State of Air-Way Union Address
Patrick and others:
I'll be the first to agree that the Air-Way site is and always has been very rudimentary. I know nothing of computers and web sites but I think even I could have done better!
Air-Way is a true, "Mom & Pop", operation but now only Pop as the Mom left. There is the owner, a one-woman staffed office and a few part time folks that assemble the vacuums. The one-woman staff is challenged in getting out the orders correctly. I'm still waiting on a supply of bags that was ordered over a week ago. Unfortunately, that is becoming more typical.
The company is in Talladega, AL. If you go to their site, Air-Way.net, you will see that have a few other items besides vacuums but the graphics are kindergartenish at best.
I have no idea how long they will last or if they will be sold. There have been changes made to the bag, (and that bag is what put them on the map in 1920 and made them an industry leader during the 1930's through the early 1970's), a minor change with the vacuum itself but on the plus side they did last year introduce the "Quiet Series" power nozzle.
It is frustrating for me and other Air-Way dealers like myself to "push" the product as there is no company support for dealers. There are no printed materials, no videos and if I want a "Authorized Dealer" decal/sticker for my window or car, I have to BUY it from them.
I am also the BOSCH dealer for my area and contrastly, BOSCH provides a wonderful handbook for potential buyers that outlines the various BOSCH vacuums and their differences. I can write in the cost of each vacuum for the customer as well.
So where Air-Way goes from here is anyone's guess. There was a rumor that it was for sale several years ago but that was vehemently denied by Air-Way. (That always tells me to watch out for something!)
If I can assist anyone here in purchasing an Air-Way, please email me directly. As far as I know, the purple Air-Way is still in production, (all hand built as most of you know), and available. If you have any thoughts about owning one, my advice: don't delay too much longer as who knows how long they will be around. They have survived a rocky history since 1920 and are still hanging in there. The testimonies seen here and from my buyers still sell the vacuums for me.
Charlie