Founded in La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1885, and finally incorporated in
1913, Trane has over 120 years of experience in the business.
In many ways, the Trane story is a classic American success story
that grew into a global one. It began with our founder, James Trane, a
Norwegian immigrant who opened his own plumbing shop in La Crosse,
Wisconsin, in 1885. With the inspiration of cold Wisconsin winters,
James Trane invented a new low-pressure heating system he proudly called
the Trane Vapor Heating System. His son, Reuben, was just back from
college with a degree in mechanical engineering, so father and son began
manufacturing operations in 1910 and incorporated as The Trane Company
in 1913. It was Reuben’s invention of the convector radiator in 1923
that firmly established the company’s reputation as an innovator, a
reputation Trane people have been building on ever since.
