The Hoover-ification of Oreck Has Begun

[tylerawells]

I saw this the other day - I thought it was interesting, but to be expected given the TTI purchase of Oreck back in August of 2013.


 


Oreck has introduced the SurfaceScrub floor cleaner - the description from the Oreck Website:


 


The Oreck® SurfaceScrub™ is our first hard floor cleaner that scrubs, washes and dries. Simply move forward to gently scrub your floors with SpinBrush 360™ Technology, then pull it back to dry with powerful suction. Convenient features make it easy to put away the mop and bucket, including Smart Suction Technology, an 11.3 in. Nozzle and 30 ft. cord. It even keeps dirty water off your floor with Two Tank Technology. And at only 13 lbs.*, it’s easy to push and carry anywhere in your home.


 


They're asking an MSRP of $249.9. By comparison, Hoover FloorMate Deluxe is being sold on Hoover.com for $138.99


 


I'm attaching a picture here of the Oreck machine.


 


TTI has made some good products, and I get the cost-savings of having several different products that are all essentially the same, notwithstanding the badge slapped on the front, but I also really would like to see TTI allow each brand to have some products that are uniqely their own. I'm sure it won't be long at this point before we see the Oreck XL WindTunnel Deluxe.


 


Here is the link to the machine on Oreck's website: http://www.oreck.com/oreck-surfacescrub/704.html


 


What do you guys think about this unit, and more specifically, of the Hoover-ification of Oreck?


 

 

[kirbyloverdan]

I absolutely LOVE

This and how TTI has saved one of my favorite brands .

Many companies do this its nothing new GM , Ford , Lincoln , Hyundai , Kia , Toyota , Lexus , Infinit , Nissan , Honda , Acura just a few examples .

Oreck is TTIs Luxury TOL brand great job TTi many more exciting products are in their way

Dan

 

[sbakerde]

I don't love this

TTI is creating a monopoly. They will use the same molds to make vacuums under different names. They did this after acquiring Royal. They badged a hoover wind tunnel as royal and used it as a vacuum store exclusive. The problem is you can get the same machine with the hoover name on from sears for $100 less. How is a vacuum store supposed to stay in business selling shady rebadged machines? This was a big factor in my decision to close my store. In the time that I had my store TTI obsorbed royal appliance and oreck. I felt the effects from both. For those of you who are still in business I commend you. And I hope you fair better than I did. The way I see it is these big companies are pushing us little guys out more and more. I don't like it and I don't agree with it. But that's just me.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Seth, I agree totally.

I'm not going to "bash a brand", but, I think it is awful.
My opinion, to which I am entitled.
It is true, it would be nice to see certain "names" keep an identity unto themselves.
But..................

 

[sbakerde]

Thanks John.

Nice to know I'm not the only one who thinks this way. Don't get me wrong the hoover wind tunnel is a great vacuum. But I prefer not to see everyone else's name on it. I think they days where we can identify a vacuums make and model from 200 feet are slowly fading.

 

[bagintheback]

I'm actually okay with this. <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Just please keep the level of </span>build<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> quality the same across the two brand names.  I honestly like this Oreck color scheme much better than the Hoover. As long as 8 lb. Oreck uprights are not marketed as Hoovers, it's all good. </span>

 

[kirbyloverdan]

TTI owning Oreck =

Hoovers made in the USA again they are already making them at the Oreck factory and anything badged Oreck will have higher quality options and parts . Everything some complained about because TTI made vacuums in China oh well thank God they don't have to cater to collectors they'd be out of business for certain .

This will reinforce all the good TTI has done to save Hoover , Royal , Dirt Devil , Oreck without TTI these brands would be extinct .

I LOVE TTI and commend them on the fine job of bring these brand well into the future . Americans have jobs that's most important .

Dan

 

[ozhoover]

Also on sale in the UK from VAX

Hi

The same model is on sale in the UK from Vax as the Floormate Edge for £129.99 in white.

Mark

 

[vac-o-matic]

Tyler, Seth, John....

