# Numatic International

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{{Short description|British appliance manufacturer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Numatic International Limited
| logo = Numatic International logo.svg
| caption = 
| former_name = {{Ubl
| Compact Air Heating Limited (1963–1967)<ref>{{Cite web |date=1963-09-09 |title=Certificate of incorporation |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00773331/filing-history/NDIyMjQwMzlhZGlxemtjeA/document?format=pdf&download=0 |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=[Companies House](/source/Companies_House)}}</ref><ref name="Nu-maticIncorp">{{Cite web |date=1967-10-19 |title=Certificate of incorporation |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00773331/filing-history/MjAwMzU5ODc0N2FkaXF6a2N4/document?format=pdf&download=0 |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=[Companies House](/source/Companies_House)}}</ref>
| Nu-matic Engineering Limited (1967–1980)<ref name="Nu-maticIncorp" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=1980-12-24 |title=Company name changed\certificate issued on 24/12/80 |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00773331/filing-history/MzAwMTk3MjYyMWFkaXF6a2N4/document?format=pdf&download=0 |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=[Companies House](/source/Companies_House)}}</ref>
}}
| type = [Private Limited Company](/source/Privately_held_company)
| traded_as = 
| industry = [Major appliance](/source/Major_appliance)
| genre = 
| fate = 
| predecessor = 
| successor = 
| foundation = {{start date and age|df=yes|1963|09|09}}
| founder = Chris Duncan
| location_city = [Chard](/source/Chard%2C_Somerset), [Somerset](/source/Somerset)
| locations = 
| area_served = 
| key_people = Chris Duncan<br/><small>(Chairman and Founder)</small><br/>Stuart Cochrane<br/><small>(Manufacturing Manager)</small>
| products = [Vacuum cleaner](/source/Vacuum_cleaner)s and other cleaning equipment ([Henry](/source/Henry_(vacuum)))
| services = 
| revenue = {{profit}} [GB £](/source/Pound_sterling)234.6&nbsp;million (2023)<ref name="mt">{{cite news|author= Philip Beresford |url=http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/news/1318893|title=Britain's Top 100 Entrepreneurs 2014: No. 96 – Christopher Duncan, Numatic |newspaper=Management Today |date=26 October 2014 }}</ref>
| operating_income = 
| net_income = {{profit}} [GB £](/source/Pound_sterling)10&nbsp;million (2013)<ref name="mt" />
| aum = 
| assets = 
| equity = 
| owner = 
| num_employees = 1,000 (2017)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reed.co.uk/company-profile/numatic-international-ltd-47978|title = Working at Numatic International Ltd &#124; reed.co.uk}}</ref>
| parent = 
| divisions = 
| subsid = 
| footnotes = 
| intl = 
| location_country = England, United Kingdom
| homepage = {{URL|numatic.co.uk}}
}}
'''Numatic International Limited'''<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=1963-09-09 |title=Numatic International Limited overview - Find and update company information - Gov.uk |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/00773331 |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=[Companies House](/source/Companies_House) |language=en}}</ref> is a British manufacturer primarily producing domestic, commercial and industrial cleaning and maintenance equipment distributed worldwide.<ref name=guardian/><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/daveharvey/2011/03/made_in_chard_the_somerset_fac.html|title=BBC – West Country Cash: Made in Chard: The Somerset factory keeping it local|access-date=18 March 2016}}</ref> It is one of the major producers of [vacuum cleaner](/source/vacuum_cleaner)s in the United Kingdom,<ref name=":0" /> producing the [''Henry''](/source/Henry_(vacuum)) domestic vacuum cleaner and its related models, which also shares a canister design with the "smiling face" appearance and human name.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chardandilminsternews.co.uk/news/10840679.Numatic_boss_praises_staff_after_receiving_award/|title=Numatic boss praises staff after receiving award|website=[Chard & Ilminster News](/source/Chard_%26_Ilminster_News)|access-date=18 March 2016}}</ref> 

