Hoover was established 1908 in New Berlin, Ohio, USA. The town was later renamed as Canton. Celebrating its centennial year, the company enters its second century as one of the leading manufacturers in white goods and as the European market leader in floorcare.

In 1919, the company expanded its operations into Europe with the incorporation of Hoover Ltd. in London. In 1932, the first European factory was opened in Perivale, Middlesex, for the production of carpet cleaners. This marked the start of an enduring success story, in which Hoover became the leader in floorcare. By 1937, Hoover Ltd was listed on the London Stock Exchange, while the US parent company held the controlling stake.

In 1946, a new factory in Cambuslang, Scotland, began the production of vacuum cleaners. In 1948, a factory for washing machines was opened in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales.

The Hoover Group continued its expansion through the 1980s, a decade in which it restructured both its industrial and corporate structure. In 1983, Hoover USA acquired the minority holding of Hoover UK and became the sole owner of the European subsidiary.

1985 marked the beginning of a sequence of changes in ownership: Chicago Pacific Corp. bought international activities, then (1989) Maytag Corp. purchased Chicago Pacific and became the owner of Hoover. In 1993, the Hoover Trading Company and Hoover U.K. merged to become the Hoover European Appliances Group.