Broan Range Hood
Broan-NuTone: Aligned Innovation From the Very Beginning
FROM THE BEGINNING...
Innovation allowed two aggressive young men to emerge from the midst of the Great Depression with two new products that would make major contributions to the housing industry.
Henry Broan, in 1932, developed and manufactured a kitchen fan called the Motordor® Fan that provided quiet and efficient kitchen ventilation. His creation launched what is today Broan-NuTone LLC.
Four years later, in 1936, J. Ralph Corbett developed a melodious door chime replacing the obnoxious door buzzer of the time. His development launched what is today NuTone, Inc.
Both men started their companies with a simple product and a few employees. Each expanded their companies, creating revolutionary new products providing unmatched conveniences for homeowners nationwide.
Both were headquartered in the Midwest and both were quickly becoming global companies.
From the very beginning, it was inevitable that their paths would cross as they both saw the need for an increasing number of built-in home conveniences including bath room exhaust fans, range hoods, heater/fan/light combination units, central cleaning systems, medicine cabinets and intercom systems.
Competition sparked increased innovation and innovation resulted in superior products for consumers.
In 1981, Broan Mfg. Co., Inc. was acquired by Nortek, Inc. and became the lead company of Nortek's Residential Building Products Group, which was named the Broan Group.
During this same time period, NuTone was sold to Scovill Manufacturing in 1967 and was then acquired by Williams plc in 1991.
In 1998, Nortek acquired NuTone, adding it to the Broan Group and renaming the group the Broan-NuTone Group. And in January of 2000, Broan Mfg. Co., Inc. became Broan-NuTone LLC, with NuTone Inc., Aubrey Manufacturing, Inc., and Rangaire LP as subsidiaries.
A Nortek Company
Nortek was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island. The Company is a diversified manufacturer of innovative, branded residential and commercial building products, operating within the following segments: Residential Ventilation, Technology Solutions, Display Mount Solutions, Residential Heating and Cooling, and Commercial Air Solutions.
www.nortekinc.com
RESPONDING TO CONSUMER NEEDS...
The original company focus on the homeowner's needs and wants has been critical to the continued growth of Broan-NuTone and its development of innovative products to meet those needs.
The recent development of the Quiet Hood™ and WhispAire® was in response to consumer desires for a quieter hood that permitted conversations to be conducted while operating the hood. This product breakthrough is 40% quieter than traditional range hoods.
And, the introduction of the Allure® Series of range hoods was the direct result of over 4,000 homeowners stating that they wanted a more stylish hood, that was quiet, easy to clean, provided full surface lighting and effectively exhausted smoke, steam, and odors.
The Allure is sleek in design, 50% quieter than conventional range hoods, incorporates DuPont SilverStone® in Allure II & III for easy & cleanability, features halogen lighting for full surface illumination, and effectively and efficiently removes smoke and odors with cyclonic action and exhaust.
The success of Allure® in meeting and surpassing homeowner needs is evident by the number of awards this new series of range hoods has received including "Home Magazines Top 10 Products for 2000," "Today's Homeowner's Top 10 Products for 2000," "Popular Mechanics Best Product of 1999," and the ADEX Design Award.
The Quiet Hood™, WhispAire®, and Allure® Series of range hoods are prime examples of Broan's commitment to producing products that create a healthy, comfortable, convenient environment for homeowners, and to the importance of including homeowners in every aspect of the product's development.
Another example of this commitment is the Solitaire Ultra Silent® Exhaust Fan and QuieTTest® Exhaust Fan. These fans address the need for proper ventilation to present the growth of mold, mildew and potential structural damage, while at the same time creating a relaxing environment with virtually silent operation.
GROWING FOR THE FUTURE...
To be able to respond to the ever-changing needs of homeowners takes a commitment to investing in additional facilities, processes, and equipment.
Factory expansions have been added at Broan-NuTone, Aubrey, Venmar, Best S.p.A., and Elektromec. This summer, Broan-NuTone is expanding its Hartford headquarters again and adding over 26,000 sq ft to its existing facility.
The company has invested in world-class automated processes to improve both the quality and productivity of its operations. These automated processes produce a range hood every 7.5 seconds and an exhaust fan every 6.0 seconds -24 hours a day.
Today, the Broan-NuTone Group is headquartered in Hartford, employs over 3,200 people in four countries, on two continents. It is the world's largest producer of residential ventilation products such as range hoods, exhaust fans, and indoor air quality products. It also holds major market positions in chimes, central vacs, radio intercom systems, bath cabinets, built-in electric heaters, whole house fans, attic ventilators, paddle fans, ironing centers, and trash compactors.
EXPANDING GLOBALLY...
U.S. companies of the Broan-NuTone Group include Broan-NuTone, NuTone, Rangaire, Aubrey and Jensen. Canadian companies include Broan-NuTone Canada, Inc. and Venmar. European companies include Best S.p.A., Elektromec S.p.A. and Best Deutschland GmbH.
Broan-NuTone LLC, located in Hartford, focuses its ventilation expertise on range hoods and bathroom exhaust fans. The combination of a crosstrained, flexible workforce, and world-class technology results in a range hood being produced every seven seconds and a bath fan every six seconds.
NuTone Inc., located in Cincinnati, Ohio, specializes in intercom systems and home theater systems. Homeowners can select from a variety of intercom and speaker systems to meet their specific needs, including SenSonic speakers that provide full house, discreet, music distribution even in the most challenging of locations.
Rangaire LP, based in Cleburne, Texas, manufactures specialty range hoods that incorporate professional style with superb performance.
Aubrey Manufacturing, Inc., located in Union, Illinois, and Jensen Industries, Inc., located in Los Angeles, California, supply high quality medicine cabinets, combining the very latest in decorative styles with cost efficient features and state-of-the-art materials.
Broan-NuTone Canada, Inc., located in Mississauga, Ontario, focuses its expertise on range hoods, bathroom exhaust fans, central vacuum systems, and other built-in products for both residential and light commercial applications. Our commitment is to deliver a full breadth of customer-driven products and supporting our customers across Canada.
Venmar Ventilation Inc., based in Drummondville, Quebec, draws from its 20 years of air movement experience to establish new standards in indoor air quality with ventilation systems for the homes that utilize heat recovery ventilators or energy recovery ventilators.
Best S.p.A., located in Fabriano, Italy, designs and hand-makes sophisticated range hoods that are the focal point of kitchens around the world. In addition, Best produces economy and intermediate range hoods for the kitchens of Europe.
Elektromec S.p.A. is based in Montefano, Italy, and specializes in fractional horsepower motors used in range hoods, refrigerator defrosters, and other products.
Best Deutschland GmbH is located in Regensburg, Germany, and focuses on selling and servicing range hoods produced by Best S.p.A. throughout Germany.
With manufacturing facilities in the United States, Canada and Europe, Broan and NuTone products are distributed through home centers, lumberyards, independent co-ops, mass merchants, and hardware stores throughout the United States and Canada. And most recently, the Broan brand has been introduced to the European marketplace.
