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Kärcher: 75 Years of Innovation for Customers
Kärcher Futuretech GmbH: A Company that Assists in Peace-Keeping and Disaster-Control
Kärcher Futuretech GmbH: A Company that Assists in Peace-Keeping and Disaster-Control
Winnenden, July 2010 – Kärcher, the world’s largest cleaning equipment manufacturer, will be celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Alfred Kärcher founded his company in Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt in 1935, where he had previously run a design office with his father.
“Innovation was thus the driving force behind the founding of Alfred Kärcher’s limited partnership, and it is actually older than our company,” says Hartmut Jenner, chairman of the board of management. “Today, the Kärcher name is associated primarily with the subject of cleaning. But when Alfred Kärcher ventured out into economic independence in 1935 he concentrated almost exclusively on developing, manufacturing and selling heating systems.” With technical farsightedness he developed crucible furnaces and large electric immersion heaters for industrial purposes. The first big commercial success was the “Kärcher salt-bath furnace” for energy efficient quenching and finishing of light alloys. When Alfred Kärcher could see no further development potential, he sold the patents and invested the proceeds in acquiring new company premises in Winnenden – where the company still has its headquarters today.
In the years that followed, Kärcher expanded the business with special heaters. In response to an inquiry from Lufthansa he developed heaters for aircraft engines and de-icing wings. Another of Alfred Kärcher’s significant inventions was also associated with aviation: It was a cabin heater that allowed aircraft to fly at ever higher altitudes.
The development of technically complex machines came to a sudden halt after World War II when it became necessary to start afresh with the simplest of means. The company was reorganized to produce things needed for everyday life in a Germany that lay in ruins. Among other products, this included so-called refugee stoves and small two-ring cookers made from the remaining stocks of sheet metal. Robust two and four-wheel farm carts were also part of the product line at that time.
The American forces awarded the company a contract to service and repair “steam cleaners”, which had been invented in the United States in the 1920’s. Kärcher developed and optimized this technology further and presented the first European hot-water high-pressure cleaner in 1950, the KW 350 ('boiling-water cleaner'). It marked the company’s entry into the cleaning equipment market and laid the foundation stone for what was to become its core business. Alfred Kärcher, however, did not live to experience the breakthrough of his invention – heating systems and industrial steam generators remained the company’s most important revenue-earners up to his early death in 1959.
“Typical characteristics of Alfred Kärcher were his untiring creativity, his inventive spirit and his perfectionism in solving technical problems,” says Hartmut Jenner. “However, in spite of his passion for engineering he never forgot his responsibility for the needs of his employees. The anecdote about Alfred Kärcher selling off private possessions in the difficult post-war period in order to be able to pay his workforce on time sums up his attitude of always thinking of the well-being of his employees.”
After his death, Irene Kärcher was left with two children – and a company which already had 250 employees in 1959. Possessing no experience in managing such a relatively large company, she took on the challenge and continued the life work of her husband. She pushed ahead with internationalization. Initially, a subsidiary was founded in France (1962), followed two years later by one in Austria and four years later in Switzerland. Today, Kärcher has subsidiaries in 45 countries, and more than 50,000 service points in 190 countries ensure seamless customer support all over the world.
It was also Irene Kärcher who, together with the board of management at that time, made a courageous decision in 1974 to change the company’s strategy: Although the company was successful with numerous other products, it was decided to focus entirely on high-pressure cleaning equipment. This concentration on an expanding business was accompanied by a change in the corporate colour from hammer finish blue to today’s familiar Kärcher yellow.
“Irene Kärcher had a profound influence on our company and our corporate culture,” says Hartmut Jenner. “In the thirty years she spent at the helm of the company, she made many farsighted decisions which were the prerequisites for Kärcher growing from a medium-sized business to a world market leader.”
As from 1980, the company set its sights on the basic need for cleaning in the areas of transport and buildings. Kärcher grew into a full system supplier and has continued up to the present day to set the worldwide standards in a wide range of product groups and areas of application. The product line includes problem solutions to almost all cleaning tasks: high-pressure cleaners, vacuum cleaners, sweepers and scrubber dryers, vehicle washes, cleaning agents, dry ice blasters and parts cleaners as well as drinking water and waste water treatment plants.
