In 1981, a retired gentleman named Bill Grant found inspiration for a new invention after completing his morning swim workout. He was struck by the effort required to remove water from swimsuits using the crank style hand wringer available at his local YMCA. After watching swimmers manually turn the wringer’s crank arm, Grant knew there must be a better way to remove water from swimsuits.
With a goal to find a faster, cleaner method to extract water from swimwear, Grant began designing prototypes for a new machine in his basement. After two years in development, Grant invented the first electrical water extraction unit — a first-of-its kind device that safely eliminated moisture from swimsuits without generating high heat or harming fabrics. The new steel electrical unit was later named SUITMATE®. Today it safely removes up to 95 percent of the water from swimsuits in just 8 seconds.
A unique philosophy
Grant later met Jon Hoffman, who then founded Extractor Corporation for the sole purpose of engineering, manufacturing and distributing the SUITMATE swimsuit water extractor. Since that time, Extractor Corporation’s engineers have continually refined Grant’s design to build a safe, durable water extraction machine. With a client list filled with household names in the health and fitness industry, numerous universities, hotels, resorts and municipal pools, the SUITMATE unit is now a key amenity in swimming pool locker rooms worldwide.
SUITMATE meets the needs of both swimmers and facility managers
So how did the SUITMATE unit dominate its market and continue to grow since 1983? First, Extractor Corporation has always kept both swimmers and facility managers in mind when designing its products. Swimmers appreciate the SUITMATE unit because they no longer have to put a dripping wet suit back in their bag after a swim. Facility managers find the SUITMATE unit keeps locker rooms, furniture and swimming decks dryer, safer and in better overall condition.
Leaving a legacy of quality
Hoffman understood from the beginning the importance of creating a water extraction system that could take a beating. With hundreds of uses per day at many swimming pools, the SUITMATE unit needed to withstand the heavy demands of swimmers’ daily use as well as handle the highly corrosive nature of chlorine water. Long lasting durability and non-corrosive components became central to Extractor Corporation’s product designs. In fact, the SUITMATE unit is the only swimwear water extractor that meets strict Underwriter Laboratory reliability and safety standards in addition to Canadian-UL, CE, and other global safety testing organizations.
Today, the family-owned Extractor Corporation has made quality a hallmark of its corporate culture and its manufacturing processes. At a time when using offshore manufacturing facilities and finding the cheapest materials possible are common practices, Extractor Corporation continues to upgrade the SUITMATE unit. The company prides itself on all SUITMATE unites being completely manufactured and shipped from its South Elgin, Illinois facility — less than 10 miles from where Bill Grant first got his inspiration for a swimsuit water extractor at the local YMCA over 30 years ago.
For more information about SUITMATE, please visit suitmate.com or call Extractor Corporation at 800.553-3353.
