In 2017, a few groups of guests from China visited Bissell headquarters in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They expected Bissell, a homophone for “doomed victory” in Chinese, to enable a new Dyson miracle in China.
Amid this wave of consumption upgrading, Dyson proved a big hit in China backed up by Porsche’s agent Jebsen. China became its fastest-growing market. Led by this premium vacuum brand, high-end cordless vacuum market experienced explosive growth. As China’s vacuum industry started to boom, capital looked out for next Dyson. With SharkNinja purchased by Joyoung, North America-based Bissell became its only choice.
After a mass grapple for dealership in China, adult product tycoon Jingvo Group won out. It touched Bissell CEO Mark Bissell with this sentence “Would you like to beat Dyson in China or replace Dyson for Jebsen?”
1. Bissell History
Bissell was named after its founder Melville Reuben Bissell, inventor of the carpet sweeper with inspiration drawn when he helped his wife clean a pottery shop.
After using for some time, Melveille and his wife Ann Bissell founded Bissell for carpet sweeper business. Melveille took up marketing, while his wife hired housewives near the home for roller brush assembly.
Early sweeper was simple, structured with a wooden box and rolling brushes. It allowed rubbish swept into the box via physical forces.
Unfortunately, 49-year-old Melville Bissell died of pneumonia in 1889, leaving behind her five kids and the company. His wife took over his work and made this small business an industry titan afterwards.
As the first female CEO of America, Anna Bissell not only led Bissell into the world’s largest sweeper business in 1899, but also cared for staff wellbeing. As staff recalled back then, even during hard times when the Great Depression fell, Anna said no to dismissal, but rather cut work time or adjust posts.
One of great actions Anna Bissell initiated was global expansion. At that time, Bissell sales persons had to carry sweepers for door-to-door selling in England. A key turning point emerged when Queen Victoria permitted use of Bissell sweepers in Buckingham. Soon Bissell products swept over the country. Bissell was to sweeper what Google was to search then. Years later, Hoover was used instead for Englishmen to express vacuum.
In 2016, Grand Rapids government in Michigan built a statue for Anna Bissell to admire her greatness.
In facts, Anna Bissell, the first female CEO of America, has been taken as an icon of American female. US President Trump put her in par with other great characters as women’s prides in his speech in March 2017, figures such as Sally Ride, the first female astronaut; Amelia Earhart, the first woman who piloted a plane across Atlantic; noted child star Shirley Temple Black; and Rosa Parks, a black female refusing to offer seat to a white woman, who touched off the affirmative action of the entire black.
Bissell, inventor and leader of sweeper business, was inevitably subject to impact of electric vacuums. At first, electric vacuum emerged with an array of imperfections like sparks, high price and loud noise. Melvill Jr. Bissell, son of Anna, believed the market space always remained and did not forthwith bring vacuums on steam but rather turn to sweeper upgrading. Thus Bissell did not follow in until Hoover developed vacuums that were more stable, when Bissell featured sweepers.
During the World War II, Bissell’s plant was requisitioned for wartime supply to produce light industrial goods. As technology advanced postwar, Bissell saw its rivals boom in vacuums.
Melville Bissell III, Melville, Jr.’s nephew and the new head of Bissell, hold different opinions. He did not see Bissell as a sweeper player, but a floor care supplier——later changed to home care supplier. Sweepers available merely removed obvious trash on a carpet, rather than offering deeper cleaning, which was also impossible for an ordinary vacuum——only reaching one fourth of a carpet at most.
Hence Bissell introduced manual carpet shampooers in 1956, a product enabling Bissell of five-fold sales.
In this phase, Bissell largely purchased home care related businesses, which, however, ended up with closes.
John M. Bissel, cousin of Melville Bissell III and new leader of Bissell, took floor care for Bissell’s core business and put focus on it.
That explained why Bissell acquired Penn Champ in 1974, Venturi, Inc in 1976, Atlantic Precision Works in 1978, Slip-X Safety Treads, E&B Company and Fred Sammons in 1982. The package made Bissell stronger in floor care product R&D and secured its dominance in deep cleaning realm.
In 1992, Bissell launched carpet shampooer Promax (later renamed as Powerlifter due to patent issue), deeper cleaning product Big Green and a smaller-sized Little Green in 1993, as shown below.
Mark Bissell was at the helm of Bissell as of 1994 when his father John Bissell left office.
In 1996, Bissell acquired Singer brand from Ryobi Motor Products, a sewing machine and vacuum cleaner maker. It whereby improved on upon its own vertical-type vacuums and filled up the gap in low-priced line. The next eight years witnessed Bissell outran another centenary Hoover (now a sub-brand of TTI), with a peak market share of 20%.
Bissell unveiled in 2011 another business——Big Green carpet shampoo machine rental, directly challenging segment leader Rug Doctor. Back then, one unit of Rug Doctor machine sold for USD 600 and rented for USD 24.99 one day without detergent offered. As a new market arrival, Bissell settled at USD400.
Supported by chain store Lowe’s, Bissell’s Big Green carpet shampoo machine soon swept over 800 stores.
Out of vacuum cleaner and carpet shampoo machine users in America, as many as 90% people raise pets. Bissell, with no exception, acutely nosed this. Other brands put pets’ photos on outer packing to popularize Pet Cleaner. Bissell, in contrast, put its hand to pet-related developments and attached its business to pets in a profound way.
In 2011, Cathy Bissell, the fourth successor and wife of Mark Bissell, founded Bissell Pet Foundation that was committed to “one home for one pet” and pet adoption.On behalf of Bissell, she sponsored a variety of pet initiatives and competitions and featured TV commercials of new products with pets.
With this, Bissell gained high reputation among pet lovers, and differed itself from others. Below is part of Bissell commercials. Cathy Bissell, Bissell’s main spokesperson at present, together with Dyson’s James Dyson and SharkNinja’s Mark Rosen formed top three spokespersons of vacuum magnates.
Up to now, Bissell has enriched its portfolio with sweeper, household vacuum, carpet shampoo machine & detergent, steam product and Big Green rental business. By 2017, its overall sales have approached USD 1 billion, without overseas distribution covered.
2. Connections with China’s Vacuum Industry
Bissell’s factory suffered a fire in 1884. In 2003 the production base was transferred to Mexico and then completely to China, a process manifesting era veining.
EUP, a low-profile vacuum provider, once ranked among top two in this sector. It set up Suzhou Chenghe Electric Company with its old partner Bissell, to exclusively make Bissell vacuums. The joint adventure boasted hearsay annual sales of around 6 million units.
It is less likely for a magnate like Bissell to tie all its businesses to a single contract manufacturer. In 2004, Bissell and Hong Kong-based Chiaphua Industries jointly founded BHC to produce Bissell vacuums.
In 2014, after Chiaphua Appliances (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. of Chiaphua Industries exited China, Bissell and manufacturing tycoon Flex reached an agreement. Flex continued to make Bissell vacuums at former Chiaphua Industrial Park.
Suzhou vacuum factory of Midea Group once produced Bissell vacuums, but discontinued after Bissell withdrew all the orders due to Midea’s purchase of Electrolux’s Eureka.
Three vacuum leaders in North America Dyson, Shark and Bissell now resume their war in the China. Will Bissell win out as its name implies?
Bissell’s major products and growth milestones are shown below.
