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David Oreck (born 1924) is an American salesman and businessman. He is the founder of the Oreck Corporation, famous for its line of vacuum cleaners.

Early life

Oreck was born in Duluth, Minnesota. He joined the United States Army Air Forces at age 17. He served as a certified pilot, navigator, and bombardier for over three years. A World War II veteran, Oreck flew bombing missions over Japan in what were then considered state-of-the-art B-29s.

Oreck started out as a salesman and wholesale distributor for RCA in New York. He worked with the company for 17 years, eventually reaching the level of general sales manager. It was around this time that the American public was introduced to several new products that Oreck helped market. These items included the washing machine, the microwave oven, the black and white and color televisions. He even accompanied RCA General Manager David Sarnoff at congressional hearings when the Federal Communications Commission was looking to develop standards for color television broadcasts.

During his last years at RCA, Oreck started a charter aircraft service on the side for which he did much of the flying. Another venture involved a central antenna system in New York that would wire apartment buildings for television use. He even started a company to teach radio and television repair in Spanish by direct mail.

Oreck Corporation

Oreck acquired an abandoned design for an upright vacuum cleaner from RCA subsidiary Whirlpool and a failing RCA distribution facility in New Orleans, Louisiana. Using these assets at age 40, he formed the Oreck Corporation in 1963.

He felt that "Like airplanes, great vacuums must be light, powerful, dependable, brilliantly designed and exceptionally engineered." When Oreck said "light", he meant it, as his 8 lb (3.6 kg) design was a third of the weight of other machines available. Competitors, however, used this fact to criticize his vacuum cleaner's effectiveness and durability. Oreck was able to build up a good reputation for the machine by first marketing to hotels where light weight would be a big positive factor.

Today Oreck vacuum cleaners are used in over 50,000 hotels and in countless homes across the country. They are produced in the United States along with the rest of the Oreck line of products. The company employs more than 1,500 Americans at the company's retail stores and production center in Long Beach, Mississippi.

Personal life

Oreck has a wife, Jan, three adult children, and seven grandchildren. One of his sons, Tom, is currently the CEO of the Oreck Corporation.

David Oreck continues to be active in aviation, maintaining and flying his personal collection of aircraft which include a Stinson Reliant SR 10J, a WACO WMF, an Aviat Husky Amphibian, an American Champion Decathlon, a Staggerwing Beech G-17S, a Beech T-34A Mentor, and a Twin Beech H-18.

Philanthropy

Along with his son Bruce, Oreck has donated a great deal of money to mineralogical museums in Colorado. He has contributed to both the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum collections.

