Hunter Fan Company Changes Ownership Again!

On April 16, 2007 in New York MidOcean Partners announced the acquisition of the Hunter Fan Company from Lehman Brothers Merchant Bank.  MidOcean Partners is a premier private equity firm with offices in New York and London decided that the Hunter Fan Company would be a wise addition to their porfolio. 

This acqusition also includes Casablanca Fan Company, as a wholly owner subsidiary of Hunter Fan, Casablanca Fans will have a new majority shareholder as well, MidOcean Partners.

Hunter Fans will continue to operate independently

Over the past 120 years, Hunter has become the leader in designing, engineering and distributing mid to premium grade ceiling fans under the well known Hunter Brand.  The Hunter Fan Company has introduced decorative lamps, fountains and lighting fixtures sold under the Hunter and Kenroy labels and a growing line of Hunter home comfort products such as air purifiers, humidifiers and thermostates.  Headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee the Hunter Fan Company will continue to operate as an independant company, headed by their outstanding management team.

Who is MidOcean Partners?

MidOcean Partners is a premier private equity firm focused on the middle market.  Based in New York and London, MidOcean is committed to investing in high quality companies with stable market positions and multiple opportunities for growth in United States and Europe.  Their target markets include consumer and leisure, media and communications, business and financial services and industrials.  MidOcean utilizes a broad foundation of expertise in its focus industries and its transatlantic platform to create value for its investors and partners.

What was Said About the Hunter Fan Deal?

Rob Sharp, a Partner at MidOcean Partners, said "We are extremely pleased to partner with the Hunter management team to continue to grow the business.  Hunter Fan Company is the dominant brand providing high quality ceiling fans and other home comfort products to the consumer.  With its focus on quality and product innovation, we believe that Hunter Fan Company is uniquely positioned for growth.  In addition, we are excited about the opportunities resulting from the growing consumer awareness and emphasis on Energy Star energy efficient products."

"Over the past three years, Lehman Brothers has been a great partner for the Hunter Fan Company, supporting us as we invested in new products and new products and new product categories and delivering all the resources and expertise a global financial institution has to offer,"  said Robert E. Beasley, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of Hunter Fan Company. 

Robert E. Beasley, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer of Hunter Fan Company said, "MidOcean's investment in the Hunter Fan Company is a recognition of the successes we have had in building business over the past three years and our mutual confidence in the significant growth potential for Hunter in the future.  We are excited about our new partnership with MidOcean as we enter into the next phase of our growth strategy."

Hunter Fan Company is Striving for a Higher Quality

The Hunter Name is Mass Marketed

Before I was introduced to the ceiling fan industry I thought Hunter made the highest end ceiling fan product that existed.  This was due to great marketing or was it?  After becoming more involved and knowledgeable about the ceiling fan industry, I realized that Hunter Fan Company does make a good ceiling fan, but in my opinion not the best.  They have mass marketed their products into many markets that do not appreciate the higher quality products and the prices that go with them.  They have marketed to the uneducated market.

The Hunter Prestige Ceiling Fan Line is a High End Product

Hunter's Prestige ceiling fan line seems to be a step up to what we are used to from Hunter Fan Company.  Hunter Prestige fans use their patented AirMax motor, furniture grade wood, hand carved blades, artisan glass and multi-step hand applied painting techniques. 

I think that Hunter Fan Company is trying to make a difference with the Prestige line and the product quality shows it.  Although, is the average Home Depot shopper going to appreciate a higher cost for a Hunter fan?  Are the high end showrooms going to support Hunter in their new direction after Hunter has already sold out to the home centers years back?  Or is Hunter going to invest in a marketing plan that reaches new heights?  With the right marketing commitment I beleive they can get there.

Hunter Fan Company Celebrates 120 years

Hunter Fan Company's success starts here...

