Ziebart

Founder

Kurt Ziebart was the inventor of the rustproofing process for automobiles.

He was born on July 27, 1920 in West Prussia, Germany, before it became part of Poland. He served in the German Army during World War II.

In 1953, Kurt Ziebart became an auto mechanic before coming to the United States. He landed in Detroit, where he worked at a Packard factory outlet that housed several auto dealerships.

It was while working in a Detroit body shop that Ziebart saw the effects of rust and began looking for a way to protect cars against it. That is when he developed the process to rust proof automobiles.

The process is often called "Ziebart-ing" or "Ziebart-ed", the generic term for rustproofing .

In 1959, he started the Ziebart Process Company and opened the first shop bearing the proprietary Ziebart name at 16135 Harper Avenue in Detroit.

In 1963, he sold his rustproofing company to an investor group.

In 1988, Kurt Ziebart appeared in national television commercials coinciding with his former company's 25th Anniversary.

Kurt Ziebart died at his home Williamsburg, Michigan on September 12, 2011. He was 91.

History

In 1959, Ziebart opened its first outlet in Detroit.

In 1962, Ziebart's first international location was opened in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.

In 1963, Kurt Ziebart sold his rustproofing company to an investor group led by Roger Waindle. Waindle also acquired the right to the name Ziebart which he registered with the company's trademark, a helmet and shield design. Waindle also acquired the right to the exclusive tooling designed by Ziebart which he then miniatured for easier processing. He also patented the process. With control of the technical approach, Waindle then developed the franchise package including technical and marketing manuals. The company was renamed Ziebart Auto Truck Rustproofing Company.

By 1969, Ziebart (then Ziebart Rustproofing Company) had about 150 franchises in the Midwest of the US and in Canada. As Waindle was interested in selling the company, he hired E.J. Hartmann as Chief Operating Officer. Hartmann was an MBA graduate from the University of Michigan who was recruited from Shatterproof Glass Corporation where he was the company's controller.

In 1970, Hartmann acquired the controlling stock of Ziebart and started an aggressive marketing program both in the USA and internationally.

In 1977, Ziebart introduced "Zee-Glaze", a protective polymer sealant that chemically bonded to cars' paint.

In 1979, Ziebart (then Ziebart International Corporation) acquired Arndt Palmer Laboratories, a small chemical manufacturer for car care chemicals in Melvindale, MI. This company was then relocated to Redford, MI, and became the base for Ziebart's manufacturing of its own rustproofing sealant, a wax based petroleum product. By 1980, Ziebart had increased the number of franchised locations worldwide to over 650 while, at the same time, doubling the retail volume of U.S. franchisees.

In 1980, Ziebart began to diversify its business format and its service offerings by including sunroofs, running boards, window tinting and other automotive accessories.

In 1980, all American Motors cars received a new rust-proofing process called "Ziebart Factory Rust Protection". This included aluminized trim screws, plastic inner fender liners, galvanized steel in every exterior body panel, and a deep-dip bath in an epoxy-based primer. AMC backed up the rust protection program with a 5-year "No Rust Thru" component to its comprehensive "Buyer Protection Plan".

In 1988, Ziebart acquired the North American franchise rights for its competitor Tuff-Kote Dinol. Tuff-Kote franchisees were subsequently converted to the Ziebart brand.

In 1989, Ziebart acquired the Tidy Car automotive detailing franchise operation. The brands were merged and over 250 locations became "Ziebart Tidy Car".

In 1990, Ziebart had more than 1,000 locations in 40 countries and more than $100 million in worldwide dealer sales.

In 1995, Hartmann sold the ownership to Ziebart International Corporation to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) led by Thomas Wolfe, the then CFO. Hartman then retired.

In 1998, Ziebart entered into a co-branding agreement with Speedy Auto Glass and began offering auto glass replacement in many of its locations. Ziebart has also partnered to co-brand with Rhino Linings USA, which offers polyurethane spray-on liners for truck beds.

As of 2009, there were over 400 Ziebart locations in 40 countries worldwide.

In 2014, Ziebart introduced a proprietary paint protection film.

Advertising

Ziebart grew in large part due to its successful advertising campaigns.

Ziebart's advertising agencies of record through the years have included Meltzer Aaron & Lemen (San Francisco, CA), Ross Roy (Detroit, MI), Simons Michelson Zieve (Troy, MI) and Doyle Dane Bernbach (New York, NY).

Ziebart's public relations agency from 1970 through 1993 was Anthony M. Franco Inc (Detroit, MI).