G.E-Hotpoint.....
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Were they always the same company? IIRC Hotpoint came from their greatly improved iron, "the heat was in the point", until the 70's i believe the two companies products were very different animals. probably about the time Merger Mania started.
Hotpoint "edumacashun"
Hotpoint has been a subsidiary of General Electric for YEARS.
I believe, though I can't document it at the moment, Hotpoint has been a part of GE since the late 1920s-early 1930s. Since then, it has been clearly labeled as a part of GE.
Even though it is considered to be a "value" brand, a lot of features are first on Hotpoint appliances and then show up on GE.
Last two apartments were mostly Hotpoint equipped, and as much as I can like an electric stove (not much,) I did like the Hotpoint stoves I had. Decent (for electric) cooktops, accurate oven thermostats, and very good self-cleaning.
Lawrence/Maytagbear
Hotpoint has been a subsidiary of General Electric for YEARS.
I believe, though I can't document it at the moment, Hotpoint has been a part of GE since the late 1920s-early 1930s. Since then, it has been clearly labeled as a part of GE.
Even though it is considered to be a "value" brand, a lot of features are first on Hotpoint appliances and then show up on GE.
Last two apartments were mostly Hotpoint equipped, and as much as I can like an electric stove (not much,) I did like the Hotpoint stoves I had. Decent (for electric) cooktops, accurate oven thermostats, and very good self-cleaning.
Lawrence/Maytagbear
Hotpoint started out as part of Edison Electric and marketed their electric irons that heated evenly throughout the soleplate including the very tip, thus Hot-Point. GE bought Hotpoint in the early 1930's to get the rights to the Calrod heating element which Hopoint invented.
I noticed in years past that GE rarely ever produced gas ranges under the GE logo. The instead chose to market both gas and electric stoves under the "Hotpoint" name. I've also rarely ever seen refrigerators under the Hotpoint nameplate too. I guess this is all due to brand recognition type stuff. A refrigerator is supposed to be cold, so why call it HOTpoint, and why call label a gas stove as General ELECTRIC.
Actually Hotpoint merged with GE in 1922
According to the book a Walk in the Park (A history of Appliance Park) Hotpoint, Hughes Electric (the inventors of the electric range) and the Electric Heating device divison of GE merged in 1922 under the name Edison Electric as a subsidary of GE. Pat Coffey
According to the book a Walk in the Park (A history of Appliance Park) Hotpoint, Hughes Electric (the inventors of the electric range) and the Electric Heating device divison of GE merged in 1922 under the name Edison Electric as a subsidary of GE. Pat Coffey
Great info, Pat. I've always thought it was sometime in the 30's...
I've seen that book before and should get myself a copy - I'll bet it's interesting.
I've seen that book before and should get myself a copy - I'll bet it's interesting.
neptunebob
Well-known member
I heard that the reason for GE and Hotpoint is this: Sometimes two appliance stores will be in the same city. GE would like to sell to both stores. If one of the stores is Hotpoint some people might think it a little different from GE and will shop at the store selling Hotpoint. GE still makes money from both stores this way even though the two brands compete against each other.
Natural evolution of business: diversify
GE learned quickly from the big auto makers. Think of it this way: Hotpoint was to GE what Mercury was to Ford. GM already had multiple brands by the time the GE assimilated Hotpoint.
GE learned quickly from the big auto makers. Think of it this way: Hotpoint was to GE what Mercury was to Ford. GM already had multiple brands by the time the GE assimilated Hotpoint.
laundromat
Well-known member
GE made a fortune buying Hotpoint.Edison Electric had not only invented the electric iron and range but let's not forget the lightbulb!!!Also,even though Hotpoint became a GE division,their appliances weren't always as cheap looking as they are now.That happend in the early 70's.Their washers were also a lot different than the true GE.Easy made them for a while and their dishwasher's wash system inside the tub was a bit different than GE's.For a while,Hotpoint also made a managery of comercial cooking appliances too.
Laundromat...
