One hundred and fifty years ago, Tennant Company founder George Tennant started his business on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Like many others, he chose the location to power his sawmill, milling and planning timber to help build the young and growing city.

Over the years, Tennant’s business grew and changed as company leaders made investments in innovation and focused on solving problems for customers.

Innovation is at the core of Tennant’s success, from the early days when the company recognised the potential of mechanising the laborious task of maintaining its wooden floors.

The company moved from making floors to providing floor care solutions – introducing ground-breaking products to improve cleaning processes, provide safer and more comfortable equipment for operators, and make cleaning more sustainable.

Our innovative products – Before we lead, we listen. We use insights gained from customer feedback to create solutions that change how cleaning tasks are performed.

And from inspiration has come innovation, which has led to such trailblazing innovations as our ec-H2O™ NanoClean™ technology, our IRIS® Asset Manager and ReadySpace®, our rapid-drying carpet cleaning system.

The latest advancement in this proud tradition is the first-to-perform robotic floor scrubber. Tennant’s entry into the world of robotics shows that the 150-year-old company is still very much focused on the future—and looking forward to another 150 years of industry firsts.

The Tennant brand is known globally for quality, reliability, and service. The flagship mark leads other respected brands owned by the company: Nobles, Alfa, and recent acquisitions IPC and Gaomei. The acquisition of IPC Group, a designer and manufacturer of commercial cleaning solutions based in Italy occurred in 2017.

IPC expands Australia and New Zealand’s product portfolio with the likes of the new CT5 Mini Scrubber, CT80 Micro Rider Scrubber and the new 1050 vacuum Sweeper. The launch of our new IPC brand helps build Tennant’s multi brand portfolio and existing brand presence across products and direct service in Australia and NZ.

We’re creating a more targeted distribution network to better serve our customers in 2020 offering a simple, straight-forward ownership experience (at the right price.)

Chad Angeli General Manager of Australia and New Zealand commented that “We are extremely pleased not only with the IPC launch this year but also our autonomous T7AMR launch.  Our autonomous solutions are allowing our customers to re-deploy their labour with confidence to focus more time on detail cleaning.

“Our IPC range has given our customers and distributors access to products that we historically did not have in the Tennant range.

IPC also offers a better option for our BSC customers that have a shorter-term contract.  Next year we will launch two new robotic lines and continue to add to our IPC portfolio.”

Built into that mission is a focus on community and stewardship that has become a core part of Tennant’s culture. In addition to sustainable technologies and cradle-to-cradle manufacturing processes, the company contributes to its communities by maintaining environmentally focused practices in Tennant facilities, as well as engaging in community clean-up and improvement activities.

Volunteering and community involvement take many forms at Tennant. In fact, the cornerstone of the company’s celebration of this year’s milestone anniversary is our “$150K for 150 Years” challenge, inviting Tennant employees throughout the world to raise the equivalent of $150,000 for charities they choose through donations of cash, goods, and work in their neighborhoods.

It was great to see Tennant’s 150 year legacy of building high quality products and commitment to community stewardship all coming together during the same day.

“I’m extremely grateful to be a part of this team and what we are building for our customers in Australia & New Zealand, said Chad Angeli General Manager Tennant Australia.

“We will continue to be active in our local communities nationally to contribute to this goal.”

With manufacturing facilities in Europe, Asia, and North and South America, direct sales operations in 15 countries and a network of distributors spanning more than 100 countries, Tennant Company cleans around the world to fulfill its mission: Making the world a cleaner, safer, healthier place.

A century and a half of innovation. Of involvement in communities. Of partnership with customers. This year, as Tennant Company celebrates one hundred and fifty years, a new global headquarters campus is opening in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

The property is less than 20 miles from the Mississippi River where George Tennant started his business—as is fitting for a company that is grounded in deep traditions, inventing its future, and making its mark as an industry leader.

This first appeared in the November issue of INCLEAN NZ magazine 

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