PINEVILLE, NC — On Feb. 26, the Nilfisk-Advance Group, a maker of vacuums for body shops, will celebrate its 100th year in business.
“What started as a backyard factory in Copenhagen has grown into the world’s largest manufacturer of professional cleaning appliances,” said Peter Fritscher, president of ALTO Cleaning Systems, Inc. (ALTO CSI), a subsidiary of the Nilfisk-Advance Group. “To reach that kind of milestone in the business arena is quite an achievement.”
Nilfisk-Advance got its start in 1906 when P.A. Fisker partnered with H.M. Nielsen to start an electronics factory. In 1910, Fisker submitted a patent application for a compact vacuum cleaner that could be operated by one person. In 1911, Nielsen left the company, but Fisker’s perseverance and economic sense kept the company on a roll.
Nilfisk-Advance is credited with a number of industry “firsts.” It was the first company to launch a “noiseless” vacuum, the first to introduce industrial vacuum cleaners and the first to roll out a floor-care machine.
The company weathered a number of storms including the stock market crash of 1929 and World War II, which caused the company to cut production by 75 percent and lay off the vast majority of its work force. Through it all, the company was able to quickly refocus on other issues and then shift back into “cleaning mode” when the crisis lifted.
Currently, Nilfisk is represented in 60 countries around the world and is a leader in manufacturing professional cleaning equipment.
ALTO CSI was purchased by the Nilfisk-Advance Group in 2004 and represents the Wap (commercial wet and dry vacuums) and KEW (commercial pressure washers) brand names. Today, ALTO CSI is headquartered in Pineville, NC and has 18 full-time employees.
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