History

1885

Foundation of Kleindienst GmbH & Co in Augsburg

The company initially manufactures machines for industrial laundries, with car wash systems being added in 1960s.

1962

Birth of the car wash industry

The first car wash, the WESUMAT I, also nicknamed the "carousel", is invented in Augsburg by Messrs Weigele and Sulzberger.

1963

The first three-brush gantry car wash

Kleindienst invents a car wash with minimal space requirements: The first electrically powered three-brush gantry car wash – an absolute sensation.

1966

Mark VII founded

Originally called "A-CO", owner Harry Matthews distributed self-serve car wash equipment in Colorado, USA.

1969

The Combi type 6-269 from Kleindienst

Kleindienst presents the first combined fully automatic car washing and drying system for a complete car wash.

1976

The Super-Polish Combi from Kleindienst

Kleindienst presents the first car washing that also specifically cleans the wheels.

1985

The Electronic 35 from California Rohé

Thanks to the new programmable logic electronic controller, the washing time is significantly reduced. With corresponding equipment, the drying system also benefits from electronics. The drier nozzle tracks the vehicle contour at a constant distance.

1987

The soft wash from Wesumat

The new soft wash generation is advertised as the perfect interaction of chemicals, high pressure and brush wash, of product design and process technology.

1990

Mark VII ROTOCLEAN

Mark VII introduced the first touchless gantry system in North America.

1994

Mark VII Merchandiser MVP

Mark VII's second generation touch-free system featured backlit icons for each cycle during the wash program. Customers loved the show!

1994

The C 45 from California Rohé

Reduced energy consumption and high cost-efficiency – these were the fundamental aspects under which California Rohé developed its C 45 gantry car wash. It also impressed users with its space-saving design, reduced noise emissions and high washing capacity.

1996

Kleindienst becomes California Kleindienst

Kleindienst merges with California Rohé GmbH to form California Kleindienst. The company continues developing car washes successfully and defends its global market leadership.

1998

The CK 30 from California Kleindienst

"Top-class quality at low cost" – was the motto under which California Kleindienst advertised its new CK 30 gantry car wash in 1998. In spite of its unusually compact dimensions, the new car wash featured sophisticated technology in every detail.

1999

Mark VII AquaJet

Mark VII continued innovating with the first contour-following touchless system.

2000

Foundation of WashTec AG

California Kleindienst and Wesumat Holding AG merge to form WashTec AG.

2002

Introduction of the Softcare generation

SoftCare Pro sees the market launch of WashTec's first gantry car wash. It combines individual design with cutting-edge technology.

2005 120th anniversary

WashTec celebrates its 120th anniversary and looks back to its roots in the company Kleindienst GmbH & Co founded in 1885.

2006

WashTec acquires Mark VII

WashTec expanded into North America by buying a market leader with 40 years of car wash innovation experience.

2008

Mark VII XT series

Mark VII launched a new rollover lineup: SoftWash XT soft-touch, AquaJet XT touch-free, and ChoiceWash XT combination system.

2012

Softcare² Pro Touchless

Leveraging Mark VII's turbo technology, WashTec introduces a touch-free option on the SoftCare² system for Europe - allowing customers to choose touchless, soft-touch or combination wash programs.

2014

The SoftCare Pro Classic Race

The SoftCare Pro Classic Race gantry car wash is totally geared to speed thanks to the simultaneously running functions. The Premium Express programme featuring the ShineTecs 2GO polishing cycle delivers a new record time of just six minutes.

2016

Expansion of AUWA's Grebenau site

AUWA-Chemie is investing just under 6 million euros in the expansion of its production facilities in Grebenau and is creating new jobs for the region in doing so.

2016

Opening of the new WashTec Showroom

Our new showroom consists of two bright wash bays along with a presentation and meeting room in the middle.
On one side of the 192m² showroom we have a softcare Pro Classic Race carwash and on the other side there is a SoftCare² Pro,
just outside you will find a commercial vehicle washing system.

2017

SoftCare² Pro Silverlight

Washing quality, speed, ease of use and design – four parameters that we at WashTec call the 4DIMENSIONS of the modern car wash. The SoftCare² Pro Silverlight, equipped with the LightShow and StarTrack, the illuminated wheel guide rails, is fully in line with the design dimension, revolutionising the car wash business.

2018

Award „Factory of the year“

The trade newspaper "Produktion" and the management consulting company A.T. Kearney have chosen WashTec as the 2017 award winners in the "outstanding site development" category as part of the "Factory of the Year" industrial competition. The benchmark competition was introduced in 1992 and is aimed at the manufacturing sector in Germany and Europe.

2020

ANNIVERSARY YEAR

WashTec and AUWA have a lot to celebrate: 20 years of WashTec AG and 50 years of AUWA! Together we are unbeatable! We can look back on 175 years of experience - from the Kleindienst company to Wesumat and WashTec AG. That means decades of concentrated expertise in the field of vehicle washing. Today, WashTec is by far the world's leading provider of innovative vehicle washing solutions.

2023

"SUSTAINABLE CAR WASH" CERTIFICATE

Our "Sustainable Car Wash" certificate has been awarded annually since 2023 and stands for comprehensive environmental protection. The seal makes it possible to recognise at first glance whether a car wash offers sustainable car washing. In order to receive the seal, certified sustainable car wash locations must fulfil a number of strict criteria with regard to the avoidance of environmental pollution.