Where Are Clorox Air Purifiers Manufactured?

When you see the iconic Clorox diamond logo on a product, a century of trust comes to mind. It’s a brand synonymous with clean, a household name built on a legacy of powerful, reliable cleaning products. So, when Clorox-branded air purifiers appeared on shelves, many consumers and businesses naturally assumed they were the latest innovation to roll off a Clorox-owned assembly line.

The question, "Where are Clorox air purifiers manufactured?" seems simple. The direct answer is that they are manufactured in China. But that fact is merely the final step in a fascinating and strategically brilliant journey that reveals a great deal about modern brand-building, global supply chains, and the power of partnership. The Clorox Company, a multinational giant with deep roots in American manufacturing, does not actually make these air purifiers.

Instead, the entire product line is the result of an exclusive licensing agreement with Hamilton Beach Brands, Inc., a titan in the small appliance industry. This article unpacks that strategic alliance, exploring how two industry leaders joined forces to bring a trusted name to a new market and what B2B and D2C clients can learn from this masterclass in brand extension.

The Power of the Badge: A Strategic Brand Licensing Agreement

The story begins not in a factory, but with a formal business arrangement. In June 2021, The Clorox Company and Hamilton Beach Brands announced an exclusive multiyear trademark licensing agreement. This partnership was not a simple manufacturing contract; it was a comprehensive delegation of operational responsibility, creating a clear division of labor that plays to each company's unique strengths.

The Clorox Company as Brand Licensor: Headquartered in Oakland, California, The Clorox Company's role is to license its most valuable asset: its brand. For over a century, consumers have associated the Clorox name with creating healthier home environments. Under the agreement, Clorox provides this powerful brand equity and collaborates on the development process to ensure every product meets the stringent standards consumers expect. This move is a key part of Clorox's corporate "IGNITE" strategy, which focuses on innovating consumer experiences by partnering with best-in-class companies to enter new product categories.

Hamilton Beach Brands as Operational Licensee: Based in Glen Allen, Virginia, Hamilton Beach Brands assumes the role of the licensee, taking on the end-to-end operational mandate for the air purifier line. The agreement specifies that Hamilton Beach is responsible for the product's entire physical lifecycle, a scope that includes development, sourcing, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. They are the engine that designs, builds, and brings the product to market.

This structure allows a brand known for cleaning solutions to seamlessly enter the complex world of small electronics, a perfect example of leveraging intangible assets (brand trust) to create tangible new revenue streams.

Why Partner? Seizing a Multi-Billion Dollar Market Opportunity

The timing of this partnership was no accident. It was a calculated response to a seismic shift in consumer behavior. The early 2020s saw a convergence of factors that supercharged the demand for home air purification. The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically increased awareness of airborne viruses and indoor air quality, while an uptick in wildfire frequency and intensity raised concerns about smoke and airborne particulates. Add to that stronger and longer allergy seasons, and a powerful, sustained market trend was born.

The U.S. market for air purifiers and filters more than doubled in 2020, reaching an approximate valuation of \$1.1 billion by 2021. Both Clorox and Hamilton Beach recognized this not as a fleeting fad, but as a long-term expansion of the home health and wellness category.

The partnership created a textbook symbiotic relationship—a true "win-win":

• For The Clorox Company: It offered a low-risk, capital-light pathway into a booming market. Instead of investing billions to build or acquire electronics factories and develop an entirely new set of corporate competencies, Clorox could extend its brand into a highly relevant new category by leveraging a partner's existing infrastructure.
• For Hamilton Beach Brands: It provided a game-changing competitive advantage. While Hamilton Beach has its own successful "TrueAir" line of purifiers, the Clorox name commands an unparalleled level of consumer trust in "clean". Placing that logo on their expertly engineered products elevates them above a crowded and competitive field.

As Scott Tidey, a senior vice president at Hamilton Beach, noted, the partnership is a "winning combination" of their market experience and the power of the Clorox brand, creating a superior offering for consumers.

A Tale of Two Companies: Contrasting Manufacturing Philosophies

To truly understand why this licensing agreement was the only logical path, one must look at the deeply ingrained, and starkly different, manufacturing philosophies of the two companies.

The Clorox Company's DNA: A Legacy of U.S. Manufacturing
Since its founding in 1913, The Clorox Company has been a manufacturer in the most traditional sense. It has built its global empire on a vertically integrated model, primarily owning and operating its own production facilities to maintain direct control over quality and supply. The company has a significant manufacturing footprint in the United States, with 16 company-owned plants producing its most iconic brands.

This network includes a major campus for Home Care products in Forest Park, Georgia; a state-of-the-art cat litter facility in Martinsburg, West Virginia; and the primary plant for Kingsford charcoal in Springfield, Oregon. This entire infrastructure is highly specialized for producing chemicals, cleaning agents, charcoal, food products, and personal care items. It does not, however, possess the distinct technology, assembly lines, or engineering expertise required for mass-producing small electronic appliances.

