S2_82 asked: Has there been perhaps a change in leadership recently just curious.
I reply: Yes. Kirby was sold about a year ago to a company called Right Lane Industries, or something like that. It appears they've now begun to remake Kirby in their own image. Hopefully, they won't cheapen the machines' design with excessive amounts of plastic and circuit boards or--heaven forbid--farm out production to China. That would be the end, as far as I'm concerned.