White-Westinghouse and Eureka

[eurekaprince]

While recently changing a Genuine Eureka F&G dust bag on my 1980's classic Eureka upright 1425, I noticed that the copyright on the bright yellow package of bags said "1991 White Consolidated Industries". This reminded me of a strange episode in the history of Eureka. Apparently, at some point in the acquisition of North American appliance companies by Sweden's Electrolux, they acquired the major appliance maker known as White Consolidated Industries, which produced stoves, refrigerators and dishwashers (I think). I am not sure, but I think the brand names used for these appliances were "White" and "Frigidaire" and "White-Westinghouse". If anyone remembers any other brand names under the WCI umbrella, I would really be interested in learning them.

Anyhow, looking at the WCI copyright on the dust bag package reminded me of an era in the history of Eureka when some American stores were actually selling Eureka vacs under the White Westinghouse name. I distinctly remember one major department store (perhaps in Florida...) selling Eureka Bravo uprights under this name, and perhaps little Mighty Mites as well. Does anyone have any pics of these oddities? Would be fun to see this again.

Now we can add "White-Westinghouse" to the list of names which were slapped onto Eureka vacs (JC Penney, Montgomery Ward, Eaton Viking, Beaumark, Baycrest, Parnell, Sanitaire, Euroclean, Electrolux, etc.)

 

[kirbyvertibles]

don't forget clarke, douglas, and some other I can't remember

 

[kirbysthebest]

Didn't WCI also own the Sarah-Lee bakery?

If I am not mistaken, and I may be so feel free to correct me. Isn't Clark, and Douglas both owned by Burkshire, or Scott-Fitzer A.K.A. Kirby? I was pretty sure Douglas was anyway, hence the hand vack that Kirby "gave" with the Heritage models. Of course they also own Quick-cut knives, Ginsue, not to mention World Book Encyclopedia.

 

[petek]

Consolidated Food, the parent co. of Sara Lee did own Electrolux at one time. iirc

 

[vacuumfreeeke]

Back in the mid 90s, I remember seeing a white hard bagged Eureka Bravo looking machine with the White Westinghouse name on it at Big Lots.

 

[kenmore81]

Me too

I remember K-mart having a white or maroon "Bravo II" with the white-Westinghouse badge,also the "Powerline" style broom-vacs and the "powerline" style canister with White westinghouse on the in the late 90's
Ken

 

[eurekaprince]

Thanks for helping me confirm that I am not (completely) cra

My friends in Rhode Island and Florida have confirmed that I was not seeing things when I seemed to remember seeing Eureka vacs sporting the White-Westinghouse label.

Actually, the mysterious web of corporate take-overs involving Eureka and Electrolux can really be confusing.

Other members of Vacuumland - feel free to correct or edit this bit of Electrolux history, if I have anything wrong here: In 1969, Sweden's Electrolux sold their North American (was it both the US and Canadian operations together?), to Consolidated Foods which also owned Sara Lee Cakes. Consolidated Foods was in no way connected to White Consolidated Industries, though. Five years later, in 1974, just when the Eureka Williams Company of Bloomington, Illinois was creating truly "the very best in vacuum cleaners", Sweden's Electrolux purchased it and came back into the North American market.

So by the mid 1970's, North America's Electrolux Company was owned by Consolidated Foods, and North America's Eureka Company was owned by Sweden's Electrolux. According to fundinguniverse.com, Sweden's Electrolux "vacuumed up" White Consolidated Industries (WCI) in 1986. WCI started in 1876 as the White Sewing Machine Company. Up until the 1960's, White supplied Sears with a large portion of their sewing machines. In the 1960's, the company began to diversify, and according to this website "the plan was diversity and the targets were largely appliance concerns. White merged with or acquired roughly 14 companies in 1960 alone. By 1964, the parent company had changed its name to White Consolidated Industries, or WCI, a reflection of its rainbow of acquisitions, which included: the Kelvinator Appliance Division, from American Motors; Gibson, which was then Westinghouse's appliance division; and Franklin Appliance Division of Studebaker." In 1975, WCI bought the major appliance division of Westinghouse and I guess that's when we started seeing White Westinghouse stoves and refrigerators.

So when Sweden's Electrolux bought WCI in 1986 I guess somebody thought it might be fun to slap the Westinghouse name on some Eureka vacs! Why the Electrolux management team thought it best to fold Eureka into the WCI division of Electrolux, I don't know.

According to this funding universe website, the WCI division of Electrolux now covers the following list of brand-names: Principal Subsidiaries: Frigidaire Company; The Eureka Company; Schrock Cabinet Company; American Yard Products; Poulan/Weed Eater; Americold; Baring Industries; Beam Industries; Challenge Industries, Inc.; Dimas; Dito Dean Food Prep; Dometic Corporation; Euroclean; Husqvarna Forest & Garden Company; The Kent Company; Partner Industrial Products; Richards-Wilcox; VWS; Wascator Manufacturing; Washex Machinery Company.

Interesting, huh? Would still be fun to see pics of those White Westinghouse vacs.......anyone got any?

Also, who owns Aerus now? Is it some multinational company too?

 

[vacuumfreeeke]

I looked for a picture online when I posted my original response on Ebay and Google but wasn't able to find one. Sometimes everyone needs a little confirmation that we aren't as crazy as we think we are...

I haven't seen one of those machines since the first time back in the 90s. I guess the weren't that popular, which surprises me since they were cheap.

 

[kenmore81]

Surprises me too

That there wern't more around,especaly here where I live. Everyone around my neighborhood shopped at K-mart and usualy went for cheap to near cheap lol. I mean I dont live in the getto but its kinda close more than half my elementary school was on some type of assistance.BTW the bissell Easy-vac sold under W-Wh at the big K also.
Kenny

 

[eurekaprince]

Oooo......Bissell and White Westinghouse......

the vac web gets even more mysterious! Now I have to figure out how Bissell ended up under the White Consolidated Industries umbrella as well, and for how long......bizarre.........

Are you sure it was a Bissell and not some copy made by Eureka?

 

[kenmore81]

Im 99% sure

The Bissell 3-way(hmm), no I must get to my point lol. The Bissell 3-way now I belive called the Bissell featherweight? I think walmart still has the for like 20 bucks. Ill investigate further, I need to go to bed work tonight=(
K