In the early 1920s, the founder of Vitamix, W.G. Barnard was a self-taught salesman of “modern” home products. In 1937, he introduced an all-new product—the blender—to his line. This was the very first Vitamix machine.
When television made its debut in 1949, his son Bill immediately recognized this new medium as the perfect way for W.G. (“Papa”) to demonstrate the new and improved Vitamix machine to hundreds of homemakers at the same time. He booked a 30-minute time slot on WEWS-TV in Cleveland and created the first-ever direct response commercial. This commercial, which ran for several years in many markets, made the blender a household word. A copy of this early infomercial holds a special place in the Direct Marketing Association archives.
Today, Vitamix has been in business nearly 90 years and continues to grow. Much has changed, but much has remained the same. New products are introduced nearly every year, but every Vitamix product, both commercial and household, is still built at the world headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio. Vitamix is still family-owned and operated, and the company is still firmly focused on the importance of quality and customer service.
In 2009, Jodi (Barnard) Berg became president of Vitamix and John Barnard assumed the role of Executive Chairman and CEO. Under Jodi and John’s guidance, Vitamix will continue to give customers and industry partners the highest quality equipment, while remaining true to traditional Vitamix values and heritage. Vitamix will remain true to its mission: to be the best blending equipment company in the world.
Absolute Brilliance. 