Abby’s Guide > Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) > Discussions > Parker sweeper company history??
Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions |
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bontaiJoe
 
If it's free, it's for me!
Location: Saylorsburg, PA
Joined: Jun 4, 2004
Points: 424
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Parker sweeper company history??
Original Message Jun 28, 2005 3:07 pm |
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I was recently looking (ok I was actually drooling) over some new lawn equipment, and noticed that Parker sweepers are not the pale blue and gold paint colors that my 1970's vintage sweepers are. They now appear to be red and black, although the Parker logo seems to be the same. Were they bought out by another company? or go through a merger? Since the new units look VERY similar to my 30 year old units. I'm assuming I can still get spare parts if I need them? I bought my first Parker back in 1979 +/- for around $350, and used it weekly for over 6 years in my lawn maintenance business. There are a couple of small holes in the fabric basket, but it is still very usable. My second Parker was bought used, but in very good condition last summer for $10 and it is the commercial 42" wide unit with the galvanized metal bottomed basket (a model that appears to not be available anymore according to what I could find on the web). The seller had no idea what he had, and was more concerned about gaining space than anything else. I was MORE than happy to help him out. He got his $10 AND he helped me load it in my truck. I felt a little guilty as I drove away, but I DID drive away with it in my truck. I was just hoping someone here might know what the history of the company was between say 1980 and now.
"Man's mind stretched to a new idea, never goes back to its original dimension." -Oliver Wendell Holmes
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solara
Location: Boston
Joined: Jun 16, 2004
Points: 252
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Re: Parker sweeper company history??
Reply #5 Jun 30, 2005 12:47 pm |
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a true museum piece. ultimately minuteman bought parker.my guess is that at some time someone wanted to modernize the product and changed the colour scheme
Sweeper There has never been an end to efforts to invent time- and labor-saving devices.  Certainly this would include machines that assist in creating a well-manicured lawn. The Parker Sweeper Company of Springfield, Ohio, sold the Electro-Sweep ES-5628 in the late 1950s. This lawn sweeper is not unlike models still used today. The motor drives the brushes, which in turn sweep leaves and other yard debris into the canvas catcher. The sweeper pictured here belonged to Elna Eileen Ridgway of Atwood in Rawlins County, and was given to the Kansas Museum of History by her son, Evan Ridgway of Leawood. It is shown in the What's New at the Museum? case, where it was displayed shortly after it was donated.
2004-2005 Ariens 11528LE
Jacobsen snow-burst
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solara
Location: Boston
Joined: Jun 16, 2004
Points: 252
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Re: Parker sweeper company history??
Reply #6 Jun 30, 2005 12:49 pm |
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| | Company History | | Minuteman is a combination of four companies: Minuteman International - Addison, IL  | Purchased American Cleaning Company in 1981 | | Manufactured in 50,000 square foot facility | | Began at $4.5 million - today over $85 million in sales(20 yr. span) | | Jerome Rau became President/CEO in 1981 | | Expanded the Addison facility to 100,000 square feet | | Expanded focus to commercial equipment in the late 1980's | | Opened Minuteman Canada in 1984 | | Began trading on the NASDAQ in 1987 | | Built 50,000 square feet Hampshire, IL facility in 1992 | | Changed name to Minuteman International, Inc. in 1994 | | Expanded Hampshire, IL facility to 100,000 square feet in 1995 | | ISO 9001 Certification: Addison 1995 - Hampshire 1996 | | Introduced new color scheme in 1996 | | Opened Minuteman Europe B.V. in the Netherlands in 1997 | | Acquired PowerBoss on November 24th, 1998. | | Gregory Rau became President/CEO in 2000 | Multi-Clean - Shoreview, MN (purchased in 1984) | Began in 1934 | | Began in manufacturing chemicals 1946 | | Multi-Clean cleaning solutions | | Incorporated Multi-Clean cleaning equipment into Minuteman Line | | Moved operation to new Shoreview facility in 1990 | | Manufactured in 35,000 square foot facility | Parker Sweeper (purchased in 1991) | Complete line of outdoor turf and lawnsweeping equipment | | Began in 1884 | | Operated in Springfield, Ohio | | Moved to Hampshire, IL in 1994 | PowerBoss (purchased in 1998) |
 
111 S. Rohlwing Rd.
Addison, IL 60101
Phone: 630.627.6900
Fax: 630.627.1130 | |
2004-2005 Ariens 11528LE
Jacobsen snow-burst
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