Our History
1921 – BARNARD SALES CO.
William Grover Barnard, affectionately known as “Papa Barnard,” starts a company selling household products through demonstration. He finds early success selling the 25-cent Polly Can Opener, which gave people safer and easier access to healthy foods year-round.
1936 – THE ROAD TO THE VITA-MIX
The Great Lakes Exposition brings the Barnards to Cleveland, Ohio, which they soon decide to call home. Their passion for nutrition inspires them to form a mail-order business selling vitamins and health food. When Papa meets Al Bersted – an enterprising engineer and maker of blenders – he has an “aha” moment, realising that blenders may hold the secret to sustainable health. The first Vita-Mix is created and marketed as an easy way to make nutritious whole foods taste great. It sold for $11.95.
1937 – NATURAL FOODS INSTITUTE
As Papa’s vision to fuel a whole-food revolution takes shape, the Barnards open their health food storefront and the company’s new namesake, the Natural Foods Institute.
1948 – WORLD HEADQUARTERS ESTABLISHED
The company moves to Olmsted Township, Ohio, where Bill Barnard builds a rustic, 1,000-square-foot office building. The health food division becomes smaller as the family focuses on direct marketing and sales demonstrations of the Vita-Mix machine.
1949 – RUTH’S RECIPES
Ruth Barnard, wife of Papa’s son Bill, contributes vitamin-rich recipes to a cookbook, 500 Recipes for Vita-Mix and Other Liquifying Machines. Her innovations in healthy eating help put the Vita-Mix machine ahead of other blenders on the market.
1955 – PAPA RETIRES
Papa hands over the company to the family. Bill and Ruth incorporate the business and build a 3,400-square-foot log building on the Olmsted Township campus. They travel coast to coast, demonstrating the benefits of healthy living through the Vita-Mix machine.
1966 – GROVER BARNARD
Bill and Ruth’s son Grover joins the company. He shifts the focus solely to Vita-Mix machines and innovation, discontinuing the health food division. In 1966, the company name is changed to Vita-Mix Corporation. Grover goes on to become president in 1985.
1981 – GOING GLOBAL
John Barnard, Bill and Ruth’s son and brother to Grover, rejoins the company in 1981 as head engineer. He redesigns the Vita-Mix 3600 to meet Canadian standards, setting the stage for future international sales. John will go on to heavily influence product development, as well as manufacturing and sales, before becoming president in 1999.
2002 – RETAIL EXPANSION
As the whole-food movement gains traction, Vitamix® takes its demonstration and plant-based recipes to retailers, beginning with Costco.
2009 – JODI BERG TAKES THE LEAD
Jodi Berg becomes president, and a year later, CEO. Her father, John Barnard, becomes executive chairman. The company is now in more than 80 countries and wins exporting excellence awards from the state and federal government.
2013 – 1 MILLION MACHINES
Vitamix, having opened a 175,000-square-foot operations center in Strongsville, Ohio, hits the 1 million mark in machines manufactured over a single year.
2020 – SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE NEXT CENTURY
In the midst of a pandemic, Vitamix is recognized as a leader in a crisis, demonstrating that strong values, purpose and passion for making a difference can impact not just company performance, but the greater community as well.
2021 – VITAMIX AT 100 YEARS
After 100 years, four generations, and sales in 130 countries, the Vitamix family business is thriving under Jodi Berg’s leadership. Jodi is known for infusing the company culture with purpose and passion for whole, healthy foods.
“If we can change the way people eat, we can change the future.”
–Jodi L. Berg, Ph.D., President and CEO, Vitamix
A Whole-Food Health Pioneer
From the start, Vitamix® was rooted in whole-food nutrition. Although much has changed since 1921, our focus on better living through health and wellness holds strong.
Where It All Began
The Barnards’ passion for whole-food nutrition was born after discovering a natural solution for a family member’s chronic illness. They became vegetarians and cut sugar and caffeine from their diets. After seeing the benefits from this lifestyle change, they were believers in the power of whole foods.
Committing to Nutrition
By the late 1930s, the Barnards had made promoting healthy eating their life’s work. Their mail-order health food and vitamin business grew into the Natural Foods Institute. And when Papa recognised that a powerful blender could make healthy foods taste great, the Vita-Mix was created – and also sold in the family store.
Advocating for Whole Foods
In 1937, Papa Barnard published a book citing natural foods as a cure for many common diseases. In the ’40s and beyond, Ruth Barnard worked tirelessly to develop recipes rich in core vitamins. During the diet crazes of the ’80s and ’90s, Vitamix worked to educate the public about the difference between calories and nutrition. Today, the Vitamix Foundation pursues the elimination of diet-driven illness through the consumption of plant-based whole foods.
Innovating for Better Health
Unsurprisingly, the single greatest way Vitamix has committed to whole-food health is through the continuous innovation of next-generation blending machines. Through industry-leading design and engineering, whole-food nutrition is made easy, efficient, and delicious for people at home, in professional kitchens, and beyond.
Vitamix® Through the Years
From the very first at-home blending machine to expansions into commercial
kitchens to our latest innovations, here’s a look at the evolution of the Vitamix®.
1937
The Vita-Mix
The original Vita-Mix joined a crowded market and was sold as a revolutionary health machine for $11.95 – $12.95 with a stainless steel container.
1950
The Mark 20
“Ten machines in one,” this classic featured two speeds to liquefy, blend, freeze, grind, make baby food, and more. Many still work today and are sold secondhand on eBay.
1969
The Vita-Mix 3600
A powerful machine with multiple speeds and forward and reverse directions, it stood apart from other blenders and dominated the consumer market through the 1980s.
1985 and 1988
The Flurry and the Vita-Mix 4000
The first commercial market Vitamix, the Flurry (later known as the Mix’n Machine) provided fast beverage mixing for restaurants. The Vita-Mix 4000 followed in 1988, offering professionals a commercially rated version of the 3600.
1992
The Total Nutrition Center (TNC)
Also known as the Vita-Mix 5000, this next generation of household blenders and first modern-looking Vitamix machine boasted 11 speeds and came with a clear, polycarbonate container.
1992
The Drink Machine
This NFS-certified commercial powerhouse was embraced for its ability to make frozen drinks faster and better tasting than other blenders and batch frozen drink dispensers on the market.
1995
Timer Blender
The first Vitamix to feature a timer, it was quickly adopted by restaurant chains because of its ability to deliver consistent outcomes and ensure customer satisfaction.
1998
Vita-Prep
A back-of-house favourite among professional chefs, this commercial machine focused on food prep.
2002
The BarBoss
With the introduction of three new products, Vita-Mix solidified its position in the bar and beverage sector: the BarBoss (blender), the Portion Blending System (for measuring out shaved ice), and the Rinse-O-Matic (for quick cleaning of containers).
2008
Vita-Mix XL®
Made for schools, healthcare facilities, restaurants, and the hospitality industry, this belt-driven countertop blender could manage large batches of batters, purées, sauces, soups, and smoothies.
2012
Vitamix 7500 (G Series)
Enter the first Vitamix to feature new microprocessor technology, enabling precise control of the machine’s speed, and a ramp-up speed dial.
2016
The Vitamix Ascent®
Sleek, smart, and versatile, this machine transformed the category with its SELF-DETECT® technology.
