Were Hoover US and Hoover UK ever the same?

[eureka1998]

I know that come the late 90s and Early 2000s Hoover US and Hoover UK came under ownership of two completely different companies (Candy: UK) (Maytag: US). Of course later on the US version would be bought out by TTI, which owns Vax in the UK. But prior to all of these buyouts, were Hoover US and Hoover UK the same company? I ask because sometimes the UK would have exclusive vacs that did not really hit the markets in the US (very rarely) like the Junior and the Innovation. This was just something I always wondered about.

 

[weltron]

My understanding is that UK Hoover was a subsidiary of US Hoover from its inception up until the early 90s, after the US division sold them after the disastrous Free Flights promotion.

 

[eureka1998]

Did not know this

That would explain also why the UK branch was renamed Hoover Limited. Did not know it was a subsidiary!

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Yes. There were factories all over the world.

Ir was all under the U.S. North Canton thumb. a few machines we have were made "over there". After that awful airline scheme, Hoover separated. There's a huge story about it in newspaper archives. You can look it up easily.
A real shame.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Also, some of the UK models were made over here, and shipped back to UK.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

indeed. For example, The


juniors, we listed them in brochures as "apartment vacs" were made there, we put the bags, maybe even the handles, on them. I'll have to check with Tom (Anderson) as, he'll have all of the info.
The big, heavy, "Commercials" were made there as well.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I have a large picture showing

every Hoover building at it's peak. There were many. It was a wonderful time.