I echo your posts. I was with Oreck part-time for almost 9 years, in the glory days if you will. Ever since they went from the XL21 to the Platinums, I have seen the quality of the products decline. There's definitely different qualities of plastics, and they only seem to be getting more troublesome. The onset of the Chinese import models have only increased in service/warranty work for the stores. It's sad really. There have been so many stores close coast to coast in the last couple of years, I can't even get a figure from our rep. When TTI bought Oreck from another holding company, we knew it was only a matter of time before we would see Oreck rebadged products. TTI has done little to nothing to promote the Oreck brand, only a brief commercial on the Magnesium, which I swear must've aired for a couple of weeks. Locally 2 of the 7 stores have closed, and as the leases come up for renewal, there could be more. The store that I worked in is also a Miele store, and those sales have kept them a moderately active store. Time will tell where everything is going, I'm just thankful that I don't count on being a store owner to support myself/family, or any vacuum store for that matter. It's truly a disposable society with most people being satisfied if they get a couple of years out of a vacuum...really?

 

[jkbff]

TTI has a bigger interest in the big box store vs the independent retailer.

That being said... The SKU's made for big box are not the same as the SKU's made for independent retail. They are not made the same, have less options and to a point are made with different materials..

Also, the Oreck plant is not used to make hoovers... All of Oreck's production has been sent to the China plants, TTi is going to use the cooksville plant for the commercial lineup.. That being said, any of the commercial products that share a residential counterpart will be made there.. IE the tempo, cr50005 and UR30075.

Our rep was just here and I just hashed a lot of this over... .... independent retailer has a higher profit, big-box is higher volume. You are looking at 5 million / year vs 20 million / year... TTi has too many other fish they need to fry instead of supporting the small guys....

 

[sebo_fan]

Im a bit happier though - since the TTI take over, the Magnesium upright finally seems to have hit the UK website. Shame everything seems to be "out of stock" though. TTI should sort that out.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Thanks foe shedding a clearer

light on this. Better to get this from the "horse's mouth".

 

[bagintheback]

It's fantastic to hear the Tempo will be made in Tennessee. That's already a favorite of mine and now it will just get better! Although, Oreck has also prided themselves in being made in the USA for decades; that's unfortunate production has moved to China. Perhaps the only reason why I've ever bought Oreck products at retail price is because of they were made domestically. I hope their image doesn't suffer greatly from this.

 

[jkbff]

Parts of Oreck's production has been in China for a while. I think the magnesium and all of the air cleaning products were Chinese.

 

[kirbyloverdan]

Not the original

Orecks they are still assembled in Tennessee plus the XL21 style Joshua I think people are believing all Orecks are made in China which is untrue . The magnesium bagless and canisters except the buster bee are made in China . I managed an Oreck store for 6 years and have many friends in that company just wait and see what happens


All I can say right now about Hoover is WATCH ...

Dan

 

[daknx1994]

Dan,

I was going to say the same thing, I did not think the classic Oreck's were made in China. I am an Oreck dealer and have heard nothing of this. I think there are many great things to come from Oreck and Hoover, as you said we will have to wait and see.

 

[jkbff]

The XL has a commercial counterpart, no? Anything with a commercial counterpart will stay here, the rest has been sent or was already over there..

Thats why the scrapped the RY7910/7940s. They didn't want to pay for the tooling for something that was sold in independent stores only.

 

[kirbysthebest]

Sorry for the drift

RE: China / China Bashing.

My problems are not with China per se, or the people there trying to make a living. My problem with outsourcing and ownership by China is that each of their items represents lost jobs for Americans.

How many people lost their jobs in Canton, OH when Hoover left? Royal? now Oreck? It's not that they are running their factories that much more efficiently, it's that they pay their workers a bare pittance for their labor.

I do remember in the 60's that the same was said of Japan. Japan turned out the cheesiest, cheapest electronics on the market. Here 50 years later their stuff is top quality, and costs about the same or more than other items. They have their efficiency to the highest level, but they now pay their workers a living wage and are losing work to the PRC.

Though I do see the day that the Chinese will demand a higher wage and their advantage will be lost to some other economy that will be willing to work for a couple of carrots and a warm place to sleep.

 

[ralph123]

So is the Oreck model really the same as the cheaper Hoover? Or is the Oreck the Cadillac version with extra and better features? How do they differ?