Customer service and quality are the main priorities – this was even the case during the time of Karl and Erna Wasilewski. They founded their domestic laundry “Frauenstolz” (“Women’s Pride”) in Hamburg in 1928 and laid the foundation for today’s Nordvlies GmbH. The family’s second generation, Karl-Günter and Elisabeth Wasilewski, changed the direction of the company towards the end of the 60s. From the laundry business came a company selling hygiene paper products and cellulose fibre products. After moving to Bargteheide, just outside of Hamburg, in the 80s, the next Wasilewski generation, Andreas and Annegret, went one step further: This sales company then turned into a highly modern operation producing hygiene products.
For more than 85 years, Nordvlies has been a leading manufacturer of wiping, cleaning and polishing cloths from cellulose fibre, as well as hygiene paper products, dispenser systems, gastronomy products, protective clothing and skin protection. Our clientele includes wholesalers and bulk consumers worldwide. At our company headquarters in Bargteheide, near Hamburg, we have our administration, central warehouse and production facility. Cellulose fibre and tissue paper are assembled into folded and rolled products on four processing lines at our facility.
The end products – wiping, cleaning and polishing cloths, paper towel rolls, serviettes and table cloths – are the focus of the product range and are sold under the WIPEX ® brand name.
Torsten Wasilewski, Björn Wasilewski
Customer service and quality for four generations
The company founders, Karl and Erna Wasilewski, indeed thought of cleanliness and hygiene at first, though not of cleaning and polishing cloths: The company was founded in 1928 as a domestic laundry in Hamburg-Altona. However an outlet for selling cleaning cloths was added on just nine years later and the first move occurred a little while later: Todendorf, a small community on the Hamburg-Lübeck motorway, became the new company home.
The first generation change happened in the 60s: Karl-Günter and Elisabeth Wasilewski took over business, concentrated the company concept entirely on modern hygiene and cellulose fibre cloths and founded NORDVLIES GmbH.
In 1981, the next generation came in the form of Andreas and Annegret Wasilewski, with interesting ideas for the further expansion of the company. In addition to the purely trade business, the company’s own assembly of cellulose fibre cloths and other products was expanded. Soon the space in the Todendorf company buildings was not enough.
Constructed and establishment of a new storage and office building commenced in 1988 on commercial property acquired in Bargteheide bei Hamburg. All NORDVLIES products manufactured in-house now bore the WIPEX registered trademark.
Additional company expansion and the resulting need for space prompted another move in October 2001. A 17,500 sqm-large industrial area at the site of a former spirits factory, also in Bargteheide, was acquired at the end of the 90s and was renovated and expanded. Today there is approx. 12,000 sqm of production, storage and office space here.
Björn and Torsten Wasilewski have led Nordvlies GmbH business activities as the fourth Wasilewski generation since October 2014. They will continue the business using old traditions paired with new ideas. Long-existing customer relationships and continued growth are the best arguments for the company’s policy: fairness and professionalism with tradition!
Mascot – Saugbert