Walther Pilot turns 100

Walther Spritz- und Lackiersysteme GmbH, known under the Walther Pilot brand, is celebrating its 100th anniversary. This anniversary began in 1923, when Richard Curt Walther founded the "Spritzapparate und Maschinenbauanstalt" in Wuppertal Vohwinkel.

Walther's origins date back to the 1920s, when the company revolutionized coating technology with innovative spray tools. From portable pressure vessels to comprehensive system solutions, Walther made a significant contribution to shaping the industry.

The starting signal was given by the visionary "Luftikus" spray gun in the 1920s, which changed painting technology forever. This breakthrough was followed by the introduction of the first "small paint spraying system" in the 1930s and the first implementation of extraction systems in the 1940s. Walther was a pioneer in recognizing the harmful effects of spray mist on health and was the first to react at a time when health awareness was not yet widespread.

The following decades were characterized by further significant developments. Walther proved to be particularly progressive when the company also entered the field of container construction in the 1940s and introduced the first automatic spray guns in the 1950s in order to meet the increasing demands of growing mass production. As a result, a second production facility was opened in Neunkirchen-Struthütten in 1961 and another year later the now familiar brand name "Walther Pilot" was established, emphasizing the company's identity and laying the foundation for a successful future. In addition, Walther recognized the promising potential of adhesive and release agent applications as early as the early 1970s. The entry into marking and coding technology around 1980 also proved to be a milestone in product development and was a further example of how Walther transferred its expertise to new areas of application in a targeted and sustainable manner.

In the 1990s, a separate division was created with the introduction of the new "Small Plant Engineering" (KLA) business area, which is now known as "Customized Liquid Solutions" (CLS) and has since been dedicated to the performance promise of finding the optimal solution for every customer requirement. In recent decades, the company has not only focused on driving innovation and further developing its infrastructure, but also on strengthening its focus on greater sustainability under new structures.

Thanks to all these future-oriented implementations, Walther has written a rich history and developed into an internationally successful company. To celebrate its 100th anniversary, Walther has carefully compiled the entire history of the company and presented it on its own website. This journey through a century full of inventive and pioneering spirit is now available online for all interested parties.

The company's vision remains clearly focused on the future and exciting renewal measures are on the agenda. Walther is starting the new year with a project to comprehensively modernize the technical center at the Wuppertal site. The aim is not only to promote innovative strength, but also to create a basis for further new developments. At the same time, the Struthütten site is being completely rebuilt in order to modernize this plant and further increase production capacity.

These planned construction measures are a sign of Walther's growth strength and a clear signal to customers and the company's own approx. 160 employees "For 100 years, Walther has been a pioneer that looks to the future with great confidence and optimism, and we are working to make the company fit for the next 100 years," says Managing Director Ralf Mosbacher. (OM-4/24)