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Milestones of our over 115-year history
Weave, wash, reuse – textile service since 1908.
Innovative ideas and corporate responsibility are the key to our sustainable growth. Then as now.
In Ostritz-Altstadt, near Görlitz, Hermann Gebauer took a bold step with a team of 20 employees: At his “Mechanische Weberei Altstadt”, cleaning cloths were not only manufactured and supplied, but also washed after use and returned to the factories – a completely new 360° service at the time, which quickly spread throughout Germany.
In the late 1960s, 'workwear as part of the service package' was added – a business segment that remains one of the main pillars of our company to this day.
1908
up to 1967
1968
up to 1998
1999
up to 2013
2014
to date
1908
Foundation: Hermann Gebauer founds the "Mechanische Weberei Altstadt GmbH" in Ostritz-Altstadt near Görlitz, Saxony, in 1908
This type of service is completely new: Mewa weaves, washes and replaces cleaning cloths made of absorbent cotton for industrial and commercial machine cleaning
1927
Mewa launches full-scale advertising (adverts, brochures, newspaper articles)
1936
MEWA increases its turnover to 1.15 million Reichsmark
Heavy investment in machines, equipment, lorries and company cars
1962
Market entry in AUSTRIA as the first market outside Germany
1965
Relocation of the Mewa headquarters from Hamelin to Wiesbaden
1968
The product range is expanded to include the workwear system MBS
1974
Market entry in BELGIUM as second market outside Germany
1978
Market entry in FRANCE
1984
Introduction of the new Mewa logo and birth year of the Mewa flower
1987
Introduction of the Safety Container (SaCon)
1987
Market entry in ITALY
1992
Certification according to ISO 9001 (Quality Management) as the first in the industry
1994
Market launch of the Multitex oil absorption mat
1995
Market entry in the CZECH REPUBLIC
1996
Market entry in SWITZERLAND
1997
ISO 14001 certification (Environmental Management) as the first in the industry
1998
Expansion of the range to include occupational health and safety products
1999
Market entry in SPAIN
1999
Market entry in SLOVAKIA
2001
Introduction of business clothing to the product portfolio
2004
Market entry in HUNGARY
2006
Market entry in POLAND
2008
Market entry in the NETHERLANDS
2008
100th anniversary
Over 100,000 cleaning cloth customers for the first time
2009
Mewa is honoured as Brand of the Century for the first time
2014
Introduction of the biological parts cleaner
2017
Patent registration of Mewa test system
Mewa test system for high-visibility clothing is among the top 10 at the German Industry Award and a patent application is filed
2018
Market entry in ENGLAND
2018
Market entry in ROMANIA
2021
Introduction of the corporate vision "We create neXt work"
2022
Rebranding of Mewa's corporate design and brand identity
2024
Launch of the cleanroom division
Mewa is expanding its all-round service to include cleanroom solutions for three countries. An additional laundry facility for the care of cleanroom textiles is being built at the Meißenheim site.