Proud Australian Manufacturer
Working, since 1982
Proud Australian Manufacturer
Working, since 1982
About Us
Every single day, across Australia SPITWATER pressure cleaners, JETFIRE space heaters and VACSTORM vacuum cleaners, extraction units and scrubber dryers are hard at work in mines, on farms, at workshops, in factories, in floods, droughts and fires.
It all started with an entrepreneurial and tenacious couple who, fresh from Italy, started SPITWATER in the bordertown of Albury, New South Wales. For almost forty years, everyday Australians have been running their businesses with a SPITWATER at the ready.
Today these iconic products are prolific in Australian industry; famous for being reliable and long lasting, just like the solutions specialists who have joined the team along the way.
The family now comprises of solutions specialists across Australia from Albury to Alice Springs, Gatton to Geelong, Wynyard to Wingfield, Canberra to Perth; some have been part of SPITWATER since the start.
The past is important, but the future is our focus. Your SPITWATER specialist will be with you for the long haul anytime you need advice, a quick service or a clever solution.
Speaking of long hauls, the factory that built the original SPITWATER pressure cleaner is the same place it is masterfully designed and engineered for tomorrow.
With dedicated locations across Australia, we are where you are. There is hardly a region where you can’t get a new SPITWATER, JETFIRE, VACSTORM solution or have the old faithful serviced.
Got an idea? We're all ears
The creators of SPITWATER pressure cleaners are always listening and constantly innovating. The locally made and designed SPITWATER pressure cleaner is proudly Australian from idea to install, and some of the most brilliant tweaks and changes have come from feedback by SPITWATER owners.
Our history
1960-1982
Giancarlo and Maresa Martinotti start a company in Turin, Italy, that designs and manufactures JETFIRE and SPITFIRE space heaters, and later SPITWATER pressure cleaners.
1982-1990
The Martinottis relocate to Australia and open a factory in Albury where the first SPITWATER is made in Australia. The introduction of a locally made pressure cleaner disrupts the Australian market and the brand quickly becomes popular with Australian industry. SPITWATER becomes a regular attendee at rural field days around the country, and regional dealers start to emerge, some of whom SPITWATER is proudly still working with today. By the late 1980s, distribution and service centres open in metropolitan Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne. At the end of this decade, the Martinotti's son Andrea joins the business.
1990-2000
At the start of this decade, distribution and service centres are established in Sydney and Perth. Meanwhile, the reach and reputation of SPITWATER grows across Australia through continued presence at rural field days around the country, and the brand becomes readily recognisable through TV and radio campaigns. Unique SPITWATER solutions start to emerge because SPITWATER’s distributors are listening to what Australian businesses want and need to achieve their cleaning goals. Export becomes a significant part of the business, as large multinational customers in South America, Asia, and Europe seek out SPITWATER. The JETFIRE space heater is launched in Australia and export into Europe and South America commences for this product too. Dedicated new buildings are constructed in Albury and the factory invests in its own powder-coating plant to cater for the increased demand. In the mid 1990s, Giancarlo and Maresa’s daughter-in-law Prue joins the business in Albury.
2000-2020
The network of distributors and dealers expands further across the nation into key regional and metropolitan hubs in all states and territories. Teams in the capital cities continue to work with customers to provide SPITWATER solutions and further establish SPITWATER’s reputation in the market. Back at the factory in Albury, significant investment is made in plant and equipment incorporating advanced manufacturing technologies. Lean manufacturing is introduced to the team and the digitalisation of the factory starts to take hold.
2020-2030
Ahead of its 40th anniversary of manufacturing in Australia, the SPITWATER brand undergoes a revamp and the factory adopts the new name OTTICO Equipment. The new name is a blend of the founders’ family name Martinotti and the word ‘company’, representing the innovative culture originally created by the Martinottis and continually shaped by the collaborators and contributors that have made SPITWATER what it is today. It’s an exciting era for the SPITWATER teams and strategic partners across the country, with a new look, new products launched, and continuous technology improvements. Even with all this change and growth, SPITWATER is still as ruggedly reliable as ever.
Working, since 1982
Working in floods since 1982
In the aftermath of the Charleville floods on Australia Day, 1994, the Government deployed Hercules to urgently transport a fleet of SPITWATER pressure cleaners to restore the devastated town and surrounding areas. Community is in our DNA.
