A few weeks ago, we reported that Shop-Vac has closed down their USA headquarters.
Then we talked a little about what could have contributed to their financial difficulties.
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With this post, I wanted to share some new information: Shop-Vac has closed.
Hilco, a company that specializes in “asset valuation, monetization, and advisor services” has been “retained” to liquidate Shop-Vac’s assets in the United States and internationally.
Basically, Shop-Vac is closed and shut down for good, and Hilco is dismantling everything tangible, selling all parts of the company, their intellectual property, real estate, inventory, and machinery.
We found listings where all of Shop-Vac’s injection molding, stainless steel drum forming, and filter production equipment, among other things are being sold to interested parties.
3rd party filter options still exist, such as from Cleanstream. But what about parts? Dust bags? Specialty filters?
Shop-Vac is being parted out, and it doesn’t look like they’re coming back. It will be interesting to see if any vacuum brands buy up the trademark or if there is any IP or patents on the selling block.
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I hope that the men and women of Shop-Vac’s recently laid-off workforce were all able to secure new jobs by now. If not, good luck – I wish you all the best and quick bounce-back.
SaturnFire
Hope for the best for my fellow American workers.
Like I try to say Buy American & Hire American…It does not have to be a said American brand….but it if is made here. it supports your brother and sisters here in America.
Tom D
A brand so famous it’s become the common name for the product – shop vac is the sawzall of vacuums. Surprised someone line SBD or even Harbor Freight hasn’t snapped the name up yet.
King duck
The fact it is used interchangeably with any other product that does the same function makes the name worthless.
Scott K
I’d be surprised if the name isn’t bought and used to re-brand an existing line. This could also be a simple way for a store to launch an exclusive line of vacs with a currently-unused name- like TTI repurposing the Hart name for Walmart.
MFC
My $0.02. I don’t see the name being worth it since it is a singular tool that they make. If they had grown into other areas or made themselves the “supreme” tool in that category, then maybe. I mean, if Milwaukee only ever made the “Sawzall” and went under, no one else who also made reciprocating saws, would buy them just for the name. Coining a name or phrase doesn’t make you valuable once everyone and their brother has the same thing.
Tim D.
I went ahead and bought a few extra bags for the Hondavac (shopvac) in my wifes van. Wasn’t sure if Honda stocked up on those, or if they’ll only be available in generic once they run out.
Kentucky fan
I remember when shop vac was the brand to buy. I remember when they got completely outclassed. Like so many American brands they got complacent and replaced. I weld by trade and see the same thing happening to lincoln electric in the future. The world is changing and you have to adapt to survive.
fred
The US Auto Industry nearly killed themselves with some of the junk that they were making and selling in the 1970’s. I think that their marketing folks thought that what was coming from Japan – would never catch on – small cars were just stupid and European cars were just for the niche market. The finally woke up to the fact that it is a big world out there and the American buyer may have wanted to support Detroit but not if they were selling Ford Pintos, Chevy Vegas or even trying to pass off a Cimarron as a Cadillac.
Tom D
For the cars in the 70s I think they thought they could “stare down” the pollution control setups – they were absolutely @#$%@# until well into the 80s on American cars.
Brandon
Complacency? Or being managed by hedge funds to the point there is no more money for updates and innovation? For some brands that is true. I’d say the latter is more of the American way now.
Kentucky fan
I think complacency there are plenty of companies owned by hedge funds that do fine. There are plenty of independent companies that are going the way of the dodo bird as well. It really is killing a ton of once proud companies.
As I said I’m a welder I do pipe welding I don’t like to give out personal info about what I do to much so I don’t go into much detail. I have seen the shift to tig and what miller calls rmd for any shop work. I have some buddies welding pipeline and they are seeing it too alot of new codes are calling for rmd/mig roots and Flux core fill and cap. By and large im seeing lincoln lose their place as THE pipe welding company. Their filler metals are still super popular but their machines are not anymore. They still have a big market share but I see them losing it soon if they don’t get to innovating. Twenty years ago you never saw a miller on a pipe rig now a bunch of those guys are going to the pipe pro 400s and loving them. In the shop the dynasty series is killing it. Now companies like fronius and esab are trying to be big time players and from the guys from Europe I’ve talked too fronius is the go to over there for pretty much everything now.
I don’t know if you’re into ope at all but this reminds me of when stihl and Husqvarna got into the US market big time and completely outclassed the American companies who wouldn’t innovate.
Luckily for lincoln and to a lesser degree miller (whose parent itw has let innovate but the Europeans are coming) there is time and I hope they go full force into dominating the US market.
