Vitamix

Exhibits anchor new visitor center, host hundreds of events and drive employee engagement

History Factory partnered with Vitamix to showcase its pioneering role in the health and wellness movement. We:

• Researched and developed storylines showcasing Vitamix’s history of innovation, quality and growth
• Curated two branded experiences and multi-use spaces in the founding family’s original home and a new visitor center at the company’s headquarters in Olmsted Falls, Ohio, that have since hosted numerous of events
• Partnered with outside architectural firms to design buildings and bring the our exhibit plan and design to life

Blending Entertainment With Education

Vitamix’s over 100 years of promoting healthy eating and serving households across the United States was a story worth telling—but one that was getting short shrift at the company’s headquarters in Olmsted Falls, Ohio. Recognizing the need to create a space where visitors and employees alike could learn about its history of innovation, quality and growth, Vitamix brought in History Factory to help design and build a visitor center in the company headquarters that would blend entertainment and education and create an unforgettable experience to educate and inspire a new generation of employees.

“The Vitamix Museum allows us to honor and celebrate the company’s history while showcasing our continued commitment to health and wellness, product quality and innovation, and the local community.”

Robin Dieterich, fifth-generation Barnard family member and Historian and Channel Marketing Coordinator for Vitamix

Exhibit Spaces Highlight Family and Company History

Working with the Vitamix team and architecture and construction partners, History Factory brought together archival assets carefully curated by our team of museum professionals to tell Vitamix’s over 100-year story.

Sitting in the driveway of Vitamix’s global headquarters, the Barnard family home—built by the son of founder William G. “Papa” Barnard—was used by multiple generations of the Barnard family and served as an early incubator for the business’ evolution and growth. To create the first of two interactive experiences, we partnered with fabricators and a historical restoration firm to renovate the 1940s-era home from the ground up. The house was restored to a rustic style that blended exhibits, historic furnishings and family history, including a retro kitchen, an original bedroom, a TV playing home movies, and a sound system piping in ambient noise of the family and pets. The company—including family and board members—uses it for meetings and small events and as an educational resource for employees who are interested in learning more about the family behind the business.

The second exhibit space is within a collection of the company’s historic buildings—Including a log cabin structure that served for years as the company’s warehouse and shipping space—sits alongside the family house and current headquarters. Vitamix sought to preserve the original structure, which had fallen into disuse, and use it to tell the story of its growth, from door-to-door sales, infomercials and mail-order catalogs to the industry leader it is today.

The museum features four galleries that guide visitors along a chronological walk through time using original images, artifacts, and video to depict the company’s evolution. Part of the museum features a recreation of the original storefront and interior of Vitamix’s 1930s health food store in Cleveland, as well as a recreation of the set of Papa Barnard’s first infomercial. With all the elements of the original TV set, including a historical TV camera, it has become a popular place for selfies. 

Restored Spaces Introduce a New Generation to the Vitamix Story

Vitamix invited employees, retirees, and members of the Barnard family to celebrate the event center and museum’s opening, and has since hosted numerous events in an adjacent event space. Properties Magazine featured the new exhibit space, highlighting History Factory’s contributions as a key component of how Vitamix is honoring its past as it looks to the future.

“The exhibits allow us to showcase our most historic buildings and breathe new life into them. The museum has become a valuable educational asset for the company, providing an immersive space to introduce new hires, partners, and customers to our company and brand history.”

— Robin Dieterich