- Current Kenmore vacuum cleaners and floor-care products in North America are manufactured under license by Cleva, which describes itself as the line's sole licensed manufacturer.
- The KENMORE trademark belongs to Transform SR Brands LLC; Cleva manufactures and supports the licensed floor-care line but does not own the brand.
- The license does not identify every factory or historical OEM, so buyers must verify the exact model, seller, importer, origin and warranty terms.
Current Kenmore vacuum cleaners and floor-care products in North America are manufactured under license by Cleva. Cleva North America describes itself as the sole licensed manufacturer of the Kenmore Floor Care line, while the KENMORE trademark belongs to Transform SR Brands LLC. Transformco lists Kenmore among its key brands.
That means Cleva makes and supports the current floor-care products, but it does not own the Kenmore name. Sears is central to Kenmore's history, yet Sears is not the manufacturer of today's Kenmore vacuums. The retailer, importer, legal manufacturer, factory and warranty provider can also be different entities.
For distributors and procurement teams, the useful answer is therefore not one company name. It is a map of the trademark, license, product business and model-level responsibilities.
Kenmore Vacuum-Cleaner Relationships at a Glance
| Company or layer | Verified role | Important boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Transform SR Brands LLC | Current official owner of the KENMORE trademark | It does not manufacture every Kenmore product |
| Transformco | Brand and business platform that lists Kenmore as a key brand | A brand portfolio is not a factory list |
| Cleva North America, Inc. | Sole licensed manufacturer of the Kenmore Floor Care line; operates the current U.S. floor-care site and supports warranties | It is a licensee, not the owner of the KENMORE trademark |
| Cleva manufacturing group | Chinese cleaning-equipment manufacturer with engineering and production operations in Suzhou | A group manufacturing base does not prove the factory or origin of every model |
| Sears | Historical retailer and former brand owner associated with Kenmore | It is not the current vacuum manufacturer, and Kenmore floor-care products are sold beyond Sears |
| Retailer or direct store | May be the contract seller, payment recipient and return counterparty | The seller is not automatically the trademark owner or manufacturer |
| Exact product model | Label, manual, certification, import and warranty records identify the responsible entities | The logo alone cannot identify an OEM or factory |
Who Makes Kenmore Vacuum Cleaners Today?
For the current North American floor-care line, the answer is Cleva.
Cleva North America's official website says the company is the “sole licensed manufacturer” of Kenmore Floor Care products. That wording matters. It identifies both the manufacturing role and its legal boundary: Cleva manufactures a product line under permission to use a trademark owned by another company.
A 2019 Kenmore Floor Care licensing announcement provides more detail. It says Cleva North America would manufacture Kenmore and Kenmore Elite vacuums and accessories for distribution through retailers across North America. The announced scope included conventional, stick, hand and robotic vacuums, carpet cleaners, bare-floor cleaners, sweepers and accessories.
The relationship was already visible before 2019. A 2017 certification release from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America identified three Kenmore vacuums as made by Cleva North America and described Cleva as the exclusive licensee for manufacturing and selling Kenmore and Kenmore Elite vacuums and accessories.
The evidence supports a precise current answer:
Cleva is the licensed manufacturer behind the current Kenmore Floor Care business in North America. Transform SR Brands LLC owns the Kenmore trademark.
It does not support the broader statement that Cleva manufactures every Kenmore appliance. Refrigerators, laundry equipment, cooking appliances and HVAC products belong to different product categories and may involve different suppliers or licensees.
Who Owns the Kenmore Brand?
The current Kenmore website states that Kenmore is a registered trademark of Transform SR Brands LLC. Transformco also presents Kenmore as one of its key brands.
An official Canadian trademark record provides a useful view of the 2019 transition. It records an assignment of the KENMORE mark from Sears Brands, LLC to Transform SR Brands LLC, effective February 11, 2019.
This creates three distinct corporate layers:
- Transform SR Brands LLC owns the trademark.
- Transformco manages Kenmore as part of its brand portfolio.
- Cleva uses the brand under license for floor-care products.
These roles should not be collapsed into “the manufacturer.” An IP owner can license a brand without operating a vacuum factory. A licensed manufacturer can develop, produce and support products without owning the trademark.
Trademark ownership can also be registered through different related IP entities across jurisdictions or product classes. A distributor conducting legal diligence should search the relevant national register, product class and current owner rather than treating one record as a global legal opinion.
