Imbema takes first step into carwash market with exclusive Ehrle partnership
Dutch company Imbema is taking its first steps into the carwash market with an exclusive partnership with German company Ehrle. From this year, Imbema will be the sole distributor of Ehrle products in the Benelux, introducing a high-quality car wash technology. “The wash quality in the Netherlands could really be better,” says Marco de Wit, managing director at Imbema. “With Ehrle, we want to change that.”
The cooperation with Ehrle was born out of Imbema’s years of experience in the cleaning industry. “We have had a cleaning branch within Imbema for years,” explains De Wit, “which mainly focused on mobile high-pressure cleaners for various sectors, from the food sector to truck repair companies.”
Imbema wanted to broaden its offering and, during that search, came into contact again with Ehrle, a company it had been doing business with forty years ago. “We found out that Ehrle has excellent solutions for our existing customers. But more than that, Ehrle is now one of the bigger players in the carwash and wash bay business, with an impressive installed base of 6,000 installations in Europe.”
First location in the Netherlands
Together with Ehrle, Imbema decided to look at the potential in the Netherlands and Belgium. There were already six Ehrle washboxes in Belgium, the oldest of which is more than a decade old and still functioning satisfactorily. In the Netherlands, the first location with Ehrle wash boxes will soon be put into operation, on a site that also has a chain wash. “Without Ehrle, we would probably not have taken this step,” says De Wit. “If we had had to enter the carwash market completely from scratch, the question was whether it made sense. Ehrle is an established brand and that makes this cooperation very interesting for us.”
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Car wash market as a growth market
According to De Wit, the carwash sector is still a growth market and Imbema sees room for improvement, especially in the area of wash quality. “During research, we noticed that many carwashes clean with cold water, osmosis functions do not work properly and the wrong chemicals are used, resulting in sub-optimal wash quality. Ehrle offers clear added value here: durable materials such as stainless steel, high-quality equipment with hot water options and a special powder formula (micro powder) that loosens and encapsulates dirt.”
That durability is a key selling point. “Ehrle systems can last 15 years without any problems if maintained properly,” says De Wit. “That is unique in the market. Many entrepreneurs see their washing installation as an investment that pays for itself in five to six years. After that, it makes money. Then you want a system that is not only reliable, but also lasts a long time.”
‘Strong reputation’
Besides the carwash market, Imbema also sees synergies with other divisions within the company. “We have three divisions: cleaning, which carwash now falls under, but also energy & industry and transport & logistics. Especially in the transport sector, there is a clear link: many companies clean their own fleets on their own premises. With Ehrle’s solutions, we can offer these companies a high-quality and sustainable washing solution.”
Edwin Fokker, cleaning and climate sales manager at Imbema, stresses that the main issue now is to put Ehrle on the map in the Netherlands. “Ehrle is a premium brand and already has a strong reputation in Europe. Our first priority is to introduce the Dutch market to the quality and durability of Ehrle installations. Through experience and customer feedback, we will naturally discover where our biggest growth opportunities lie.”
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De Wit adds: “Imbema wants to gain a strong position in this established market based on exceptional quality and longevity of the installations. The mechanics working on them also confirm this: compared to other brands, the difference in quality is huge.”
‘Promising first step’
According to De Wit, Ehrle will soon become an established name in the Netherlands and Belgium. “Anyone who seriously invests in carwash installations probably already knows Ehrle. Now it is up to us to make it clear why precisely this brand makes the difference. We see this as a promising first step into the carwash market and are going full steam ahead.”
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