MEMPHIS, TENN. (November 29, 2006)—Hunter Fan Co. is celebrating a milestone: 120 years of success as an American leader in the manufacturing industry. The history of Hunter Fan Co. stretches across the turn of two centuries, two world wars, and the Great Depression. The company traces its origins back to 1886, when the prominent New York industrialists John and James Hunter purchased part of the Tuerk Water Meter Company and began to produce water-powered fans. For a dozen decades, the company has defined the cutting edge of technology and style for ceiling fans and motors. Hunter ceiling fans outdate the radio, the automobile, and even the common use of household electricity.

Hunter turn of the century ceiling fan replicas

To commemorate this event, Hunter Fans will be introducing a limited edition replica series of ceiling fans featuring storied designs from the turn of the century. Included in this collection will be the 1886 60-inch two blade fan. The hand-carved wood blades and authentically hand-cast vintage-style motor housing makes each fan one-of-a-kind. Other fans will feature Adapt Air&trade, an infinitely adjusting blade pitch system that was used prior to the invention of the reversing motor. This entire new collection will be produced in modern finishes, putting a fresh face on classic ceiling fan designs. Complementing these reproductions will be Hunters line of Original fans, which have been in continuous production for more than 100 years and have the industrys only oil bath motor and cast-iron housing.

Hunter Fans turning point

In 1889, the company moved its headquarters from Syracuse to Fulton, N.Y.. Eight years later, they began purchasing motors from General Electric to produce its first electrically motorized fans, and the name was changed to Hunter Fan & Motor Company. At the time, prices ranged from a modest $8.50 to $15 depending on the model of fan. If you bought a Hunter fan at the turn of the twentieth century for $8.50, you made a sound investment in a high-tech piece of household machinery that would last you a lifetime, said Chuck Smith, president of Hunter Fan Co. We don't sell our fans for that price today, but we can still guarantee you a lifetime of quality and happiness from your Hunter fan. After all, we've got 120 years of experience to prove that our fans are second to none for performance and satisfaction.

By the dawn of the twentieth century, Hunter Fan & Motor Company was already touting its enduring success. The cover of a 1903 catalog calls Hunter "the original Olde Tyme Ceiling Fan" and proclaims, "Only by years of experience can be learned the many little things making a perfect fan construction." Hunter Fan Co. stands by those words today.

Hunter Ceiling Fans relocate to Memphis

In 1941, Hunter Fan & Motor Company moved to Memphis, Tenn. When World War II began that same year, the company joined the conservation movement by giving up its copper and chrome finishes in favor of lacquer paint for the duration of the war. The fans produced before the war are often found in museums that chronicle the typical American home and family throughout the nation's history. Hunter's continuing success is based on a heritage of progress and innovation. The company has grown and evolved with the invention of the air conditioner, automobile, and microchip-all of which changed the way Hunter fans operated and were distributed throughout the United States and internationally. Modern inventions such as remote controls and high-efficiency motors have also been integrated into the company's designs. Plus, all Hunter fans manufactured today are designed to contribute to the energy efficiency of a home or building in addition to adding style and comfort.

Hunter's ceiling fan models

Today, Hunter's line of ceiling fans includes 60- and 72-inch fans for larger homes, all aluminum fans that will never rust for outdoor living areas, and a wide variety of Old World, transitional and contemporary styles. They feature a broad palette of architectural details, from rich furniture-grade woods and hand-applied finishes to artfully crafted glass. The slogan "Made the Way it Used to Be" is not just words from Hunter, it's a mission. For 120 years, Hunter has been a brand synonymous with quality and innovation.

"Our technology may be on the leading edge, but our quality remains timeless," said Beau Parker, vice president of ceiling fans for Hunter Fan Co. "We see ceiling fans that are sixty or more years old all the time, and they're still running strong. The same will be true when we are celebrating our 150th or even our 200th anniversary."

The ceiling fans also tout features and benefits including Anti-Vibration Technology™ (AVT) for wobble-free performance, and Hunter's "Quiet for Life" pledge reinforcing their commitment to whisper-quiet operation. Hunter also has expanded their expertise into home comfort products, such as high-performance air purifiers, low-maintenance humidifiers, portable fans, and energy-saving thermostats, as well as a patio fan and garage fan.