Is Kenmore Still Owned by Sears?
Kenmore originated as a Sears house brand, so consumers still use “Sears,” “Kenmore” and “manufacturer” almost interchangeably. That historical association no longer describes the complete current structure.
The 2019 trademark assignment moved the mark from Sears Brands to Transform SR Brands. The same year's floor-care announcement said Kenmore and Kenmore Elite products would be distributed through retailers beyond Sears.
Sears can still matter as a sales, parts or service channel for a particular transaction or older product. But it should not be listed as the current manufacturer simply because the product carries the Kenmore name.
For a current purchase, ask four separate questions:
- Who owns or licenses the trademark?
- Who manufactured the exact model?
- Which company sold or imported the unit?
- Who accepted the warranty obligation?
The answers may involve more than one entity.
What Products Does the Cleva License Cover?
The public evidence is strongest for Kenmore Floor Care in North America.
The current Kenmore Floor Care catalog includes upright, canister, hand and stick vacuums, hard-floor and steam cleaners, carpet and spot cleaners, wet/dry shop vacuums and related accessories. Recent products include portable spot cleaners and cordless hard-floor cleaners, showing that the licensed business extends beyond traditional bagged vacuums.
This scope is commercially important. A distributor evaluating a Kenmore spot cleaner or wet/dry vacuum should not assume it follows the same supply agreement as a Kenmore refrigerator. The shared trademark does not create a shared manufacturer.
The same limitation applies geographically. The 2019 public announcement expressly discussed distribution throughout North America. It should not be rewritten as proof of a worldwide exclusive license. A buyer outside the United States and Canada should verify the local trademark license, importer, distributor and warranty network.
Where Are Kenmore Vacuums Made?
Cleva is a Chinese cleaning-equipment manufacturer with its global manufacturing base in Suzhou. The company's manufacturing profile describes its engineering team, motor expertise, production lines and large-scale vacuum-cleaner manufacturing operations. Cleva's European company page identifies Suzhou Cleva Electric Appliance Co., Ltd in Suzhou Industrial Park as its global headquarters and shows its China factory.
That establishes the manufacturing background behind the license. It still does not justify saying that every Kenmore vacuum is made at one named plant.
There are at least four different questions hidden inside “Where is it made?”:
| Question | Best evidence |
|---|---|
| Which company controls the current floor-care product line? | Cleva licensing and product documents |
| Which legal entity is named as manufacturer or responsible company? | Product label, manual, declaration, certification or recall |
| Which factory assembled the unit? | Factory code, purchase order, audit and traceability records |
| What is the declared country of origin? | Product and packaging label, customs and import records |
A U.S. office address does not prove U.S. manufacturing. A Chinese group headquarters does not prove that every SKU came from the same Chinese facility. Model-level documents remain the correct evidence.
Does Panasonic Still Make Kenmore Vacuums?
The current official evidence identifies Cleva—not Panasonic—as the licensed manufacturer of the North American Kenmore Floor Care line.
Panasonic is frequently associated with older Kenmore vacuum models in repair and enthusiast discussions. The important procurement point is not to apply today's license retroactively. Kenmore has used a brand-and-OEM model over a long period, and old machines remain active in second-hand and parts channels.
Cleva was already publicly identified as the exclusive Kenmore vacuum licensee in 2017. For an older machine, however, use its original manual, model and serial plate, parts documentation and contemporary service records. Avoid relying on an unofficial model-prefix chart as the only evidence of legal manufacturer or factory.
The safe answer is:
Panasonic may be relevant to the history of a specific older Kenmore model, but it is not the manufacturer identified by the current Kenmore Floor Care licensing evidence.
Who Handles Kenmore Vacuum Warranties?
For current U.S. and Canadian floor-care models reviewed by World Clean Biz, the warranty contact is Cleva North America.
The Kenmore Floor Care contact page identifies Cleva North America, Inc. in Greenville, South Carolina. Current manuals state that the Kenmore brand is used under license and direct warranty claims to Cleva North America. The U.S. and Canada use different service numbers, illustrating why regional documents matter.
Warranty coverage is not uniform across every model. The current warranty page says duration varies by model and usage. Several household-product manuals also state that the warranty is void when the product is used for anything other than private household purposes.