Brandon
Preaching to the choir on the Lincoln and OPE front. I teach metal shop on the high school level and am observing what you’ve said with the amount of flyers, phone calls, and emails I’ve received from everyone BUT Lincoln. Local industry is replacing their welding equipment with Esab and Miller over Lincoln. Where I benefit is their old equipment is given to my classes, the downside is I don’t have the budget to operate all of it.
fred
I think they were family-owned. That’s often a problem with family-owned businesses The founder is often the entrepreneur. The second generation may add some management or engineering skills Sometimes by the 3rd generation avarice takes over and the thought that running a successful company takes hard work may be lost. They may only see the business as a means to support a lavish lifestyle. Even the best trough can not feed an ever-increasing number of pigs unless its carefully attended to and there is money enough set aside to buy feed.
Jim Felt
Sounds like the greatly admired Les Schwab Tire on the West Coast. Very recently the third generation found the $3B buyout offer very appealing. And accepted.
I doubt old Les would have approved.
Nathan
I need to get a few bags for my vac or I need to get a new vac. I mean the prices might equal each other – which is sad because I bought my SS shop vac on purpose.
The metal body is actually quieter – well until you suck up something hard like a quarter, or a 3/8 bolt. then it’s an interesting ringing.
Also nice for water collection.
If I had to buy a new device today I might buy the craftsman device on when it goes on sale at lowes.
Eric H
Most Shop-Vac models have aftermarket filter options. The Shop-Vac air cleaner with the Shop-Vac 8017062 Air Cleaner Filter Replacement Kit appears to be a different story. Besides vacuuming off the current filter, are there any other options for getting new filters?
Matt Rentz
I’m guessing shop vac suffered from extremely poor management and that it was all downhill from there. I cursed my current recently purchased shop vac for a crappy on off switch and a lid that will not stay fastened. Good riddance.
Les
This makes me sad
John
I think Shop-Vac got complacent in their product development area. Their designs seemed dated and they lacked in power compared to other brands. Home Depot’s line of Ridgid vacuums and Sears Craftsman vacs all had newer features and better performance than most of the Shop-Van models. I recently noticed that Menards is now sourcing vacuums from Cleva under their Masterforce brand. These are well-built, powerful vacuums and displaced many Shop-Vac brand products on the shelves at Menards. This is the same OEM that supplied Craftsman wet dry vacs to Sears, just prior to the SBD buyout of Craftsman. It’s hard to stay afloat when the rest of the world is building more powerful vacuums with better features, all the while delivering better value to customers.
Mike
Sad. Guess its ridgid all the way now when my machines die or I need bags.
Eric
What’s sad is people are so numb to this news all the time they just don’t care. Most people haven’t bought a shop vac since ridgid started putting leds or whatever gizmos people deem necessary on a vacuum. Can’t pass up those Home Depot Black Friday sales. Our neighbors be dammed, as long as it’s not my job.
Stuart
Shop Vac has their own Black Friday specials.
Eric
Wasn’t good enough I guess.
fred
I read somewhere that Cleva – headquartered in Grenville SC was the #1 competitor to Shop Vac and that Ridgid (Emerson Electric – headquartered in St Louis ) was #2.
David Munn
I was at my local Lowes the other night, two things I noticed:
1)The vacuum aisle was no longer where it usually was (I have no idea where it went, just that they didn’t have it in the normal aisle)
2) They had at least one model of “Dewalt” brand shop vacuum in the secondary holiday deals (near the pro-checkouts)
Doug webb
I looked at Dewalt about a year ago in Home Depot but passed on it and (ironically) opted for a Shop Vac for 2 reasons.
1. Dewalt was made in China and I hate Made in China anything for a lot of reasons. (Everything from awful quality, to workers in China being paid peanuts, to the human rights abuses of the Chinese government.) I’m a label checker and I will only buy Made in China if there is absolutely no other choice.
2. Couldn’t find high efficiency bags and filters in the Home Depot and if I could at all, they were only available on line.
Recently was trying to buy the yellow shop vac bags and went to 3 different stores and could not find any. It was a mystery and now I know why. This is very sad news. I actually own 2 shop vacs and 1 rigid. (I prefer the shop vac). The bags are not truly compatible between the two.
Sigh
Dodo
So who makes good aftermarket bags for shop vacs?
I was using the Hepa shop vac bags that Lowes stocked.
CT
If the company is being parted out to the point of injection molds going to different buyers then there must be nothing of any real value for buyers. Warranties are basically meaningless, maybe a small payout from whoever inherits those assets. I wouldn’t even pick up a shop-vac off the clearance shelf at this point.
Andrew LB
No tears will be shed by me after one of their vacuums nearly killed me about 10 years ago. I was in my garage sanding a cedar chest with my Bosch sander hooked up to the shop vac and I started to smell something hot. Before I realized it was the vacuum, the thickest plume it jet black smoke began billowing from the exhaust. Within seconds there was so much smoke that I couldn’t see and was choking as I yanked the cord from the wall and went for the fire extinguisher. The. Hit the button to roll up the garage door then stuffed the nozzle in the exhaust port and filled it with that fire retardant powder. I then spent the next few hours dealing with smoke inhalation. . .
Bought a ridgid after that. Never been happier.