James Trane

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

James Trane, the co-founder of the company that bears his name, was an immigrant from Norway who settled in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1864, finding work as a steamfitter and plumber. In 1885, he opened his own store.

Reuben Trane, James' son, earned a mechanical engineering degree at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin, and joined his father's plumbing firm. In 1913, James and Reuben incorporated The Trane Company now Trane.

By 1916, the Tranes were no longer in the plumbing business, but rather were focusing their attention on manufacturing heating products. Trane's first air conditioning unit was developed in 1931.

In 1984, Trane was acquired by American Standard Inc., and today is a fixture in the American Standard Companies business. Following a leveraged buyout in 1988, American Standard returned as a publicly held corporation in 1995.