Watje Family to Buy Wayne Engineering, Rebrand as Curbtender

Kevin Watje and Mark Watje have announced their pending acquisition of the assets of Wayne Industrial Holdings LLC, parent company to Wayne Engineering and Wayne Sweepers. The father and son team, backed by a group of strategic investors, expects to acquire the assets of Wayne as part of a new company named Curbtender Inc.

“Wayne’s customers and employees will benefit greatly from this new direction,” Curbtender President Mark Watje said in a stateement. “We expect our brand to only strengthen, as we will build upon the legacy of Wayne. In addition to continuing the Wayne product line, we will be soon announcing new products and services that provide even more value to our customers.”

According to the Watje family, discussions with Wayne’s workforce regarding the transition have been ongoing since early October and operations are expected to continue as normal through the transition. Representatives from Curbtender and United Automobile Workers (UAW) Local 838 expect the collective bargaining agreement with Wayne Industrial Holdings to be assumed by the new company. Curbtender Inc. will be the only U.S.-based refuse truck manufacturer represented by the UAW.

The Wayne name has been used in conjunction with manufacturing refuse trucks for over 50 years. Today, the Wayne brand is best known for having pioneered the automated side loader market with the introduction of the Curbtender product in the 1970s. The Curbtender’s evolution has included the introduction of advanced controls systems and integration with alternative fuel platforms. Recently, the product received a five-year standard warranty for body structure, arm structure, and operational controls systems.

Last November, BYD, an electric vehicle manufacturer, and Wayne Engineering, a manufacturer of chassis-mounted rear and side loaders, launched a fully electric refuse truck.

“The name Curbtender represents the quality and innovation we expect to bring into all of our future products,” Curbtender CEO Kevin Watje said in a statement.

As a result of the new company’s name, the Curbtender product will be rebranded the “PowerPak” automated side loading refuse truck.