Tacony Corporation is a manufacturer and wholesale distributor of

vacuum cleaners A vacuum cleaner, also known simply as a vacuum or a hoover, is a device that causes suction in order to remove dirt from floors, upholstery, draperies, and other surfaces. It is generally electrically driven. The dirt is collected by either a d ...

, sewing machines,

ceiling fans A ceiling fan is a fan mounted on the ceiling of a room or space, usually electrically powered, that uses hub-mounted rotating blades to circulate air. They cool people effectively by increasing air speed. Fans do not reduce air temperature ...

, and commercial floor care equipment based in the St. Louis suburb of Fenton,

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

. The family-owned and operated business, whose products are sold through a vast network of independent dealers, employs over 650 people in twelve offices worldwide.

History

In 1946, mechanic Nick Tacony began selling and servicing sewing machines from the basement of his home. In the 1950s, he expanded his business by wholesaling sewing parts, accessories and other merchandise to retailers in the

Midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

. Over the next two decades, the business grew with the acquisition of two important competitors on the East Coast. Each added to the Tacony network of distribution centers and increased the organization’s customer base. After completing his college degree in business administration and four years in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

, Ken Tacony joined his father's business in 1970. He became CEO in 1984 and has overseen the company's growth into one of the largest American distributors of sewing machines,

, and commercial floor care products. In 1997, Tacony Corporation transferred vacuum cleaner production from

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

St. James, Missouri St. James is a city in Phelps County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,216 at the 2010 census. History The settlement was originally known as Big Prairie because of its location on the natural prairie of that name in the area. In 1 ...

. Over one million upright vacuums for home and commercial use have been produced at the Tacony Manufacturing factory in St. James. In 2003, Tacony Corporation acquired Nancy's Notions, a sewing accessories company founded by TV Host

Nancy Zieman Nancy L. Zieman (née Luedtke; June 21, 1953 – November 14, 2017) was an American author and designer widely known as the host of the television show '' Sewing with Nancy''. Background Zieman was born on June 21, 1953, and raised on a da ...

History

See also

References

External links