“Welcome to Rocket City!” Schwarze Industries President David Heigl welcomed the AEM Manufacturing Express to Huntsville, Alabama. Back in the ‘60s, the Space Race put this city on the map; today, the 363-foot Saturn V rocket (designed and manufactured here in Huntsville) provides a Lady Liberty-like welcome to any and all visitors. The spirit of innovation continues to fuel the Huntsville manufacturing community. Right here in the heart of the South, Schwarze Industries is on the frontier of sweeper manufacturing, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
Visit Huntsville and you’ll see what we mean. All over town, Schwarze is creating a new standard of cleanliness for public spaces. “Every minute of every day, Schwarze sweepers are out there cleaning,” longtime customer Brian Szeremi said. From highway sweepers running along medians and jersey walls, to airport sweepers tidying up high-traffic runways, to street sweepers beautifying the historic downtown, Schwarze machines work non-stop to make its community a cleaner, safer place to live.
Today, Schwarze celebrated fifty years of success alongside the Manufacturing Express. With local singer-songwriter Brandon Elder providing tunes, Schwarze employees enjoyed a day of barbecue sandwiches, ice cream, and a competitive bag-toss tournament. But, as they celebrate, Schwarze continues to look toward the next fifty years—and the next generation of equipment manufacturers. It’s why Schwarze provides substantial ongoing support to Free 2 Teach, a nonprofit organization providing teachers with desperately needed classroom supplies across Madison County’s 88 public schools. “We supply local classrooms with the materials they need to produce the next generation of welders, engineers, and manufacturers,” Alison Kling, Executive Director of Free 2 Teach, explained. “We like to say that Schwarze is building sweepers and supporting teachers.
Schwarze has always designed its sweepers with people in mind. In 1974, Bob Schwarze owned and operated a small street sweeping business with one big problem: his sweeper would break down constantly. There must be a better way, he thought to himself, and set out to build a better sweeper. 50 years later, Schwarze Industries sweepers are keeping communities clean—from Madison County to Mumbai. Through their global distribution network (in conjunction with Alamo Group, Schwarze’s parent company), machines made right here in Huntsville are improving cities and towns all over the world.
Schwarze Industries manufactures sweepers with one goal in mind: keeping people safe. A clean Alabama is a safe Alabama, and as Schwarze has continued to grow, it has increased its production capacity in pursuit of a cleaner, safer Huntsville. Every day, in this 100,000-square-foot facility, the 200 men and women of Schwarze transform sheets of steel into sweepers. All the while, they’re continuing to innovate. “We’re replacing hydraulic with electric, and we’re building the best sweepers yet,” Heigl said. Alamo Group recently invested millions of dollars into a new research facility, ensuring that Schwarze technology remains on the cutting edge for decades to come.
Schwarze invests in more than just the company; they work hard to invest in their own. Costas Cordonis, Warranty and Training Administrator, immigrated to the U.S. at eighteen years old. He started here at Schwarze in 1987, and after only two years, he was a Production Manager at the Huntsville plant. He’s been here ever since. “Growing up in Greece, I learned loyalty is among the highest virtues.” Cordonis said. “At Schwarze, they trusted me, and they included me. And when somebody takes care of you, you do the same.”
In recent years, Schwarze has adopted a new motto: The people you know, the products you trust, for a better planet. This is Schwarze’s ongoing commitment to their equipment, their employees, and their community—both here in Huntsville, and across the globe. Their efforts, and Schwarze sweepers, are achieving something massive: making the world a better place to live—and it all begins right here in Huntsville, Alabama.