Another crucial year in the company’s history was 1984: Kärcher launched the HD 555, the world’s first portable pressure washer for private households, and thus created a completely new market. Kärcher expanded its activities in the consumer market by introducing further products at the beginning of the nineties. Today’s product portfolio includes carpet cleaners, wet and dry vacuums, steam cleaners, automatic polishers, spray extractors and window cleaning equipment as well as a fully automatic robot vacuum cleaner. These products are supplemented by pumps for the home and garden and a comprehensive range of irrigation accessories, which Kärcher added to the range in 2006.
Thanks to the development of a constant stream of new problem solutions and its customer oriented strategy, Kärcher has succeeded in growing continuously throughout its 75-year history. Economic success and sustained growth have always gone together in this process: “We invest above-average amounts in research and development, in production processes and in further training and education of our 7,000 employees all over the world,” says Hartmut Jenner. “Being close to customers is also an essential aspect for us. After all, cleaning is a complex operation and has to meet widely different requirements; for this reason we attach importance to high standards of service and professional advice in all sales territories.” With this approach the company creates the prerequisites for it to become involved in areas beyond normal daily work – be it cultural activities, social organizations or environmental protection. On the basis of this corporate culture and its values, Kärcher will continue to grow successfully in the future.
Kärcher Futuretech GmbH: A Company that Assists in Peace-Keeping and Disaster Control
Since 2005, Kärcher Futuretech GmbH acts as an independent subsidiary of Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. KG. As a worldwide well-known specialist for protection and supply systems, it is currently active in the business areas of material maintenance systems, NBC protection systems, NBC protective clothing, field camp systems, water purification systems, and mobile catering systems.
The systems are intended for supporting and safeguarding the life of personnel and people involved in disaster situations, accidents, development aid measures, operations of the police and military forces, in order to ensure their fitness for rescue actions, their stamina and their survival.
With its highly mobile customised state-of-the-art solutions, Kärcher Futuretech rates itself among the highest performers in the world in the area of peace-keeping and relief after disasters. Innovative state-of-the art systems and a complete product range make Kärcher Futuretech the world market leader in „Professional systems for peacekeepers“.
At present, the company has an annual turnover of approx. 65 million Euros and more than 100 employees working in the central offices in Winnenden and Schwaikheim in the areas of development, sales, marketing, administration and maintenance. The Board of Directors currently consists of Helmut Stelzmüller, Dr.-Ing. Hagen Gehringer, and Jens Bauer. Production and repair of technical appliances and protection systems are mainly carried out in the Kärcher factory in Obersontheim.
In addition to producing for customers in the Federal Republic of Germany, the company exports primarily to Switzerland, Sweden, Luxemburg, Great Britain, USA, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Senegal and Singapore. The company regularly exhibits at international trade fairs such as Eurosatory (Paris), DSEi (London), IDEX (Abu Dhabi), AUSA (Washington D.C.), DEFEXPO (India), African Aerospace & Defence (South Africa) and in other worldwide forums.
In the years that followed, Kärcher expanded the business with special heaters. In response to an inquiry from Lufthansa he developed heaters for aircraft engines and de-icing wings. Another of Alfred Kärcher’s significant inventions was also associated with aviation: It was a cabin heater that allowed aircraft to fly at ever higher altitudes.
The development of technically complex machines came to a sudden halt after World War II when it became necessary to start afresh with the simplest of means. The company was reorganized to produce things needed for everyday life in a Germany that lay in ruins. Among other products, this included so-called refugee stoves and small two-ring cookers made from the remaining stocks of sheet metal. Robust two and four-wheel farm carts were also part of the product line at that time.
The American forces awarded the company a contract to service and repair “steam cleaners”, which had been invented in the United States in the 1920’s. Kärcher developed and optimized this technology further and presented the first European hot-water high-pressure cleaner in 1950, the KW 350 ('boiling-water cleaner'). It marked the company’s entry into the cleaning equipment market and laid the foundation stone for what was to become its core business. Alfred Kärcher, however, did not live to experience the breakthrough of his invention – heating systems and industrial steam generators remained the company’s most important revenue-earners up to his early death in 1959.
“Typical characteristics of Alfred Kärcher were his untiring creativity, his inventive spirit and his perfectionism in solving technical problems,” says Hartmut Jenner. “However, in spite of his passion for engineering he never forgot his responsibility for the needs of his employees. The anecdote about Alfred Kärcher selling off private possessions in the difficult post-war period in order to be able to pay his workforce on time sums up his attitude of always thinking of the well-being of his employees.”
