The history of Eureka vacuum cleaners begins in Detroit, Michigan in 1909 with a man named Fred Wardell. Within three years, the Eureka Vacuum Cleaner Company was selling six models of vacuum cleaners that also came with specialized accessories for different cleaning jobs. Because Eureka vacuum cleaners were lighter and better designed than their competitors and had such innovative accessories, including a hair dryer, Eureka received the grand prize at the San Francisco International Exposition in 1915. Within five years, the Eureka Company it was able to produce about 2,000 vacuum cleaners a day from its 3.5-acre Detroit factory. A decade later, in 1930, Eureka began manufacturing electric ranges.
In 1942, Eureka stopped vacuum cleaner production at the Detroit factory to produce gas masks and other items to support the war effort during World War II. After the war, Eureka merged with Williams Oil-O-Matic, a company known for its heating business, forming the Eureka-Williams Company. In the late 1940s, Eureka-Williams would become known for a contraption called the “Wooden Lung” that was used in the treatment of people with polio and for children affected by infantile paralysis. A decade later, in 1957, Eureka-Williams returned to its roots and began to focus again on vacuum cleaners and floor care products.
Over time, Eureka-Williams expanded its scope to include the production of school furniture, the introduction of the Henney Kilowatt (a battery-powered car), and even a thermal battery for NASA. In 1974, Eureka-Williams was purchased by AB Electrolux, a Swedish company, and the name was changed to The Eureka Company. Over the next twenty years, The Eureka Company expanded its operations to manufacturing plants in Mexico, Texas, and Illinois.
In the early 2000s, The Eureka Company began offering Eletrolux vacuum cleaners, and in 2004, the company officially changed its name to Electrolux Home Care Products North America. In 2009, Eureka celebrated 100 years of brand history and innovation. Today, Eureka is considered part of Electrolux’s home products division and continues to focus on vacuum cleaners and other cleaning products, including three other brands: Electrolux, Electrolux Central Vacuum Systems, and Sanitaire.
There is a full range of cleaning products under the Eureka brand alone, including not only uprights and canisters, but also integrated home systems and steam cleaners, to mention just a few. Eureka has also teamed up with Arm & Hammer to produce a new generation of vacuum cleaners and has teamed up with Filtrete to complete the line of consumer goods available on the market.
In addition to continually developing new designs and innovative products, Eureka also continues to manufacture replacement parts for nearly every make and model of vacuum cleaner. Always at the forefront of innovation, Eureka vacuum cleaners continue to impress the market with their ability to lead in quality and value, while meeting and exceeding environmental standards with their products. As the excitement continues to build for