Welte Forst- und Spezialfahrzeuge

Welte – Chronology of the Enterprise

		1952 Founding of the company in Freiburg. Superstructural truckparts and car trailers are produced.

		1954 Expansion of the product program to side grain trucks and special low bed trailers.

		1958 Expansion of the forest sector for Double-Winches and production of hydraulic logging attachments

		1961 Company re-location to Umkirch.

Larger picture		1964 Development and production of 4-wheel-drive Forest-Special-Machines with frame-bending-steering (Welte-Forstmann).

Larger picture		1970 Development of the medium heavy Forest-Special-Tractor (Welte-Ökonom) with different possibilities of configurations for heavy and medium heavy wood.

Larger picture		1976 Development of a driving gear skidder with changeable rear frame and Klemmbank.

Larger picture		1979 Development of a lightwight and small thinning tractor with extremely short wheelbase (JUBI-TRAC) with shifting load.

		1980 Power-shift-gear.

		1985 Sway-move over adjustment.

		1990 Delivery of the 400 th Welte-Forest-Special-Tractor and the 750 th forest equipment (winch, sway-move over adjustment, Logging-Boy, attachment).

		1993 Advancement of a new sway-move over adjustment for logging heavy wood in connection with a new patented Klemmbank mounted on the rear blade.

		1998 Takeover of the company by Werner Nühnen on 01. Juli 1998.

		1999 Development of a 150-HP-Forest-Specialmachine with turb oengine, new axles and a new, tiltable crane Welte SRK 8.

		2000 Development of a 210-HP-strong Combination Machine with water-cooled Deutz-Engine (Klemmbank-machine, rope-machine and a Forwarder in one); in 10 minutes changing from a Klemmbank-machine into a Forwarder! The machine with the multifunctional spectrum! For the first time the customer can choose between pendular axle or central torsion (= middle joint)

		2001 Development of a LCE-Machine (Low-Cost-Europe) with 170 HP for the European market (especially France, Switzerland, Austria); Complete forest supplier-provider through the inclusion as solo importeur of the GREMO-Forwarder and Harvester from Sweden; completion of the development of a constant pull winch aided by the BMWi ; introduction of the driving remute control; Baden-Württemberg award for young young companies presented by prime minister Teufel.

		2002 First presentation of the W180 water-cooled engine and a new crane at the in-house exhibition for the 50 th years companies jubilee; Innovation award at the Interforst in Munich for the development of the constant pull winch, first delivery of a W 150, whose engine operates on a biofuel base; aquisition of the production rights of the company FMA, Frankenberg.

		2003 Development of the smaller and narrower W110 and W130 as 4-Wheel-Forest and Communal machine and as 6-Wheel-Carry-Tractor with hydrostatic traction drive; patent for thequick release system of the W210; patentapplication for the Kombikorb.

		2004 Presentation of the W130K at the KWF-conference in Groß-Umstadt.

		2005 Advancement of the hydrostatic drive – WELMATIK– for big 6-Cyinder-Machines.

		2006 Development of the first 8-Wheel-Combination Machine; introduction of the Ergo-Power-Gear for the 6-cylinder-maschines for a bigger ground clearence. Enlargement of our production area over 960 qm as well as a combined wash and fuel hall.

		2007 Official handing over of the new halls and the modified older infrastructure to the 55 year enterprise jubilee. Expansion of the Export with the new Exportmanager Joscha B. Nühnen with a simultaneously stabilisation of the family tradition.

		2008 Successful introduction of the combi machine W130M with the splitted Rungenkorb and Klemmbank at the KWF-fair in Schmallenberg. Completition of the AIF-support-program and presentation of the first combined forestry- and traction-winch. 2009 Acquisition of a hugh neighbouring plot of 5.068 qm to secure the place of location and start of 2 new support-programs. Patent for the Kombikorb for the model W210 and the splitted Kombikorb for the model W130M. 2010 Successful introduction of the 4-cylinder 8-wheelmachine W 140 T at the forestry trade fair Interforst in Munich. This machine is equipped with a rotary cabine and a cabine dumping system. Furthermore it is the first machine with an electric steering system by 40 km/h, viz. no Orbitrol is needed. 2011 Upgrade of the building-set-system with the Welte W 140 K, M and the W 140 M with patented splitted combikorb, furthermor the Welte W 240 T Titan. 2012 Welte celebrates the 60 years jubilee.