January 17, 2001

CONTACT: Thor Public Affairs, (877) 877-0540

Los Angeles, January 17, 2001 –Thor Appliance Company, inventor of the first electrically powered washing machine in 1907, announced today that it will reintroduce its historic Thor brand next week when it unveils a new line of laundry appliances.  

Beginning with the introduction of a newly designed washer/dryer combination, Thor Appliance Company plans to rollout a complete line of new laundry products in the next six months, including a selection of ultra-efficient front-loading washing machines. “Once we realized the Thor brand was still familiar to many consumers, the decision to reintroduce the brand was simple,” said Thor vice president of marketing, Matthew Lee. “Customers remember Thor washers and the quality and innovation the name represents.”

The unveiling of the Thor washer/dryer represents the first time the Thor name has appeared on a laundry machine in over three decades. “We chose to introduce the washer/dryer first because it is a truly unique product and best represents the spirit of innovation Thor has come to symbolize,” said Lee. “The new Thor may look different than the original 1907 model, but our commitment to ingenuity remains the same.”

The newest Thor washer/dryer is designed primarily for apartments, condominiums or small homes. Built to be practically silent during operation and incorporating a patented condensate dry system that offers complete dying without a vent, the laundry machine may be installed virtually anywhere in the home. In addition, the Thor washer/dryer is highly efficient, exceeding stringent new federal efficiency standards while earning the U.S. Government’s “Energy Star” designation.   

Thor invented the first electrically powered laundry machine in 1907 when it introduced the Thor Automatic Clothes Washer. Appearing recently on many all-millennium lists as one of the greatest inventions of the last century, the Thor machine quickly became a staple in American households, along the way establishing Thor as one of the most recognizable brands in the country. Thor washers remained popular through the 1950’s, when the company opted to develop a new brand identity for each new line of laundry products introduced. Over the next decade, the Thor brand name disappeared from the appliance market.

Los Angeles-based Thor Appliance Company is a leading supplier of specialty laundry appliances for residential use. In 1907 Thor changed forever the way Americans wash clothes when it invented the first electrically powered clothes washer.   More information on Thor’s products and history may be found online at www.thorappliances.com.