Wagner Australia [History of the Wagner Group]


Locations Management Foundation History		The history of the WAGNER-Group 1907 Joseph Wagner, the son of a residential property owner and founder of the company, is born in Augsburg, Germany. 1946 After the end of the Second World War Joseph Wagner trades in repaired machine tools and also in goods which are needed in the post-war period (combs, wood glues, and glazing putty). 1947 The WAGNER company is first entered in the trade register as Â“a trading company with limited liabilityÂ”. 1953 Development of the first electric spray gun Â“WhiskerÂ”. Therewith the WAGNER enterprise as we know it today is started. 1954 First volume production of electric hand tools, such as a grease gun with pressure regulation up to 800 bar. 1959 The company grows to a turnover of approx. 1.4 million Euros and 57 employees. A three floor factory building with staff canteen and a block of flats for employees arises. 1964 The construction of a diaphragm type airless paint spraying machine begins a new chapter in the story of the company. The market share of this new generation of products climbs steadily. 1970 WAGNER is world-wide the largest manu- facturer of electrical paint spray guns and EuropeÂ’s largest manufacturer of air- less high pressure paint-spraying equipment. 1971 The headquarter in Friedrichshafen- Fischbach is extended. 400 people are now employed there. Joseph Wagner founds another independent manufactu- ring company, WAGNER International AG in AltstÃ¤tten, Switzerland. Monthly over 20.000 units of electric spraying equipment are produced and exported into over 80 countries. 1972 Joseph Wagner sets up the Joseph- Wagner-Foundation in Friedrichshafen, which ensures the preservation and continuation of the company and makes it possible to provide support for charitable bodies. For the largest sales market, the USA, its own sales and marketing company in Minnesota is set up. 1975 The Swiss Joseph-Wagner-Foundation is established. 1977 Wagner Spraytech Australia was established in 1977 as the sales and distribution centre for Australia and New Zealand. In 2002, Wagner Spraytech Australia moved to Braeside to premises which were purpose built to support the growth in the Australian market. 1978 Production start in the Minneapolis plant, USA. In Germany, the Â“WAGNER plant design deptÂ” in Stuttgart ensures the growth of the industrial business. 1981 Building of a new production and administration site in Markdorf. At this point the number of employees rises to over 1200 and exports are going to over 100 countries throughout the world. 1986 GÃ¼nter R. Cott is appointed the Managing Director of J. WAGNER GmbH. With the purchase of the ESB company WAGNER becomes the European market leader in powder coating. The product range is continuously expanded and technologically improved. This is how WAGNER achieves technical leadership in this product sector throughout the world. 1987 Death of the company founder Joseph Wagner. 1993/1994 WAGNER Czechia is established. Further acquisitions in the sphere of powder coating business follow in the USA (WAGNER Systems), in Italy (WAGNER Itep) and in Japan. 1995 The product range in the consumer area is continually extended with paint roller equipment, heat guns, wallpaper strippers and solar lamps for the garden. Here too, the expansions are achieved by self-development and by acquisitions of other companies. In the industrial division the company Colora in Italy is acquired. 1998 In Shanghai, China a WAGNER subsidiary is established. With the company Theo Krebs in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland another acquisition is made. 1999 WAGNER acquires the TITAN Tool Company in New Jersey, USA and thus becomes the second largest supplier in the US market of paint spraying equipment for contractors. 2000 A new manufacturing business is founded in the Czech Republic which concentrates on producing consumer products at favourable cost levels. In the same year, the WAGNER GROUP is restructured. WAGNER International AG is the holding company for all operating units. The owners of the holding company are the two Joseph-Wagner-foundations in Switzerland and in Germany. 2001 GÃ¼nter R. Cott hands over responsibility to Mr. Thorsten Koch, his successor in his function as Chairman of the Board. At this time the group of companies has 1700 employees and has achieved a sales turnover of 350 Million Euro. 2002 With the company Walther-Pilot in Wuppertal, Germany WAGNER takes over an enterprise, which covers also the air spray gun sector. 2005 WAGNER achieves a breakthrough in mist- free spraying on building facades in an exemplary research and development co- operation with paint producer CAPAROL, two Universities, two Fraunhofer- Institutes and seven painting businesses. The Â“Nespri-Tec-SystemÂ” receives the Â“Award for outstanding work in the tradeÂ” from the Minister for the Economy and Labour of the Federal Republic of Germany. 2006 More than 50 years after the foundation of the company WAGNER, a world enterprise with approx. 1700 employees, 9 production sites, 11 international sales and marketing companies and approx. 50 international WAGNER agencies has been created out of the modest start all those years ago.