HISTORY OF TROX

The TROX GROUP traces its history back to 1951, when brothers Heinrich and Friedrich Trox established the Gebrüder TROX GmbH, or TROX Brothers, in Neukirchen-Vluyn.

With the help of only seven employees, they develop and manufacture ventilation grilles in a 110 m² building in the family's back garden.

Making ventilation grilles is a rather bold idea in 1951 as people want flats, cars, fridges and fashionable clothes more than anything else. 

Air quality is not anything people care about. Quite the contrary: Smoking chimneys were in fact seen as a sign of economic growth. Yet the company prospers. As early as in 1954, a new factory and an adminitration building are needed to cope with increasing demand.

In 1959, Heinrich Trox visits the US. Impressed with the high standard of ventilation and air conditioning and the very efficient manufacturing processes, he decides to start volume production of ventilation component

In 1959 Heinrich Trox sons Heinz and Klaus Trox join the company

With the help of high-calibre specialists from a wide range of technical disciplines, TROX develops new products and eventually becomes the undisputed number one in Germany. Demand increases rapidly and requires more production space. In 1961, a factory is erected in Anholt, near the German-Dutch border.

Soon it becomes clear that Germany is too small a market for the increasingly successful business. TROX expands its international business. 1962 sees the foundation of the first international subsidiary, in England.

In 1963, subsidiaries in Austria, Italy and France follow, while TROX Spain starts operations in 1966, and TROX Belgium in 1967.

Meanwhile, a research and development centre is built in Vluyn, and today the laboratories for acoustics, fire protection, airflow technology and filter technology are among the best of their kind in Europe.

Manufacturing is no longer limited to ventilation grilles, but includes ceiling diffusers, sound attenuators, filters and fans.

In 1969, Heinrich Trox initiates the transition to the next generation and appoints his two sons as managing directors.

After the passing of Heinrich Trox in 1970, Heinz Trox continues the globalisation strategy initiated by his father.

In 1970, the first subsidiary company outside of Europe is founded in South Africa, and just one year later the TROX factory in Pietermaritzburg starts operations. TROX is now the first German company in the ventilation and air conditioning industry with a manufacturing site outside of Europe.

Demand in the UK also rises, and TROX responds with another factory in Thetford, which starts operations in 1971. In Germany, a new administration building with R&D labs is erected in 1972 to create the best possible working conditions for the employees in Neukirchen-Vluyn.

With the aim of better exploiting the potential of the South American markets, TROX opens a sales office in São Paulo in 1975. Immediate success leads to another TROX overseas factory being built just one year later, this time in Curitiba, Brazil

In 1981, TROX Hong Kong is established, and it is the first subsidiary in the Far East. Meanwhile in Europe, subsidiaries are established in Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland.

Not only is TROX expanding internationally, the company also keeps developing innovative products that set new standards in the ventilation and air conditioning industry. One example is the first product for temperature-sensitive air discharge control with an electric actuator, launched in 1981. In 1988 the first active chilled beam is put on the market. In addition, new air-water systems, automation systems and the LABCONTROL control system for laboratories are added to the product portfolio. By the end of 1989, TROX has achieved approximately 160 patents or filed patent applications, clearly showing the company's power of innovation.

After the passing of Klaus Trox in 1988, his brother Heinz Trox becomes Chairman of the Board of Management. At that time the TROX GROUP has already more than 2000 employees, nearly 1200 of them in Germany.

Increasing success both in Germany and abroad makes it necessary to build both a new factory, which is erected in Goch in 1982, and an annexe to the administration building in Neukirchen-Vluyn in 1989. 

This is the time when markets in Eastern Europe become accessible, and TROX is ready to take every opportunity. Between 1991 and 1995, sales offices and subsidiary companies are established in Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, the Czech Republic and Poland.

In 1991, Heinz Trox establishes the Heinz Trox Foundation in order to secure the future of TROX and the jobs of its employees.

In 1994, a new company slogan is created, still in use today: TROX – The art of handling air.

In 1995, the Malaysian factory in Seremban starts production to serve the markets in Asia and the Pacific. At around the same time a distribution network is being established, with support bases in Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. In Europe, the TROX GROUP acquires HESCO Pilgersteg in Switzerland, thereby further strengthening its leading position in Europe.

At the end of the 1990s, more than two thirds of the TROX GROUP's revenues are being generated outside of Germany. By that time, TROX is no longer a mere component supplier, but has started providing complete systems

In 2000, the TROX GROUP generates for the first time revenues of more than 500 million deutschmarks; the company has 2700 employees at the time.

Establishing TROX Australia finally makes the TROX GROUP a real global player as it has now subsidiaries on five continents.

At the end of 2000, TROX acquires FSL, based in Frankfurt, Germany. Thanks to the decentralised ventilation units developed and manufactured by FSL, the TROX GROUP is able to open up yet another market with a high growth potential beside the classic centralised ventilation and air conditioning systems.

The establishment of TROX Air Conditioning Components in Suzhou, China, in 2001 marks the beginning of TROX producing components also in the country with the largest population. In the second half of the decade, TROX establishes subsidiaries in Russia, the United Arab Emirates, India and Argentina.

In 2006, Heinz Trox becomes the sole proprietor of the company, and the name is appropriately changed from Gebrüder TROX, or TROX Brothers, to TROX.

The end of the decade sees the establishment of the International Center for Fire Protection (ICB) in Neukirchen-Vluyn, the most modern fire test laboratory in Europe. It also includes several lecture rooms that are used by the TROX ACADEMY for workshops and lectures

Building a huge 15,000 m2 production facility just for X-CUBE air handling units is an important step towards becoming a systems provider. The facility in Anholt, near the German-Dutch border, starts operations in 2011. TROX is now able to offer its customers almost all components and systems for ventilation and air conditioning. Complete systems from a single source.

The X-CUBE production facility is an investment of 20 million euros and by then the single largest investment in the company's history. 150 new jobs have been created.

Back in Neukirchen-Vluyn, a new office building is erected in 2012, and in January, 2013, several departments move in. The new building uses geothermal energy and is equipped with the latest TROX technology, hence most energy-efficient.

Also in 2012, TROX acquires TLT-Turbo from Siemens; the company in Bad Hersfeld, Germany, is later renamed TROX X-FANS.

The TROX GROUP also expands in other countries. Four new subsidiaries are established between 2010 and 2013, in Turkey, Mexico, the Netherlands and Qatar.

The latest addition to the TROX GROUP is TROX HGI (formerly HGI), in charge of the important field of systems integration and service

Megatrends such as sustainable use of resources, health and climate protection have become increasingly relevant. TROX is responding to this by further developing into a provider of sustainable and climate-friendly complete solutions for health and quality of life in enclosed spaces.

Even beyond 2029, sustainability and climate protection will remain the most important tasks to be tackled.

TROX itself has set the goal of becoming climate neutral by 2040. Together with our sustainability approach (keyword CO₂ footprint), we thus assume responsibility for the ecological, economic and social concerns of our stakeholders.

Our fundamental product and system strategy is the consistent further development from a component and system provider to a provider of complete industry solutions.

In this context, digitalization is of particular importance. It is the connecting element in all areas - between products and processes, between TROX and the customers (Digital Front End), between TROX and the suppliers (Digital Supply Chain), and between the people working in our company (Digital Organisation).