In Memoriam: Karl Winterhalter

Karl Winterhalter, the founder of Winterhalter Gastronom Gmbh, died Jan. 16 at the age of 100. Winterhalter established the Meckenbeuren, Germany, manufacturer in 1947, and turned a small family business into a worldwide distributor of warewashing technology. He began by producing the Backhexe, a portable electric oven; a decade later, he introduced the company’s first fully electric commercial warewasher. Today, the manufacturer is managed by Jurgen and Ralph Winterhalter, his son and grandson, and has more than 1,000 employees in more than 70 countries.

Winterhalter’s lifelong motto, “success is always a team effort” reflected his regard for his employees as the company’s most important foundation, and he made a point of maintaining personal contact with them. Until recently, he continued to come into the offices twice a week. In 1981, Winterhalter was awarded the German Federal Cross of Merit.