 Papa Barnard (retired 1955) |
 first VITA-MIX (1937) |
 Bill & Ruth Barnard (retired 1985) |
 the "Papa Barnard" VITA-MIX, as used in the infomercial (1949) |
In the early 1920s, the founder of Vita-Mix, W.G. Barnard was a self-taught salesman of "modern" home products. In 1937, he
introduced an all-new product--the blender--to his line. This was the very first Vita-Mix.
Bill took over the business with his wife, Ruth, in 1955. Ever in tune with the needs of the customer, Bill
believed in giving people a kitchen appliance that went way beyond a blender, and then backing it up with excellent
customer service. Vita-Mix still holds true to this philosophy today.
In 1964, shortly after Bill's son Grover joined the business, the company name was officially changed to Vita-Mix Corporation.
With the introduction of the "Kitchen Center" in 1969, the Vita-Mix 3600, and later the Vita-Mix 4000, Vita-Mix truly
revolutionized what could be done in a blender. The large motor and friction cooking capability enabled these machines to
freeze and dispense solid ice cream, grind grain, cook soup and make a creamy, smooth total juice from whole fruits and
vegetables.
In the early 1980s, Vita-Mix expanded full sales and service to Canada. Today, the international division distributes Vita-Mix
products in over 45 countries around the world.
In 1986, due to a now established reputation in blending equipment, Vita-Mix was asked to design and build what became their
first exclusively commercial food service product, now called the Mix'n MachineTM.
Intent on making the first high-performance, durable commercial blender, Vita-Mix introduced the 2-Speed Drink Machine in l992.
This product was the result of rigorous life, endurance and performance-testing procedures, an area where Vita-Mix
continues to invest considerable time and money.
The Drink Machine enjoyed early success with Chi-Chi's® and other restaurant chains and solidified Vita-Mix Corporation's
position as a key player in the commercial blender market. Further product development led to the introduction of the Timer
Blender (1995) that put Vita-Mix in Starbucks® coffee shops across the country and the Blending Station (1997) which became
standard equipment for Baskin-Robbins® nationwide. The newest commercial products from Vita-Mix are the Vita-Prep®,
which was introduced to the Culinary Institute of America in New York in 1998 and the most recent debut, the Touch and
GoTM Blending Station®.
Based on the research and testing done for the commercial Drink Machine,
a super-powerful Vita-Mix for the household market, called the Super Total
Nutrition Center, was also introduced in l992. Now called the Vita-Mix
Super 5000, it's a machine that "Papa" Barnard could only have dreamed
of, and everything "beyond a blender" that Bill Barnard wanted it to be.
Because of the dedicated work of Grover Barnard and the younger members
of the Barnard family, today's versatile Vita-Mix
Super 5000 is capable of doing the work of 10 different kitchen appliances.
With two separate containers featuring two different sets of blades, the
Vita-Mix
Super 5000 performs a total of 40 different food feats, including
four processes that no other single appliance is capable of handling.
This amazing machine can juice whole fruits and vegetables into a smooth,
creamy glass of total taste and nutrition...cook steaming soup from garden-fresh
ingredients in just 4 minutes...freeze luscious, low-fat frozen desserts
in 30 seconds...and grind vitamin-rich grains, and then mix and knead
oven-ready bread dough in under five minutes.
More focused on customer feedback than ever, the Vita-Mix Corporation is now under the direction of the third and fourth
generation of the Barnard family. Currently in the capable hands of John Barnard, Bill and Ruth's second son, Vita-Mix
Corporation relies on the power of sophisticated research and testing to constantly improve their product. The entire Vita-Mix
team is committed to making sure that Vita-Mix machines are always the best, so don't expect them to stop now!
When television made its debut in 1949, his son Bill immediately recognized this new medium as the perfect way for
W.G. ("Papa") to demonstrate the new and improved Vita-Mix to hundreds of homemakers at the same time. He booked a
30-minute time slot on WEWS-TV and created the first-ever direct response commercial. This commercial, which ran for
several years in many markets, made the blender a household word. A filmed version of this early infomercial holds a
special place in the Direct Marketing Association archives.
 Grover Barnard (retired 1999) |
 VITA-MIX 3600 (1969) |
 Mix-n Machine |
 Total Nutrition Center (1992) |
 John Barnard |