According to the book A Walk in the Park, Edison Electric did not come into being until Hotpoint, Hughes Electric, and the electric heating device division of GE merged in 1922. It was Hughes Electric Co.'s founder, George Hughes, who invented the first practical electric range by converting old coal stoves to electricity in 1910. Hotpoint was started by Earl Richardson to make electric irons and was originally called the Pacific Electric Heating Co. Pacifc Electric Heating Co. didn't offically change it's name to Hotpoint Electric Heating Co. until 1911 and Hotpoint didn't become a registered TM until 1914. The Company that invented the lightbulb and later became GE was started by Thomas Edison as the Edison Electric Light Co. (no relation to the later Edison Electric Co. that made Hotpoint appliances). In 1890 a bunch of electric companies merged with Thomas Edison's company to form a company known as Edison General Electric. In 1892 Edison General Electric merged with the Thompson-Huston Company and the name was shortened to General Electric. I don't mean to ramble or be a know it all but I just like to get the facts straight. PAT COFFEY
According to the book A Walk in the Park, Edison Electric did not come into being until Hotpoint, Hughes Electric, and the electric heating device division of GE merged in 1922. It was Hughes Electric Co.'s founder, George Hughes, who invented the first practical electric range by converting old coal stoves to electricity in 1910. Hotpoint was started by Earl Richardson to make electric irons and was originally called the Pacific Electric Heating Co. Pacifc Electric Heating Co. didn't offically change it's name to Hotpoint Electric Heating Co. until 1911 and Hotpoint didn't become a registered TM until 1914. The Company that invented the lightbulb and later became GE was started by Thomas Edison as the Edison Electric Light Co. (no relation to the later Edison Electric Co. that made Hotpoint appliances). In 1890 a bunch of electric companies merged with Thomas Edison's company to form a company known as Edison General Electric. In 1892 Edison General Electric merged with the Thompson-Huston Company and the name was shortened to General Electric. I don't mean to ramble or be a know it all but I just like to get the facts straight. PAT COFFEY
Just to keep the facts straight, Edison did not invent the electric lightbulb, he purchased an earlier design, improved upon it and patented it.
As I said I like to get the facts straight......
So I say thanks to Pete for setting that fact straight... It is true....you learn something new everyday. PAT COFFEY
So I say thanks to Pete for setting that fact straight... It is true....you learn something new everyday. PAT COFFEY
It's sort of akin to when you hear people saying Henry Ford invented the automobile. LOL
re the lighbulb...
The first "electric" lights, not bulbs more like arc lights were invented long before back in England I believe.
In 1874 a Henry Woodward and Mathew Evans patented and sucessfully demonstrated the first electric light bulb in Toronto, they sold the patent to Thomas Edison for a then princely sum of about $5000. Probably regretted it later LOL
re the lighbulb...
The first "electric" lights, not bulbs more like arc lights were invented long before back in England I believe.
In 1874 a Henry Woodward and Mathew Evans patented and sucessfully demonstrated the first electric light bulb in Toronto, they sold the patent to Thomas Edison for a then princely sum of about $5000. Probably regretted it later LOL
I made a mistake, Hotpoint, Hughes Electric, and GE did NOT
They merged in 1918, as I said I like to get the facts straight. PAT COFFEY
They merged in 1918, as I said I like to get the facts straight. PAT COFFEY
Childhood Chrome Memories
In the fifties Hotpoint was a glamorous line and nothing value added about them. In the 60's we began to see the affect of cheapening the line and letting it provide access to clientele who were buying brands like, Kenmore, Wards, Wizard etc, the Catalogue Crowd.
Kelly
In the fifties Hotpoint was a glamorous line and nothing value added about them. In the 60's we began to see the affect of cheapening the line and letting it provide access to clientele who were buying brands like, Kenmore, Wards, Wizard etc, the Catalogue Crowd.
Kelly
"Aren't you glad you bought a Hotpoint, Harriet?&qu
Refer to the Hotpoint Automatic Washer Owner's Manual elsewhere on this website; until approximately 1955 the Hotpoint Company was listed as "an affiliate of the General Electric Company."
The impression I had of Hotpoint for many years was that it was GE's upscale line (the "Lady Executive" washer, for instance). The earliest of the "Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" usually had at least one or two scenes in the kitchen prior to 1956, so they could show off the TOL Hotpoint kitchen (complete with Mary Tyler Moore as "Happy Hotpoint").
But somewhere in the mid-90s, Hotpoint became the second-string line with the new tag line: "Hotpoint: For the Long Run," with plain black-and-white ads (maybe they were trying to copy Volkswagen???). I remember a magazine ad with a cute Oriental girl with the headline: "By the time she's out of high school her Hotpoint range will have cooked XXX-number of dim sum" (or something similar)...
Refer to the Hotpoint Automatic Washer Owner's Manual elsewhere on this website; until approximately 1955 the Hotpoint Company was listed as "an affiliate of the General Electric Company."
The impression I had of Hotpoint for many years was that it was GE's upscale line (the "Lady Executive" washer, for instance). The earliest of the "Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" usually had at least one or two scenes in the kitchen prior to 1956, so they could show off the TOL Hotpoint kitchen (complete with Mary Tyler Moore as "Happy Hotpoint").
But somewhere in the mid-90s, Hotpoint became the second-string line with the new tag line: "Hotpoint: For the Long Run," with plain black-and-white ads (maybe they were trying to copy Volkswagen???). I remember a magazine ad with a cute Oriental girl with the headline: "By the time she's out of high school her Hotpoint range will have cooked XXX-number of dim sum" (or something similar)...
