Miele Vacuum Cleaners

The Miele vacuum cleaner company was founded in 1899 by Carl Miele and Reinhard Zinkann.  It manufacturers domestic appliances, kitchens, and commercial equipment in addition to vacuum cleaners.  The company has been family owned and operated since its inception and is based in Gütersloh, Germany.  Originally, the company made many different types of kitchen appliances and washing machines, but they also started making vacuum cleaners, which they began to export to the United States in 1983.  The Miele vacuum cleaner company now has a United States headquarters in New Jersey, but their products are still made in Germany and shipped to the United States, where they are available through showrooms in a few states.  The brand has not gone country-wide as of yet, and it appears likely that it will not.  However, this is not a concern for the company because it has a strong following in many countries, so a high degree of success in the United States is not essential. 

In its native Germany the company is doing exceptionally well, and has received prestigious awards for being the most successful business in that country this year.  One such award was presented to the company in München (Munich) in February of this year for being the ‘best company,’ beating out other contenders such as Google and Porsche.  The Miele Company has a reputation in Germany for being reliable and durable, as well as for having high-quality products.  This has allowed the company to continue to grow and prosper when other companies have struggled with problems, and much of this likely comes from the uniqueness of the company and the fact that it has remained family-owned.  Most companies that start out owned and operated by a particular family do not stay that way.  This can happen because the founding member dies and leaves no heirs, because the heirs are not interested in the company, because the company is sold in expectation of a great profit, or for countless other reasons.  For whatever reason, however, the Miele Company has not succumbed to any of these ideas and still belongs to the Miele family.