History
Wawrzaszek Special Vehicles Engineering was founded in 1988. Since the beginning of its business activity WISS has been manufacturing special vehicles thanks to which it became a leader in Poland and in foreign markets.
Over the last 20 years the company has developed dynamically and currently, WISS is one of the members of WISS Group together with a Swedish company Ruberg AB – a manufacturer of fire pumps and F.M. BUMAR KOSZALIN – the biggest manufacturer of fire platforms in Poland.
At present, WISS Group is a modern company with long tradition, employing more than 1000 skilled workers whose main goal is to satisfy customers who take care of people’s safety.
| 1988 | - | Establishing a company "Przedsiebiorstwo Handlu Zagranicznego Piotr Wawrzaszek", which serviced parts and components for heavy trucks; |
| 1990 | - | The company widens its business activity as a trade and automotive enterprise; |
| 1993 | - | The first light technical rescue vehicle is manufactured; |
| 1994 | - | The company moves production to a new production plant with the area of 500 sq. m.; |
| 1994 | - | The first firefighting and rescue vehicle is manufactured; |
| 1996 | - | The first heavy technical and chemical rescue vehicle is produced; |
| 1996 | - | The company starts cooperation with a Swedish company Ruberg AB, which manufactures fire pumps; |
| 2000 | - | The company opens laser sheet metal processing department; |
| 2001 | - | The first airport crash tender on MAN chassis is manufactured; |
| 2002 | - | The company moves to its new plant with the area of 15.000 sq. m.; |
| 2002 | - | The company, as the first one in Europe, starts its own production of GRP superstructures and tanks; |
| 2003 | - | Quality Management System ISO 9001:2000 is implemented; |
| 2004 | - | The company moves its GRP production to yet another industrial plant with the area of 15 000 sq. m.; |
| 2004 | - | WISS becomes the owner of Ruberg AB, a manufacturer of fire pumps; |
| 2006 | - | The company starts exporting to the Scandinavian countries; |
| 2009 | - | The first special airport crash tender Felix 6x6 is manufactured; |
| 2011 | - | The company starts production of special airport vehicles in 8x8 version; |
| 2011 | - | WISS Czech is established; |
| 2011 | - | The company is transformed into 'Wawrzaszek ISS sp. z o.o.' limited joint-stock partnership; |
| 2011 | - | WISS company wins Grand Prix at the Best Design Diploma competition in 2011 in Katowice – Rectors’ Prize for 'The concept of the Airport Crash Tender’; |
| 2011 | - | The company receives an award at the International competition for the Best Design Diploma ‘Graduation Projects’ organized by Cieszyn Castle, Visegrad Fund and 2plus3D magazine; |
| 2012 | - | WISS becomes an owner of ‘Bumar – Koszalin’ - a manufacturer of fire and rescue platforms and work platforms; |
| 2012 | - | WISS GmbH is founded in Germany; |
| 2012 | - | expansion of business activity of wiss–cooperation.com by pipe and profile cutting and water-jet; |
| 2012 | - | WISS receives a ‘Good Design Award 2012’ in the public sector and ‘Design of the Year 2012’. This is a special prize of the Minister of Economics for the project of the airport crash tender Felix 8x8; |
| 2013 | - | WISS receives the first prize in Silesian Icon competition, in the category of product, for the PMT25D Skyline firefighting platform made by WISS; |
| 2014 | - | WISS is awarded in the ‘Marka Śląskie' (Silesian Brand) competition in the category of economy; |
| 2014 | - | WISS is awarded in the ‘Marka Śląskie’ competition in the category of a product. This is a prize for heavy airport firefighting and rescue vehicle Felix II; |
| 2014 | - | WISS receives "Company of the Year 2014" award organized by the City Hall in Bielsko-Biala, District Office in Bielsko-Biała, Cieszyn and Zywiec and the Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Bielsko-Biala; |
| 2015 | - | Thoma, a well-known German manufacturer of firefighting and rescue vehicles becomes a part of WISS Group, changing its name for WISS Thoma. |