Natalie Lindsay grew up in the vacuum business. As the Vice President of Lindsay Manufacturing, a company founded by her great-grandfather, she spent her early years accompanying her father to trade shows around the globe.
“I have lots of great memories of traveling with my father. We went everywhere, from Europe to South Africa and the Middle East,” she said. “He taught me all the techniques of selling vacuums.”
Every generation of the Lindsay family has shaped the business in different ways. Her grandfather, Ed, transitioned the company from manufacturing heating equipment to central vacuum systems—a powerful cleaning solution built-in to homes—and introduced the VacuMaid brand. Her father, Winston, expanded the company’s global reach. Most recently, innovation has come from across the organization. When a local team member came up with the VacuMaid Garage Vac, a wall-mounted vacuum for the garage, the company used it as an opportunity to test a direct-to-consumer model by launching an Amazon storefront.
A fourth-generation, family-run business, Lindsay Manufacturing is reaching new customers through its Amazon storefront.
As sales started to take off, the company realized it needed to adapt once again, refining production schedules and ensuring their operation could support the fast, reliable fulfillment today’s customers expect.
“Having products listed in the Amazon store has pushed us to think differently,” Natalie said. “By adapting, we’ve ensured we’ll stay in business for future generations.”
Lindsay Manufacturing soon started using Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) to pick, pack and ship products from Amazon’s network of warehouses, allowing them to deliver products quickly and consistently, and build trust with customers that has translated into increased sales.
“Amazon has made it really easy for our customers, and they’ve shown their support in the reviews they write,” Natalie said. “We get real users saying, ‘hey, this thing is amazing, I love this product.’ It’s better than a sales pitch coming from us, and I think it’s helped make us really successful.”
A team member’s idea for a wall-mounted vacuum for the garage led Lindsay Manufacturing to test direct-to-consumer sales with Amazon. It’s now the company’s best-selling product.
A huge part of the VacuMaid story is the fact that the products are still made out of the Lindsay Manufacturing production facility in Ponca City, Oklahoma. Using A+ Content to enhance their Amazon product listings with videos and high-quality images, Natalie has been able to share the story of a fourth-generation family business that is still proudly made in America.
“With A+ Content, we have the ability to give a little pitch about who we are here at Lindsay Manufacturing,” said Natalie. “Customers can see that we’re real, that we’re made in the United States and that they’re supporting somebody local.”
Since launching on Amazon, the garage vac has become the company’s best-selling product, driving year-over-year growth and supporting the team behind it.
“When you walk through our factory, you find people that have been working with us for 30 or 40 years,” said Natalie. “There’s a strong sense of pride in what we do and in taking care of our team.”
For Lindsay, that longevity is exactly what makes continuing to evolve so important.
“Amazon has been an important part of our ability to reach new customers,” she said. “It’s helped extend the life of the business and opened the door for what’s next.”