The Hamilton Beach Brands Model: The Asset-Light Global Approach
In sharp contrast, Hamilton Beach Brands operates on a modern "asset-light" business model. While the company began as a U.S. manufacturer in 1910, it strategically pivoted in the 2000s to outsource all of its physical production. Today, its entire portfolio of small appliances is manufactured by a network of third-party subcontractors located in China.

This model frees Hamilton Beach from the immense capital expenditure and operational complexity of owning factories. Instead, it focuses its resources on its core competencies: innovative product design, engineering, rigorous quality control, global marketing, and sophisticated supply chain management. Its U.S. presence is dedicated to these high-value activities, not manufacturing.

For Clorox to build an air purifier in-house would have required abandoning its core identity and making a monumental, multi-billion-dollar investment in a field where it had no experience. The licensing agreement was the elegant solution. It allowed Clorox to effectively "rent" Hamilton Beach's entire operational infrastructure, from its engineering teams in Virginia to its manufacturing network in China.

Tracing the Supply Chain: From Virginia to China to Your Doorstep

The journey of a Clorox air purifier exemplifies the "Designed in North America, Made in China" model that defines modern commerce.

• Strategy and Design (U.S.A.): The process begins in the corporate offices of Clorox in California and Hamilton Beach in Virginia. Here, the two companies collaborate on the product's development, features, and brand messaging to meet consumer needs identified through market research.
• Manufacturing and Assembly (China): Hamilton Beach then leverages its long-standing relationships with specialized third-party manufacturers in China to produce the appliances. This region offers an unparalleled ecosystem of component suppliers and skilled labor for electronics production.
• Import and Distribution (North America): Once manufactured, the finished air purifiers are imported into North America. Hamilton Beach manages the logistics, distributing the products to major retail partners across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

This entire structure is transparently disclosed to the consumer. Product detail pages on Target's website clearly state "Origin: Imported". Listings on Walmart go a step further, explicitly identifying "Hamilton Beach Brands Inc" as the seller and "Hamilton Beach" as the manufacturer for Clorox-branded air purifiers. Furthermore, all warranty claims and customer service inquiries are directed to Hamilton Beach, not Clorox.

What This Means for Your Business: Lessons for B2B and D2C Clients

The Clorox and Hamilton Beach partnership is more than just a story about one product; it's a powerful case study with valuable lessons for businesses of all sizes.

• Lesson 1: Focus on Your Core Competencies. Clorox is a world-class branding and chemical manufacturing company. Hamilton Beach is an expert in small appliance design and global logistics. Neither tried to become the other. By focusing on what they do best and partnering for the rest, they created a product that was stronger than what either could have achieved alone. For any business, knowing what to own and what to outsource is a critical strategic decision.
• Lesson 2: Brand Trust is Your Most Valuable Asset. Hamilton Beach could have launched the exact same air purifier under its own TrueAir brand, but the partnership with Clorox gave it immediate access to a level of consumer trust that would have taken decades to build. For D2C brands, this underscores the importance of investing in brand identity and the consumer relationship. For B2B clients, it highlights the immense value that can be unlocked by co-branding or licensing with established, trusted names.
• Lesson 3: Transparency Builds Confidence. In an era of complex global supply chains, consumers and business partners value transparency. The Clorox air purifier website footer clearly states the licensing arrangement: "The Clorox name and logo are trademarks of The Clorox Company and are used under license by Hamilton Beach Brands, Inc.". This honesty prevents confusion and builds long-term confidence. Hiding the nature of a partnership can lead to distrust, while openly stating it shows integrity.
• Lesson 4: "Made In" Tells Only Part of the Story. The "Made in China" label on a Clorox air purifier does not mean it's a generic, off-the-shelf product. The design, engineering standards, quality control oversight, and brand promise are all managed and directed from the United States by Hamilton Beach and Clorox. For businesses involved in sourcing and product development, it's a crucial reminder that the country of origin is just one data point in a product's much larger story of quality and innovation.

Conclusion: A Model for Modern Commerce

So, where are Clorox air purifiers manufactured? They are assembled in China by the manufacturing partners of Hamilton Beach Brands.

But the more insightful answer is that they are born from a strategic vision crafted in the boardrooms of California and Virginia. This product exists because of a sophisticated partnership that paired one of America's most trusted brands with a leader in global appliance manufacturing. It’s a case study in leveraging brand equity, mitigating risk, and executing a flawless entry into a high-growth market. For any business navigating the complexities of the 21st-century marketplace, the story behind the Clorox air purifier is a powerful lesson in smart, strategic, and successful collaboration.