Numatic International Limited
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Numatic International Limited is a British company with a large manufacturing facility located in Chard, Somerset, South West England. Numatic manufactures an extensive range of domestic, commercial and industrial cleaning/maintenance equipment for distribution worldwide; the company incorporates wholly owned distributors in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and South Africa. Numatic employs over 600 people.
[edit] Products
Numatic manufactures a number of products, including a wide range of vacuum cleaners, aimed at both commercial and domestic markets.
One of Numatic's most popular products is a vacuum cleaner called Henry, which is easily distinguishable because it features a large smiling face on the front of the canister (there are two screen printed eyes and a mouth; the vacuum's hose forms Henry's nose). These vacuum cleaners have a reputation for being hard-wearing and effective in use, and can often be seen in service in commercial applications in schools, shops, offices and so on.
Henry is part of a larger range of carpet cleaners aimed at the domestic market, all with traditional English male names (including Edward, Basil, Charles, and George). Some of these have the ability to wet-clean carpets, and all feature the smiling face design.
Numatic also manufactures a range of vacuum cleaners aimed at commercial markets, without the friendly names (although some models still feature the smiling face), and a range of other cleaning products.
From June 2006, Numatic have re-designed their flagship Henry cleaner. This model now features 2 'rocker' type switches on the top of the cleaner, recessed near the back of the machine, at the top. These switches are the On/Off switch, and the Twinflo controls, enabling the motor to be turned down or up, depending on the task in hand. The rear exhaust has been redesigned as well, with one central exhaust port at the back, rather than 2 vents at the sides of the cleaner. The 360 degree bumper around Henry has been changed from plastic to rubber, to stop damage to walls and doors during operation.
