The hand dryer turns 100
A piece of German industrial history
Stuttgart/Ebersbach, November 3, 2025 – 100 years ago, a story began in Stuttgart that would change the way we dry our hands: Today, ELECTROSTAR/starmix celebrates the 100th birthday of its warm air hand dryer. The first warm air device ready for series production at the time has become part of everyday culture worldwide.
Picture: On the left is the historic hand dryer and on the right is today's vandal-proof dryer.
Source: ELECTROSTAR GmbH
In 1925, Robert Schöttle Sr. and his company ELECTROSTAR Schöttle GmbH & Co. KG developed the world's first industrially manufactured warm air hand dryer. This was a technical revolution at a time when hand hygiene was just beginning to gain importance. The idea was as simple as it was ingenious: instead of using towels, warm air would dry hands quickly and without contact. What began as a modern alternative to cloth towels soon became a symbol of progress and cleanliness in public spaces: in restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and train stations worldwide.
In the following decades, the company grew rapidly under the name ELECTROSTAR: numerous pioneering achievements in household and cleaning technology shaped its success story. Products such as “Der Starmix,” the first high-speed food processor, became symbols of the economic miracle and made the brand name famous worldwide.
Hand dryer stands for innovative spirit “Made in Germany”
The spirit of these pioneering years gave rise to a company that never rested on its laurels. “A modern hand dryer is no longer just a blower; it is a piece of environmental technology,” says Roman Gorovoy, who has been managing the company since 2008. Today's devices stand for responsible treatment of the environment: highly efficient modern motors save energy and reduce noise levels, well-designed mounting systems facilitate installation, and contactless sensor control ensures hygienic use. Highly effective filter systems also clean the air of bacteria. This is an aspect that has gained in importance, not least since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Hand dryers may seem like a matter of course today, but their history shows how inventive spirit and perseverance can give rise to a piece of everyday culture,” says Gorovoy.
About ELECTROSTAR GmbH/starmix – a piece of German industrial history that continues with great success in the 21st century. The Swabian inventors invented the warm air hand dryer and achieved worldwide fame with the starmix food processor. Today, ELECTROSTAR GmbH, part of the Algo Group since 2007, stands for innovative technologies, the highest quality, and uncompromising customer focus. The company sells a wide range of powerful vacuum cleaners for trade, commerce, and industry, modern warm air and high-speed hand and hair dryers, and an extensive range of hospitality products worldwide. With the acquisition of Haaga Kehrsysteme GmbH in 2012, innovative sweepers were added to the portfolio. In 2020, ELECTROSTAR / starmix and Haaga Kehrsysteme merged. In 2021, the new production site in Nýřany, Czech Republic, was opened. The group of companies employs around 230 people at its locations and achieved a group turnover of around 45 million euros in 2024.
Press inquiries
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Isabelle Hübner echolot pr GmbH & Co. KG Fon: +49 160 6192247 huebner@echolot-pr.de | |
Fr. Gwendi Harer Electrostar GmbH Hans-Zinser Str. 1-3 73061 Ebersbach Fon: +49 7163 9988-011 gwendi.harer@starmix.de www.starmix.de |