External link and reference

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''David Oreck''', (born [[1924]]) an American salesman and businessman, born in [[Duluth, Minnesota]]. Founder of the Oreck Corporation famous for its line of [[vacuum cleaners]].
+'''David Oreck''' (born [[1924]]) is an American salesman and businessman. He is the founder of the Oreck Corporation, famous for its line of [[vacuum cleaners]].
-==Early Work==
+==Early life==
+Oreck was born in [[Duluth, Minnesota|Duluth]], [[Minnesota]]. He joined the [[United States Army Air Forces]] at age 17. He served as a certified pilot, navigator, and bombardier for over three years. A [[World War II]] veteran, Oreck flew bombing missions over [[Japan]] in what were then considered state-of-the-art [[B-29]]s.
-Before starting his well-known vacuum cleaner business, Oreck served in the military, worked for [[RCA]], and dabbled in other entreprenurial ventures.
-===Military Service===
-Oreck joined the [[United States Army Air Forces]] at age 17. He served as a certified pilot, navigator, and bombadier for over 3 years. A [[World War II]] veteran, Oreck flew bombing missions over [[Japan]] in what were then considered state-of-the-art [[B-29]]s.
-===RCA Career===
 Oreck started out as a salesman and wholesale distributor for RCA in [[New York]]. He worked with the company for 17 years, eventually reaching the level of general sales manager. It was around this time that the American public was introduced to several new products that Oreck helped market. These items included the [[washing machine]], the [[microwave oven]], the black and white and color [[television]]s. He even accompanied RCA General Manager [[David Sarnoff]] at congressional hearings when the [[Federal Communications Commission]] was looking to develop standards for color television broadcasts.
+During his last years at RCA, Oreck started a charter aircraft service on the side for which he did much of the flying. Another venture involved a central antenna system in New York that would wire apartment buildings for television use. He even started a company to teach radio and television repair in [[Spanish language|Spanish]] by [[direct mail]].
-===Entrepreneur===
-The vacuum cleaner business was not Oreck's first. During his last years at RCA he started a charter aircraft service on the side for which he did much of the flying. Another venture involved a central antenna system in New York that would wire apartment buildings for television use. He even started a company to teach radio and television repair in Spanish by direct mail.
 ==Oreck Corporation==
-Oreck acquired an abandoned design for an upright vacuum cleaner from RCA subsidiary [[Whirlpool Corporation|Whirlpool]] and a failing RCA distribution facility in [[New Orleans, Louisiana]]. Using these assets he formed the Oreck Corporation in [[1963]] at the age of 40.
+Oreck acquired an abandoned design for an upright vacuum cleaner from RCA subsidiary [[Whirlpool Corporation|Whirlpool]] and a failing RCA distribution facility in [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]]. Using these assets at age 40, he formed the Oreck Corporation in [[1963]].
-He felt that "Like airplanes, great vacuums must be light, powerful, dependable, brilliantly designed and exceptionally engineered." When Oreck said "light", he meant it, as his 8 pound design was a third of the weight of other machines available. Competitors, however, used this fact to criticize his vacuum cleaner's effectiveness and durability. Oreck was able to build up a good reputation for the machine by first marketing to hotels where light weight would be a big positive factor.
+He felt that "Like airplanes, great vacuums must be light, powerful, dependable, brilliantly designed and exceptionally engineered." When Oreck said "light", he meant it, as his 8 lb (3.6 kg) design was a third of the weight of other machines available. Competitors, however, used this fact to criticize his vacuum cleaner's effectiveness and durability. Oreck was able to build up a good reputation for the machine by first marketing to hotels where light weight would be a big positive factor.
-Today Oreck vacuum cleaners are used in over 50,000 hotels and in countless homes across the country. They are produced in the United States along with the rest of the Oreck line of products. The company employs more than 1,500 Americans at the company's retail stores and production center in [[Long Beach, Mississippi]].
+Today Oreck vacuum cleaners are used in over 50,000 hotels and in countless homes across the country. They are produced in the United States along with the rest of the Oreck line of products. The company employs more than 1,500 Americans at the company's retail stores and production center in [[Long Beach, Mississippi|Long Beach]], [[Mississippi]].
-==Personal Life==
+==Personal life==
 Oreck has a wife, Jan, three adult children, and seven grandchildren. One of his sons, Tom, is currently the CEO of the Oreck Corporation.
-He continues to be active in aviation, maintaining and flying his personal collection of aircraft which include a Stinson Reliant SR 10J, a WACO WMF, an Aviat Husky Amphibian, an American Champion Decathlon, a Staggerwing Beech G-17S, a Beech T-34A Mentor, and a Twin Beech H-18.
+David Oreck continues to be active in aviation, maintaining and flying his personal collection of aircraft which include a Stinson Reliant SR 10J, a WACO WMF, an Aviat Husky Amphibian, an American Champion Decathlon, a Staggerwing Beech G-17S, a Beech T-34A Mentor, and a Twin Beech H-18.
 ==Philanthropy==
-Along with his son Bruce, Oreck has donated a great deal of money to mineralogical museums in Colorado. He has contributed to both the [[Denver Museum of Nature and Science]] and the [[Colorado School of Mines]] Geology Museum collections.
+Along with his son Bruce, Oreck has donated a great deal of money to mineralogical museums in [[Colorado]]. He has contributed to both the [[Denver Museum of Nature and Science]] and the [[Colorado School of Mines]] Geology Museum collections.
 ==External link and reference==
 *[http://www.oreck.com/ Oreck Corporation website]
-*[http://www.airportjournals.com/Display.cfm?varID=0508004/ Airport Journals article]
+*[http://www.airportjournals.com/Display.cfm?varID=0508004/ ''Airport Journals'' article on Oreck]
 [[Category:American World War II veterans|Oreck, David]]