Jacuzzi
 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Plumbing manufacturing |
| Founded | 1915 |
| Founder(s) | Francesco, Rachele, Valeriano, Galindo, Candido, Giocondo and Giuseppe Jacuzzi |
| Headquarters | Chino Hills, CA |
| Area served | (USA), Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Central and South America (excluding Brazil and Chile) |
| Key people | Executives:Jerry Pasley; Steve Purcell, Senior VP Operations; Erica Moir, VP Product Development, Design & Marketing, Kurt Bachmeyer; Director of Customer Service |
| Products | mattresses, hot tubs, bath tubs, showers, toilets, sinks and accessories |
| Revenue | $1,202.4M (2006)[1] |
| Net income | US$40.4M (2006)[1] |
| Owner(s) | Apollo Management |
| Employees | 4,907 |
| Subsidiaries | Sundance Spas, Thermospas |
| Website | Jacuzzi.com |
Jacuzzi is an American multinational corporation that produces whirlpool bathtubs and hot tub spas. Its first product was a bath with massaging jets.
History
Around 1900, seven brothers named Jacuzzi (Italian pronunciation: [jaˈkuttsi]) immigrated to the United States from the province of Pordenone, Friuli, Italy. They eventually settled on the West Coast in Berkeley, California and became machinists.
Rachele Jacuzzi, one of the brothers, began making aircraft propellers, inspired by an airshow he had seen at the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition in nearby San Francisco.[2] They designed a unique propeller known as the "Jacuzzi toothpick". Rachele and his brothers created an aircraft manufacturing company in Berkeley called "Jacuzzi Brothers", which remained in business until 1976, although their product line changed over the years. One accomplishment of the company was the first enclosed cabin monoplane,[citation needed] which was used by the U.S. Postal Service to carry passengers from the San Francisco Bay area to Yosemite National Park.
In 1921, brother Giocondo was killed when one of their planes crashed between Yosemite and San Francisco.[2] As a result, in 1925 the Jacuzzi Brothers stopped making aircraft. Rachele turned the company's know-how in making hydraulic aircraft pumps to the manufacture of a new kind of deep well agricultural pump. Their design turned out to be an innovative new pump.[3] They received a Gold Medal at the California State Fair in 1930.
In 1948, brother Candido used the company's expertise in pumps to develop a submersible bathtub pump for his son, Kenneth, who had developed rheumatoid arthritis in 1943,[3] at the age of 15 months and suffered from chronic pain. The boy received regular hydrotherapy treatments at local hospitals, but Candido could not stand to see his son suffering between visits. He realized that their agricultural water pumps could be adapted to give his son soothing whirlpool treatments in the tub at home. Kenneth Jacuzzi eventually took charge of the company.
In 1955, the firm decided to market the pump, dubbed "J-300", as a therapeutic aid, selling it in bath supply shops.[4] To generate a little publicity for the unknown product, portable Jacuzzis were included in the gifts given to contestants on TV's Queen for a Day. It was pitched as relief for the worn out housewife. When Hollywood stars like Randolph Scott and Jayne Mansfield began offering testimonials, the Jacuzzi whirlpool bathtub started to acquire its fame. Jack Benny was hired as a spokesman for Jacuzzi.
In 1968, Candido Jacuzzi brought to market the first self-contained, fully integrated whirlpool bath by incorporating jets into the sides of the tub. Dubbed the "Roman Bathtub", the jets used a 50-50 air/water ratio to improve the experience. The Jacuzzi became a symbol of a luxurious lifestyle. Hundreds of thousands of Jacuzzi portables were installed, both indoors and outdoors, at recreation centers and private homes. Hollywood celebrities began making personal use of them.
Despite its popularity, however, the whirlpool bath was still mostly a sideline at Jacuzzi Brothers. By far the bulk of Jacuzzi Brother's revenues came from sales of water pumps, marine jets, and swimming pool equipment.
In the early 1970s, the company produced larger units with built-in heating and filtration systems. This was the beginning of the spa industry as we know it today, and it firmly associated the Jacuzzi name with the tubs. Suzanne Somers, then a model, was used in some of the first Jacuzzi print advertisements. The integrated design allowed for easy installation and portability, and thousands of homeowners installed the units. As the industry matured, the company's product line expanded with models that worked in multi-use configurations as hot tubs, whirlpool baths, or both. These models could be installed indoors or outdoors.
Today, Jacuzzi branded hot tubs, baths, showers, toilets, sinks, and accessories are commonly found in residential homes, hotels, and aboard cruise ships and have become popular in high-end spas around the world. Jacuzzi products are distributed in about 60 countries worldwide.
The Jacuzzi assembly plant is located in Chino, California. This plant was the first ISO 9001 certified hot tub production facility in the world.[5] It had the capability of producing up to 300 spas per day for their domestic and export business needs. Their product line has many unique features such as patented jets, rainbow waterfalls, synthetic sun-resistant siding, stereos, ergonomic seating, triple-layered shells, full foam insulation, and a solid A.B.S. pan bottom.
In October 2006, Apollo Management, a large private equity firm, announced a $990 million leveraged buyout of Jacuzzi Brands.[6]
In 2008 Jacuzzi moved its world headquarters to The Shoppes at Chino Hills.
In May 2012, Jacuzzi Group Worldwide acquired the assets of ThermoSpas, a Wallingford Connecticut based manufacturer of spas and hot tubs. [7]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jacuzzi Brands Corporation: Information and Much More from Answers.com
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dallas Chronicle September 16, 2008
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Hot Tub Reviews, Hot Tub Ratings". Jacuzzihottubs.com. Retrieved 2012-12-01.
- ↑ inventors.about.com
- ↑ "Famous Italians, italian celebrities, italian american celebrities, famous italians". Tricolore.net. 2007-10-01. Retrieved 2012-12-01.
- ↑ Jacuzzi Brands Is Going Private. The New York Times (Reuters), October 12, 2006.
- ↑ http://finance.yahoo.com/news/jacuzzi-group-worldwide-acquires-assets-165700814.html