Krantz celebrates its 125th anniversary

Hermann Krantz, engineer
and company's founder

1882 and 1992, two crucial dates in Krantz's lively past. From 1882, when it was founded, to 1992 the company was owned by the Krantz family. Ten years after its foundation, the company also became involved in the field of heating engineering and it continued to diversify its fields of activity until 1992. From high-temperature water heating systems, air-conditioning plants and district heating systems for large buildings through to air management, nuclear technology and environmental systems: the name 'Krantz' appeared wherever facility systems, HVAC, and facility and mechanical engineering were concerned.

In 1992 the Krantz family sold the company to the Deutsche Babcock group – a decision which was to imperil the Krantz company when the Group was driven into insolvency some years later. Krantz's mechanical division was merged with the textile machine division of the Babcock group, while its facility engineering division was merged with Turbon-Tunzini Klimatechnik GmbH (TKT), thus giving rise to the company Krantz-TKT based in Bergisch Gladbach (east of Cologne). This union was successful for ten years, culminating in 1995 in the largest order of all time: the reconstruction of the international airport in Athens, Greece. But in 2002 Krantz-TKT experienced a down when the Babcock Borsig group declared its insolvency. Fortunately, Krantz was soon rescued by M+W Zander AG, headquartered in Stuttgart, which took over major divisions of Krantz-TKT. From then on, business picked up again, with the Krantz name being strengthened; it is now represented by 32 agents throughout the world. The latest change took place in February 2007 when the name M+W Zander Gebäudetechnik GmbH was changed to caverion GmbH, with KRANTZ KOMPONENTEN remaining one of its business units. Today, KRANTZ KOMPONENTEN employs about 80 people and has seven sales offices in Germany as well as a network of independent agencies distributed over Europe, North and Central America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Its range of products and services includes the development, manufacture and sale of air distribution systems, such as air outlets, cooling and heating systems, cleanroom components and systems as well as air-conditioning and ventilation units.

The original Krantz company with the first production site in Aachen

Today's Krantz offices in Aachen