.A. Geier Company, and with his energy and charisma could sell the top-of-the-line Purifier like no other! Health and sanitation were a major part of his presentations and Philip A. Geier noticed his sales record. I don't know which one of them came up with the idea, but between the two of them it was decided to rename the Purifier, and in 1934 it became the Electro-Hygiene, with the company being a wholly owned subsidiary of the P.A. Geier Company, with Art Frankenfeld leading the division. As many of you know, I sold Electro-Hygienes in the 70's and had the opportunity to meet Mr. Frankenfeld at a sales convention in 1974. He was every bit as energetic and charismatic at 67 years old as he was when he first started selling for the P.A. Geier Company so many years before!
Jeff

 

[hygiene903]

Huskyvacs,

Apparently you posted while I was still typing mine, as I would have included this info with my post if I had seen yours before. Although the P.A. Geier Company did build vacuum cleaners for Health-Mor, they were two separate companies and there was no other connection between them. Health-Mor started out as a sales organization selling Scott & Fetzer Sanitation Systems. As they grew, they decided they wanted the Health-Mor name on their cleaners, but Scott & Fetzer refused, insisting they would only build cleaners with their own name on them. Health-Mor then contracted with the P.A. Geier Company, who was glad to build their machines for them to their specifications with the Health-Mor name on them. The first two Filter Queen models (200 and 350) were also made by P.A. Geier, until Health-Mor won a major lawsuit against Lewyt, and used the proceeds to build their own manufacturing plant in Chicago.
Jeff

 

[huskyvacs]

Thanks for telling the history Jeff. I remembered there was some connection I just forgot who did what.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

hygiene903

Jeff,

As far as I am concerned, Health-Mor may have distributed the Scott & Fetzer Sanitation System for the Chicago-area market between 1928 and 1930, but that did not mean these particular examples were actually branded as Health-Mor Sanitation Systems?

~Ben

 

[hygiene903]

Ben,

I think you may have misunderstood my post, so I'll try to make it clearer for you. Health-Mor did start out as a sales organization and distributor for the Scott & Fetzer Sanitation System in the Chicago area from 1928-1930. But Scott & Fetzer's REFUSAL to build a cleaner with the Health-Mor name on it was what caused Health-Mor and Scott & Fetzer to dissolve their partnership. Health-Mor then contracted with the P.A. Geier Company, who were more than happy to build cleaners for them to their specifications and with the Health-Mor name on them, seeing how it would be a profitable partnership for both of them. And it indeed worked out well for over 20 years, as P.A. Geier continued to produce cleaners for Health-Mor into the 50's, building the first two Filter Queen models (200 and 350) for them and up until Health-Mor won a major lawsuit against Lewyt and used the proceeds to build their own production facility in Chicago.
Jeff

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

hygiene903

Jeff,

Thank you for clearing that up for me.

~Ben