Cat Pumps
This year, Cat Pumps is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
In 1966, an engineer named William Bruggeman set off on a project to solve a problem that had been plaguing the high-pressure pump industry for years — unreliable performance and costly breakdowns. After two years of development and testing, the result was the revolutionary Uniflow™ pump design.
In 1968, Bruggeman took his design to the vehicle wash market with the model 400 piston pump. He named his new company “Cat Pumps,” which was a reflection of the incredibly long service life, earning the reputation as the “Pumps with Nine Lives.” Soon after, Cat Pumps became the number one high-pressure pump in use in car washes all across North America.
To meet the growing demand for the emerging car wash market in Europe, Cat Pumps opened its first international branch location in Belgium in 1972. This new office offered sales, technical and service support, and a full line of Cat Pumps inventory. Today, Cat Pumps has branch offices in Belgium, Germany, England and an international group based at its headquarters in Minneapolis, Minn.
As worldwide growth continued, in 1981 Cat Pumps built a new global headquarters located near Minneapolis. Originally consisting of 106,000 square feet, the building was expanded to 149,000 square feet and continues to serve as the world headquarters.
Today, Cat Pumps are in use in thousands of applications around the globe. The Cat Pumps product line has grown to include more than 1,000 pump models, reaching flow capabilities to 240 gpm and pressure capabilities to 10,000 psi.
50 years of continued growth would not have been possible without the dedication and contributions of hundreds of outstanding employees. With more than half of Cat Pumps employees attaining over 20 years of service, it is their experience and commitment to exceptional customer service that is the foundation of our ongoing success.
As we celebrate our 50th year, we would like to extend a very special thank you to all of our business partners, distributors, OEMs and customers who have made our success possible.
Mike’s Carwash and Crew Carwash
This year, Mike’s Carwash and Crew Carwashare celebrating their 70th anniversary.
Back in 1948, with great foresight and a nod to innovation, Mike’s Carwash founder Joe Dahm opened Indiana’s first automated car wash, Mike’s Minit Man. Since then, millions of vehicles have passed through Mike’s wash tunnels and the company has grown to become one of the largest exterior-only car wash chains in the nation.
“It gives me great pride to be celebrating our 70th anniversary,” said Joe Dahm, founder of Mike’s Carwash. “We have come a long way since my brother Ed and I started the business in 1948, but we’ve held fast to one goal: delivering a clean, quick carwash every time, with a smile to each customer.”
Originally Mike’s Carwash, the company split into two companies during a friendly reorganization in 2014. Both companies maintain the commitment to the original company goal.
“We owe our success to our dedicated team members and loyal customers,” said Mike Dahm, president of Mike’s Carwash. “And we would like to use our big anniversary as an opportunity to recognize and thank all of the individuals that have worked for and patronized our locations for the past 70 years. We are looking forward to many more years of washing cars and bringing smiles to the communities we serve.”
People remain at the center for the family-owned and operated business.
“I’ve always said, ‘We’re really in the people business, we just happen to wash cars’ and I believe much of our success stems directly from treating our boss, the customer, to the best possible experience, every time they visit,” said Joe Dahm.All of the celebration activities are centered around people: from anniversary-branded swag for employees, to discounted offers and sweepstakes for customers. To honor the anniversary, Mike’s has conducted several fun events and activities, with plans for a year-round celebration:
- All Team Members wear a Mike’s ‘70 Year’ hat and tie/bowtie every day.
- A social media #70for70 sweepstakes ran through June where each week a winner received a $70 Mike’s gift card.
- A ‘Mike’s Day’ Anniversary Weekend was held June 1-3. All 23 locations offered a discounted Ultimate Wash for just $7 throughout the celebratory weekend as a thank you to customers.
