Tom, great news that the Riccar Prima / Simplicity Wonder will be built in Missouri this year. However, will the 3 current power nozzles be discontinued in favor of the Tandem Air powerhead? And will the Tandem Air powerhead be battery powered as the Volt powerhead is, or will it draw it's power supply thru a electric hose?
Don't get me wrong, the Volt Tandem Air powerhead is a great innovation for central vac owners with Hide a Hose & older straight suction systems wanting to upgrade to a electric powerhead, particularly since the Tandem Air aspect will help boost the airflow & suction capabilities of the central vac system while in use on carpets, especially with older systems with lesser power than today's systems & the standards they meet. It would also be great for straight suction canister owners that want to upgrade without purchasing a whole new powerhead canister vacuum. However, a few distinct disadvantages the Volt Tandem Air powerhead would have, since it's essentially a modified battery powered clean air upright, is there's no serpentine v belt option for lesser maintenance, no swivel steering, & would be virtually impossible to get under ultra-low surfaces, such as beds, that a regular canister vacuum powerhead can get with ease.
The main reason why people buy canisters is for attachment use, bare floor cleaning, & cleaning under & around surfaces a upright cannot reach. As much as the Volt Tandem Air powerhead is nice, & people can see it's cleaning performance advantages, if it was the only option available you would encourage powerhead canister vacuum buyers to buy from your competition. I know that, for me, if I was a regular owner & not a collector, I wouldn't buy it for my only vacuum. If Tacony was thinking of phasing out the 3 available powerheads for the Wonder/Prima in favor of the Volt, you might strongly encourage them to reconsider, especially since your direct competition is Miele.
For anyone wanting the older canisters, such as the Simplicity Verve & Riccar Pristine, Hibbert Wholesale here in Canada is showing they have them in stock on their website. So if you want one, find a dealer & order quick before they dry up & are gone forever.
Rob
http://https//www.hibbert.ca/index.jsp?path=home