Vitamix

Vitamix traces its roots to William Grover "Papa" Barnard, a traveling salesman from the Midwest who became increasingly passionate about whole, natural foods at a time when America was racing toward processed everything. He opened a health food store in downtown Cleveland in the late 1930s and, recognizing that a powerful blender could make nutritious food genuinely delicious, developed the first Vita-Mix blender and began selling it through his Natural Foods Institute. In 1949, Papa Barnard filmed what is widely credited as the first infomercial in American television history — a live demonstration showing families how to eat healthier using the Vita-Mix machine. The company was incorporated and the name officially changed to Vita-Mix Corporation in 1966. His grandson Grover Barnard III eventually shifted the business away from health foods entirely to focus solely on blender innovation, launching landmark products like the Vitamix 3600 in 1970. Today, Vitamix is a fourth-generation family business led by the Barnard family, sells products in over 130 countries, and is found in more than 125,000 commercial chain locations and the world's top 50 restaurants. Despite its global reach, it still manufactures in Northeast Ohio.