our history
experience a better way to work
In 1906, Herbert Wetlaufer founded CITY Laundering Co. in Oelwein. They started with four employees, picking up, cleaning, and delivering clean laundry to Oelwein families.
In the early 20th century, CITY steadily grew, adding employees and serving other cities like Elkader, Iowa and Independence, Iowa.
By 1915, Herbert Wetlaufer added the first motorized truck to the company replacing horse and wagon deliveries.
At the end of World War II, another Wetlaufer entered the business. Gerald Wetlaufer, Herbert’s oldest son, became general manager and incorporated the business. As the country entered a new era, CITY grew tremendously with the expansion of the textile rental business across Eastern Iowa under the leadership of Herb's youngest son Roger B. Wetlaufer.
Today, the Wetlaufer family still owns and operates CITY laundering, and its headquarters is still based out of Oelwein, Iowa.
After his father, Roger B., Roger J. Wetlaufer became the 3rd generation of Wetlaufers to take over as the company president.
As of 2017, his son, Colin Wetlaufer, took the reins and is leading CITY as the fourth generation into the future.
Each generation, we thrive on being better for our employees and our customers every day and live up to our century-old legacy.
“You can’t replicate a hundred-year-old family business. You can start something. You can do something new. You can twist it, expand it, but at the end of the day; there are 114 years of family here. There’s a deep, deep family bond because to me; this is family. It’s all family” -Colin Wetlaufer, CITY’s President
