Together with Mayor Bonnie Crombie and guests, Eberspaecher Management celebrated 50 years of Eberspaecher Climate Control Systems in North America. The site in Mississauga is the oldest overseas subsidiary of the Eberspaecher Group; it supplies its customers with vehicle heaters, energy storage systems, and AC systems.
Martin Peters, Eberspaecher Group managing partner, brought the congratulations on behalf of shareholders as well as the whole management team. “Half a century of successful operations—this is indeed a unique and outstanding performance,” Peters states. “Happy Anniversary to our Canadian team here in Mississauga! This also demonstrates how the long-term thinking and commitment of a family-owned business can pay off.”
1973 TO 2023: GROWTH WITH CLEAN MOBILITY SOLUTIONS
The German automotive supplier founded Espar products to start its North American operations in 1973. It saw the potential of the local market for its core product: the engine-off pre-heater. Because the North American winter can be harsh and long, a pre-heated vehicle or truck cabin pays off for customers. The company grew in leaps and bounds in the 1990 and 2000s. This is because the US government’s interest in environmental protection increased and encouraged the use of emission reduction technologies.
“With our Airtronic D2 air heater, we were perfectly positioned for this,” explains President Climate Control Systems North America Oleg Riabtsev.
This vehicle heater could bring the cab environment up to temperature without the engine running; this took place at a fraction of the cost of what it would take idling the engine. With that growth also came the move in today’s building at Vipond in 2006. In 2018 to give a worldwide common feel, the Eberspaecher Group rebranded and changed the name of the subsidiary Espar products to Eberspaecher Climate Control Systems Canada Inc.
FROM MISSISSAUGA TO THE US & MEXICO
Located around 20 kilometers west of Toronto, the site covers a total area of almost 9,000 square miles. The central location is extremely important, underscores Oleg Riabtsey.
“From here, we manage the business in Canada, the United States, and Mexico for fuel operated and electrical heaters, energy storage systems, and AC systems,” Riabtsey says.
To do so, the diverse workforce is bilingual, multicultural, and many with long-standing experience.
“Numerous employees have been with the company for over a decade—this honors not just us as an employer, it underlines the commitment of our dedicated people,” Peters adds.
Today the team with about 100 employees develops, produces, and distributes thermal management solutions specifically to meet the challenges of fleet operators in the American market. The main products are heaters for Class 8 truck manufacturers, but the subsidiary also promotes air and coolant heating solutions as well as spare parts for the RV, off-highway, agriculture, utility, and marine markets. The wide range of user-friendly operating elements and diagnosis tools complement these services.
The development of the Canadian subsidiary continues.
“We clearly invest … in our workforce and technology,” Peters says. “This includes customer service and future e-mobility applications.”
Just recently the team acquired a building where engineers and technicians have the possibility to conduct cold chamber tests and install products in vehicles for testing purposes.
In North America, the Eberspaecher Group has nine sites with activities in its three divisions: Purem by Eberspaecher, Climate Control Systems and Automotive Controls, as well as the new business area of hydrogen mobility.
Find out more, visit www.eberspaecher-climate.com