After his death, Irene Kärcher was left with two children – and a company which already had 250 employees in 1959. Possessing no experience in managing such a relatively large company, she took on the challenge and continued the life work of her husband. She pushed ahead with internationalization. Initially, a subsidiary was founded in France (1962), followed two years later by one in Austria and four years later in Switzerland. Today, Kärcher has subsidiaries in 45 countries, and more than 50,000 service points in 190 countries ensure seamless customer support all over the world.
It was also Irene Kärcher who, together with the board of management at that time, made a courageous decision in 1974 to change the company’s strategy: Although the company was successful with numerous other products, it was decided to focus entirely on high-pressure cleaning equipment. This concentration on an expanding business was accompanied by a change in the corporate colour from hammer finish blue to today’s familiar Kärcher yellow.
“Irene Kärcher had a profound influence on our company and our corporate culture,” says Hartmut Jenner. “In the thirty years she spent at the helm of the company, she made many farsighted decisions which were the prerequisites for Kärcher growing from a medium-sized business to a world market leader.”
As from 1980, the company set its sights on the basic need for cleaning in the areas of transport and buildings. Kärcher grew into a full system supplier and has continued up to the present day to set the worldwide standards in a wide range of product groups and areas of application. The product line includes problem solutions to almost all cleaning tasks: high-pressure cleaners, vacuum cleaners, sweepers and scrubber dryers, vehicle washes, cleaning agents, dry ice blasters and parts cleaners as well as drinking water and waste water treatment plants.
Another crucial year in the company’s history was 1984: Kärcher launched the HD 555, the world’s first portable pressure washer for private households, and thus created a completely new market. Kärcher expanded its activities in the consumer market by introducing further products at the beginning of the nineties. Today’s product portfolio includes carpet cleaners, wet and dry vacuums, steam cleaners, automatic polishers, spray extractors and window cleaning equipment as well as a fully automatic robot vacuum cleaner. These products are supplemented by pumps for the home and garden and a comprehensive range of irrigation accessories, which Kärcher added to the range in 2006.
Thanks to the development of a constant stream of new problem solutions and its customer oriented strategy, Kärcher has succeeded in growing continuously throughout its 75-year history. Economic success and sustained growth have always gone together in this process: “We invest above-average amounts in research and development, in production processes and in further training and education of our 7,000 employees all over the world,” says Hartmut Jenner. “Being close to customers is also an essential aspect for us. After all, cleaning is a complex operation and has to meet widely different requirements; for this reason we attach importance to high standards of service and professional advice in all sales territories.” With this approach the company creates the prerequisites for it to become involved in areas beyond normal daily work – be it cultural activities, social organizations or environmental protection. On the basis of this corporate culture and its values, Kärcher will continue to grow successfully in the future.
Kärcher Futuretech GmbH: A Company that Assists in Peace-Keeping and Disaster Control
Since 2005, Kärcher Futuretech GmbH acts as an independent subsidiary of Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. KG. As a worldwide well-known specialist for protection and supply systems, it is currently active in the business areas of material maintenance systems, NBC protection systems, NBC protective clothing, field camp systems, water purification systems, and mobile catering systems.
The systems are intended for supporting and safeguarding the life of personnel and people involved in disaster situations, accidents, development aid measures, operations of the police and military forces, in order to ensure their fitness for rescue actions, their stamina and their survival.
With its highly mobile customised state-of-the-art solutions, Kärcher Futuretech rates itself among the highest performers in the world in the area of peace-keeping and relief after disasters. Innovative state-of-the art systems and a complete product range make Kärcher Futuretech the world market leader in „Professional systems for peacekeepers“.
At present, the company has an annual turnover of approx. 65 million Euros and more than 100 employees working in the central offices in Winnenden and Schwaikheim in the areas of development, sales, marketing, administration and maintenance. The Board of Directors currently consists of Helmut Stelzmüller, Dr.-Ing. Hagen Gehringer, and Jens Bauer. Production and repair of technical appliances and protection systems are mainly carried out in the Kärcher factory in Obersontheim.
In addition to producing for customers in the Federal Republic of Germany, the company exports primarily to Switzerland, Sweden, Luxemburg, Great Britain, USA, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Senegal and Singapore. The company regularly exhibits at international trade fairs such as Eurosatory (Paris), DSEi (London), IDEX (Abu Dhabi), AUSA (Washington D.C.), DEFEXPO (India), African Aerospace & Defence (South Africa) and in other worldwide forums.