Vorwerk SE & Co. KG, is a diversified international group based in Wuppertal/ Germany. Direct sales, i.e. sales from the manufacturer to the consumer without the intermediary of retailers, is the focus of the business. Vorwerk's core business is the production and sale of household products (Thermomix food processor and Kobold vacuum cleaner). The company was founded in 1883 by the brothers Carl and Adolf Vorwerk as a carpet factory.