That limitation is easy to miss in a B2B purchase. A cleaning contractor, hotel, office, rental operator or facilities team should not assume a consumer warranty covers commercial duty simply because the product was bought through an authorized retailer.
Before purchase, obtain written answers on:
- commercial-use eligibility;
- replacement versus repair policy;
- parts availability and consumables;
- authorized service coverage;
- freight and return responsibility;
- warranty treatment for parallel imports.
Why the Kenmore Structure Matters to Distributors
Licensed brands create a split responsibility chain. Each layer can affect a different commercial risk.
| Procurement issue | Entity or record to verify |
|---|---|
| Right to use the Kenmore mark | Trademark owner and license agreement |
| Product design and manufacturing responsibility | Cleva product company and exact-model documents |
| Factory quality and social compliance | Named factory, audit and traceability records |
| Market access | Local importer, responsible person and certifications |
| Payment, delivery and returns | Contract seller shown on PO and invoice |
| Defects and warranty | Model-specific warranty provider and terms |
| Old-model serviceability | Original OEM records, parts diagrams and stock |
This is why “Who makes Kenmore vacuums?” is not merely a consumer trivia question. The answer determines which company a distributor should audit, which entity must supply compliance documents and who remains accountable after a product is sold.
World Clean Biz uses the same separation in its analyses of Hoover's regional ownership split, BISSELL and Sanitaire, and Eureka's relationship with Midea. A familiar logo is only the start of the responsibility check.
Kenmore Supplier and Product Verification Checklist
Before approving a Kenmore vacuum, carpet cleaner or floor-care product, verify:
- Product scope: Is the item covered by the Kenmore Floor Care license rather than another Kenmore appliance arrangement?
- Territory: Does the license and distribution authorization cover the destination market?
- Trademark owner: Who owns the relevant mark in that country and product class?
- Contract seller: Which legal entity appears on the quotation, purchase order and invoice?
- Legal manufacturer: Which company is named on the label, manual, certification or recall record?
- Importer or responsible person: Who holds the local regulatory obligation?
- Factory: Which audited site assembled the exact SKU and batch?
- Country of origin: What do the label and customs documents declare?
- Warranty use: Does the warranty permit commercial, rental or professional-cleaning use?
- Parts continuity: Are filters, bags, batteries, hoses and motor assemblies available for the expected service life?
Do not accept a brand presentation, generic Cleva factory profile or retailer listing as a substitute for the exact-model evidence pack.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who currently manufactures Kenmore vacuum cleaners?
Cleva is the current licensed manufacturer of the Kenmore Floor Care line in North America. Cleva North America describes itself as the line's sole licensed manufacturer.
Does Cleva own Kenmore?
No. Cleva manufactures and supports Kenmore floor-care products under license. The current Kenmore website identifies Transform SR Brands LLC as the owner of the KENMORE trademark.
Is Kenmore still a Sears brand?
Kenmore has deep historical ties to Sears, but the current trademark owner is Transform SR Brands LLC. Kenmore floor-care products are also distributed through channels beyond Sears.
Does Panasonic still make Kenmore vacuums?
Current official licensing evidence identifies Cleva as the North American Kenmore Floor Care manufacturer. Panasonic may be relevant to specific older models, which should be checked using their original documentation.
Are Kenmore vacuum cleaners made in China?
Cleva is a Chinese manufacturer with major operations in Suzhou, but the exact factory and country of origin should be verified for each SKU from labels, import documents and production records. Do not infer every model's origin from the group headquarters alone.
Who provides the warranty for Kenmore vacuums?
Current U.S. and Canadian manuals reviewed by World Clean Biz direct warranty claims to Cleva North America. Coverage length and commercial-use restrictions vary by model.
Does Cleva make all Kenmore appliances?
No. The public license evidence discussed here covers Kenmore Floor Care. Other Kenmore appliance categories can use different manufacturers or business arrangements.
The Bottom Line
Cleva makes the current North American Kenmore vacuum-cleaner and floor-care line under license. Transform SR Brands LLC owns the Kenmore trademark, while Transformco manages Kenmore within its brand portfolio. Sears remains part of the brand's history and may still appear in retail or service channels, but it is not the current vacuum manufacturer.
For buyers, the final step is always model-specific. Confirm the seller, importer, legal manufacturer, factory, country of origin and warranty provider from the exact product documents—especially when the unit will be sold across borders or used commercially.
