Vitamix

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.

Bill Barnard took over the Vitamix business with his wife, Ruth, in 1955. Ever in tune with the needs of the customer, Bill believed in giving people a kitchen appliance that went way beyond a blender, and then backing it up with excellent customer service. Vitamix still holds true to this philosophy today. In 1964, shortly after Bill’s son Grover joined the business, the company name was officially changed to Vitamix Corporation.

With the introduction of the “Kitchen Center” in 1969, the Vitamix 3600, and later the Vitamix 4000, Vitamix truly revolutionized what could be done in a blender. The large motor and friction cooking capability enabled these machines to freeze and dispense solid ice cream, grind grain, cook soup and make a creamy, smooth juice from whole fruits and vegetables.

In the early 1980s, Grover Barnard took over as president and Vitamix expanded full sales and service to Canada; his younger brother John Barnard headed up the Engineering Department. Working together, they designed what became the first Vitamix commercial blender. Known today as the Mix’n Machine, Vitamix was asked to design this commercial machine because of their established reputation in durable, reliable household blending equipment. Encouraged by the success of their entry into the foodservice market, Vitamix went on to introduce the first high-performance, durable commercial blender, the 2-Speed Drink Machine, in l992. This product was the result of rigorous life, endurance and performance-testing procedures, an area where Vitamix continues to invest considerable time and money.

The Drink Machine enjoyed early success with Chi-Chi’s® and other restaurant chains and solidified Vitamix Corporation’s position as a key player in the foodservice industry. Further product development led to the introduction of the Timer Blender (1995) that put Vitamix in Starbucks® coffee shops across the country and the Blending Station (1997) which became standard equipment for Baskin-Robbins® nationwide. In 1998, the Vita-Prep®, was introduced to the Culinary Institute of America in New York and quickly became the tool of choice for gourmet chefs worldwide.

Based on the research and testing done for the Drink Machine, a super-powerful Vitamix machine for the household market, called the Super Total Nutrition Center, was introduced in l992. The Vitamix Foodservice Division was going strong and, in the mid-90s, the Vitamix International Division was created. John Barnard’s eldest daughter Jodi Berg spearheaded the success of that new venture. In 1999, Grover retired and John assumed the role of president of Vitamix. In John’s 10 years as president, Vitamix focused on customer feedback and continued to enjoy growth and global expansion. The Foodservice Division Department introduced a myriad of specialty machines such as the Bar Boss and the Portion Blending System, and there was no stopping Vitamix.

At the same time, the household machine was being improved and updated with a new, more efficient motor and a durable BPA-free container. In 2007, the new Vitamix 5200 was introduced. This is a machine that “Papa” Barnard could only have dreamed of, and everything “beyond a blender” that Bill Barnard wanted it to be. Because of the dedicated work of Grover and John Barnard, today’s versatile Vitamix 5200 is capable of doing the work of 10 different kitchen appliances and over 50 different kitchen processes—without any attachments.

Most recently, in 2008, Vitamix Foodservice Division launched the Largest-capacity countertop blender ever built –the Vitamix XL. With 192 ounces of real blending capacity, the XL meets the large volume blending needs of restaurants, nursing homes and hotel catering operations.

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.