BISSELL

Bissell Inc., headquartered in Walker, Michigan in Greater Grand Rapids is considered as one of the world’s leaders in manufacturing and marketing a wide line of home and floor care products appealing to users of different ages, lifestyles and incomes. Today Bissell’s products – sweepers, deep cleaning machines, vacuums and cleaning formulas – are known to people all over America, Canada, Europe and in new international markets.

The company has gained popularity first of all with its line of mechanical carpet cleaners. The first Bissell carpet sweeper was invented by Melville R. Bissell in 1876. At the time he and his wife Anna operated in their crockery and china store. They received most of fragile glass and china shipments packed with filings, which often spilled onto the floor in the shop. The idea to invent a carpet sweeper arose during constant processes of cleaning sawdust off the shop carpet which was not as pleasant. Melville developed a unique carpet sweeper and patented it. Friends and clients started asking where it was possible to buy such device. That was a beginning of Bissell’s business. In their first sweepers floor wheels were used to drive rotating brushes. Not so perfect, but much more effective than brooms. Anna Bissell has taken responsibility for selling carpet sweepers, organizing the process of making, assembling and delivering orders. They both had no doubt about the marketability of the product and by 1871, in search of greater business opportunities, the family has moved to Grand Rapids. It was there where they built the first manufacturing plant in 1883 and by the 1890s the company was producing 1000 sweepers per day.

In 1889 Melville Bissell contracted pneumonia and untimely died at the age of 45. It was Anna Bissell who became chief executive officer of the company. Being a mother of five children “she studied business the way other women studied French”. She started promoting the company to international markets. Though the company has already had 20 agencies in other countries, their activity was rather light. As for England, a real breakthrough happened when Queen Victoria allowed to use Bissell sweeper in her palace. After that thousands of Englishmen wished to have their own sweepers. Very soon the process of carpet sweeping became known as “bisselling”. In 1899 Bissell became the largest corporation of its kind in the world.

Anna Bissell was President of the corporation from 1889 up to 1919, later Chair of the Board during 1919 – 1934, she has become familiar with all aspects of the business. She pursued progressive policies regarding labor relations, including workmen’s compensation insurance and pensions long before they were introduced in industry. Anna Sutherland Bissell, one of the founders of Bissell.Inc., is included in a list of notable people associated with Grand Rapids, Michigan.

A family owned company, BISSELL has been a leader in the homecare business for over five generations. Every generation brought its own improvements and innovations in developing home cleaning solutions wherein being adhered to traditions and passions of their family homecare business.

Having started with manufacturing only mechanical sweepers Bissell company has considerably expanded the range of its products offering today carpet cleaners, vacuum cleaners, steam floor cleaners, sweepers, carpet shampooers. All its products serve to clean your home fast and easy regardless of whether your messes are chocolate, wine or baby food, pet accident or cat hair.