The company was founded on 9 September 1963,<ref name=":1" /> and {{As of|2024|lc=y}} is owned solely by Chairman and Founder Chris Duncan, who created the compact shape for the cleaner.<ref  name=guardian/> The company owns a manufacturing facility in [Chard, Somerset](/source/Chard%2C_Somerset), [South West England](/source/South_West_England),<ref name=guardian/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Brand-Somerset-adds-value/story-26656223-detail/story.html|title=Why "Brand Somerset" adds value for business|website=Western Morning News|access-date=18 March 2016}}</ref> and eight subsidiary companies located in France, South Africa, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain and Italy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Supplier Locator |url=https://numatic.co.uk/contact/supplier-locator/ |access-date=2023-06-07 |website=Numatic International |language=en-GB}}</ref> In 2017, the company employed over 1000 people and produced 4,500 units per day, over 40% of which were exported.<ref name=guardian>Ian Jack, ''[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)'', 24 July 2010, [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/jul/24/can-manufacturing-fill-british-economic-vacuum Can manufacturing fill Britain's economic vacuum?]</ref>
<ref name="mt"/>

==Founding==
Chris Duncan launched Numatic in 1969, having spotted a gap in the market for a device to clean coal and gas-fired boilers. He started with an oil drum, found a washing-up bowl that fitted on top, and ordered 5,000. The prototype is in the Numatic museum. The two-inch oil drum thread is still used for the later Henry models' nose.<ref name=usborne>{{Cite news |title=Sucks to be him! How Henry the vacuum cleaner became an accidental design icon |last=Usborne |first=Simon |work=The Guardian |date=24 July 2021 |url= https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jul/24/how-henry-vacuum-cleaner-became-accidental-design-icon}}</ref>

One evening during a trade show in the mid-1970s, Duncan and a salesman, bored, dressed up one of their current commercial cleaners with ribbon, a union flag badge, and something like a hat, then chalked a crude smile under the hose connector. The next day, visitors noticed it and laughed; Duncan then decided to ask his advertising people to design a proper face; they nicknamed the result "Henry". At another trade show, a children's hospital was interested in the vacuum cleaners to encourage the recovering children to help with the cleaning. Production, still focused on the commercial market, was increased.<ref name=usborne/> The Henry models became the company's major product.

== Domestic vacuums (''Henry'') {{anchor|Henery}} ==
{{main article|Henry (vacuum)|List of Henry vacuum cleaners}}
thumb|A Henry HVR200-22 from 2007-2008.
thumb|A Hetty HET200A from 2009.
One of Numatic's most popular products is the Henry canister [vacuum cleaner](/source/vacuum_cleaner).<ref name="usborne" /> It has a large smiling face on the front of the canister, with the vacuum's hose connector or hose (if fitted) forming its nose. The face was originally three stickers that had to be applied to the canister, but the face was then applied directly to the body, and later replaced by a 3D clip-on face which is fitted by the user in regions where a factory-fitted face is considered a dangerous risk encouraging children to play with the device.<ref name=usborne/> A new parking bracket was added in September 2012. Since the introduction of Henry in 1981, more than 14 million Henry vacuums have been made.<ref name="usborne" /> Henry, along with his pink counterpart ''Hetty'', now have merchandise based on them (such as plush toys and T-shirts). There are also Henry desktop cleaners for cleaning desks and tables, which are neither made nor sold by Numatic International, but by Paladone Products.<ref name="guardian" />
thumb|Henry plus! 170
''Henry'' has a number of models, such as the Henry Cordless (which is run off chargeable batteries), the Henry Micro (which reduces exposure to allergens), and the ''Henry Xtra'' (which is made specifically for carpets and cleaning pet hair). Henry also has many variations of the name that is on the vacuum, such as ''Hetty'' (which is pink, has long eyelashes, and leans towards a female [target market](/source/target_market)), ''Harry'' (which is green, was originally called ''Henry Hound'', and leans towards pet owners), ''James'' (which was originally yellow, but its colour was changed to blue in 2019,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.numatic.co.uk/product-view.aspx?id=369&r=4&sr=1|title=James JVP180|last=Numatic International Ltd.|access-date=25 April 2019}}</ref> and has a caddy top), and many others. ''Henry'' is most prominent in the United Kingdom where it is manufactured, but it can be purchased in other countries. Since ''Henry'''s original release in 1981, a family of vacuum cleaners have been introduced in different sizes and colours with different specifications and uses (including a wet and dry model and a multi-functional wet/dry and carpet shampoo cleaner). All the original series, some of which have now been discontinued, are based on British names, such as ''Basil'', ''Edward'', ''Charles'' and ''George''.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.numatic.co.uk Numatic International official website]

Category:1969 establishments in the United Kingdom
Category:Chard, Somerset
Category:Companies based in Somerset
Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1969
Category:Home appliance manufacturers of the United Kingdom
Category:Vacuum cleaner manufacturers
Category:English brands

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Numatic International](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numatic_International) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numatic_International?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.