A family business built on real food

A family-owned and operated business, Vitamix has been in operation nearly 90 years. Since the company’s beginning in 1921, the popularity of Vitamix has spread to more than 100 countries and is now the preferred brand of blending equipment for cooking enthusiasts, health and nutrition experts and some of the finest chefs around the globe.

Vitamix began Ohio, USA in 1921 when William Grover Barnard, affectionately known as “Papa” was facing challenging economic times that would soon lead to the Great Depression. It was by helping a friend through his illness that he began connecting the value of whole-food nutrition to health and well-being. This ignited a passion in his heart and the traveling kitchen products salesman changed his business name to “The Natural Food Institute” and soon became a pioneer in the health food industry, studying and teaching people everything he knew about food and health.

In 1937, Papa was introduced to a new product, the blender. He immediately saw the value of blending to quickly and easily prepare healthy foods that taste delicious. He focused his attention on cultivating this new product, which his brother named the “Vita-Mix,” because “vita” means life.

In 1949, Papa elevated his live demonstrations to a national stage by creating the nation’s first infomercial. Shortly after he passed the company down to his son, who shared his beliefs on nutrition and was determined to make healthy food preparation even easier and more delicious. The Vitamix blender became more powerful and versatile than any other product on the market and in 1969 became the first blender that could make hot soup, blend ice cream, grind grain, and knead bread dough.
(Photo below: Vitamix Founder, Papa Banard)

Thirty years later the company was passed down another generation to brothers John and Grover Barnard who used their engineering backgrounds to make significant improvements in performance and durability. In 1985, they developed the first Vitamix commercial blender, establishing Vitamix us as the first high-performance blender in the foodservice industry.

Both the commercial and household machines are still built at the world headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio and while the company continues to grow it remains firmly focused on the importance of quality and customer service.

Many of the lessons learned along the way are still with us today. We continue to persevere to create the highest-quality product through customer input and advanced technology. We are steadfast in creating a better future through family values and healthy, delicious food. And we are committed to improving the vitality of people’s lives.

What Papa Barnard realized decades ago is now common knowledge: the world can be a healthier and better place through whole-food nutrition. It is not just our torch, it is a passion held by many. We encourage you to join us in changing the way the world thinks about food and together we can make a bigger difference.

Vitamix will remain true to its mission: To be the Best Blending Equipment Company in The World.

Click below to see Papa Barnard’s first ever Vitamix Demonstration in 1949.

Tribest Corporation (based in Anaheim CA USA), has a long 30 year reputation of making high quality products that will energize your life. Tribest is an innovative leader in the Juice Extractor, Food Dehydrator, Blender and Sprouter business and continues to bring new health products to market, with the health and wellness of their customers in mind. Some of their most renowned products include the Green Star Elite Juicer and Sedona Rawfood Dehydrators.

Tribest believe that everyone should have the right and be empowered to make healthy living decisions. Tribest products make healthy living easy.

Worldwide Reputation

Tribest brands are sold and recognized worldwide and their products have gained a solid reputation of providing the latest developments in natural health. Tribest Greenstar juice extractors are reputably the world’s finest juicers, and continue to win numerous international awards. The Tribest Personal Blender was also the first of its type to enter into the United States market and has started the emergence of a new kitchen electrics subcategory – the single serving blender. Tribest continually introduces new products internationally that deliver uncompromising quality and new levels of performance.

U-Konserve makes plastic-free stainless steel food storage containers, lunch boxes and waste-free accessories, so families can pack real food without single-use plastic.

In 2008 two close friends, Chance Claxton and Lynn Julian, co-founded U-Konserve, then called Kids Konserve, to help reduce plastic use and keep it out of the oceans. After the birth of her daughter, Chance wanted to make it easy for parents to cut down on the plastic bags, juice boxes and packaged foods piling up in landfill.

Based in Sausalito, California, U-Konserve is a Certified B Corporation and a member of 1% for the Planet, using business as a force for good for its people, communities and the environment.

In 2021 U-Konserve merged with EcoVessel, the Boulder, Colorado maker of insulated stainless steel bottles. In 2022 both brands became part of O2C Brands, which owns U-Konserve today. Our family brings U-Konserve to Australia through u-konserve.com.au.