30 years of BeachTech
How it all began...
Those who have been around from the beginning hardly ever miss an opportunity to talk about the good old days. Many mention working on the beach and demo tours as highlights. Three demonstrations a day and the exciting responsibility of raising awareness as to why beach cleaning is necessary in the first place.
The first demonstrations took place in Italy. But it was not long before Kässbohrer turned its focus toward the other southern European countries, too. Shortly afterward, the first sales were being made to Korea, Mexico and California. Since Eastern Europe opened up, BeachTech equipment has even been cleaning the beaches in the Baltic states, among other regions. Expansion in the Middle East and Asia has increased in recent years. There, the United Arab Emirates in particular rely on BeachTech. As of today, our vehicles are in use in more than 80 countries.
What is now the world's most extensive product range in the beach cleaning market began with the BeachTech 3000. Its capability to cover large areas was its major selling point. Another innovation was the fact that it only took one person to handle all of its operations. Soon, Kässbohrer launched a slightly smaller version: the BeachTech 2000. Both models worked according to the same principle – the patented raking, screening and mixed technique, which remains unparalleled and continues to set standards in the market, even today. The operating process and cleaning depth can be adjusted to any type of sand or beach composition, whether it is fine or coarse, wet or dry. The result is always perfect. And thanks to low pressure on the ground, maximum of environmental compatibility is guaranteed. Since May 1999, a very small beach cleaner has also been included in the portfolio: the BeachTech Sweepy. It is perfect for maintaining small sand surfaces, such as in confined spaces on the beach. Examples include spaces between sunshades and lounge chairs, beach volleyball courts or even sand surfaces on playgrounds or golf courses.
With the acquisition of the American company Cherrington, Inc. in 2017, Kässbohrer Geländefahrzeug AG expanded the BeachTech product range yet again: Since then, there have been nine different vehicle models available to meet any and all requirements related to beach dimensions and conditions as well as the financial and technical resources of the customers. BeachTech thus offers the most comprehensive product range and the largest worldwide sales and service network on the market.
For many years, BeachTech has always taken first place in competitive trial runs. This allows specialists from municipalities, contractors and tourism associations to get a first-hand impression of the performance capability of various machines in operation. The cleaning performance of BeachTech has a clear advantage in terms of cleaning quality and cleaning efficiency.
Successful in the battle against mineral oil.
Over the past few years, catastrophic oil spills have involuntarily turned BeachTech into an expert in this field. The Pallas shipwreck in 1998 marked the first time when a BeachTech 2000 was used to clean up oil residue. BeachTech has been a popular choice for fighting oil spills ever since. When dealing with oil spills, the pick up blade of the BeachTech cautiously shaves off the contaminated surface. The tried-and-tested screening technique and particularly fine screening belts then allow the oily layer to be separated from the pristine sand. The patented technology of the BeachTech machines makes it possible to salvage most of the sand, since only the top layer of the sand is gently picked up and screened.
Dedication to the environment.
Nature is the basis of our business model. We have always striven to preserve it. This effort has been made in the form of initiatives for sustainability in ongoing business operations, such as the production of solar power and the recuperation of energy on our test benches and even on location. For instance, we have been involved in a cooperative effort with the Blue Flag organization on beaches around the world for the last thirty years. The Blue Flag is an international quality certificate awarded to beaches that meet particularly stringent requirements for the quality of beach and water. Today, we support International Coastal Cleanup Day around the world: For 35 years, the Ocean Conservancy environmental organization has been calling upon people all over the world to take part in International Coastal Cleanup Day, the largest volunteer maritime conservation drive. This is being done to combat pollution of the oceans, as plastic debris is unfortunately becoming a more significant problem as time goes on.