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 Milestones in The European Van Company's history

History of The European Van Company 150 ok

 Early sixties : Aluvan's start

1980 : Aluvan starts up Pan-European marketing plan

1995 : Aluvan completely independent after MBO

1997 : New production plant in Konskie (SE Poland)

PolyPan composite panels group small

2000 : Start production of PolyPan composite panels

FreezyBox body for deepfreeze transport realisation 1

2000 : Start production of PolyVan bodies for cooled transport

Mirovan aluminium truck body box A

2001 : Intro of the MiroVan, the most aesthetic aluminium body on the market

DistriCool small

2003 : Start production of DistriCool insulation kits for panel vans

 

 

 

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History of The European Van Company

  • 1963 The clarck Inc company of the USA sells his first production license in Europe to the mother company of Aluvan.
  • 1965  The license ends and Aluvan continues on her own track.
  • 1968  Aluvan negotiates the exclusive sales right for Germany to the company GTO (Gebrüder Titgemeyer in Osnabrück).
  • 1975  Aluvan is the first in Europe to industrialise the production process of aluminium truckbody kits and owns the most productive plant in Europe.
  • 1980  Aluvan starts a Pan-European marketing plan and sells soon in 25 different countries, covering the West European markets.
  • 1989  Aluvan starts successfully and as first kit manufacturer active marketing in the Central European countries. The Aluvan name became there a generic name.
  • 1995  Aluvan sells now in 40 different countries and became market leader in many of them.
  • 1995  An MBO, signed with the former owners Bombardier of Canada, makes that Aluvan becomes a completely independent and family owned company. The Alvan group is born and the growth is starting with a new elan.
  • 1997  A building is bought in the south east of Poland (the most central place for the Central European markets at that time) and a completely new factory is installed for the production of the alunimium truck body kits (sold under the brand Aluvan). This new capacity was needed in order to service these "local" Central European countries.
  • 2000  The technology for manufacturing sandwich and composite panels is acquired and the investment is made for producing wet-on-wet and glued seamless panels (this activity is today well-known under the name PolyPan and became quickly the market leader in Central Europe).
  • 2000  The first member of the PolyVan range of bodies for Dry Freight Transport is borne : the FrishKit. A superb product, developed together with an industrial designer and recognised for its unique aesthetic characteristics.
  • 2001  The lightest concept in the market of rivetfree aluminium kits with an exclusive integrated aluminium rear frames is introduced (sold under the brand MiroVan). The assembly of the elements is made extremely easy and quick, thanks to the easy-fix assembly concept.
  • 2001  For specific markets, Aluvan and PolyVan now also offer the Box-solutions : pre-assembled and completely finished truck bodies. It takes only 2 hours to place these boxes onto a ready made chassis cab.
  • 2002  A full range of insulated and refrigerated truck bodies and kits is introduced (panel thicknesses from 30 up to 100mm) with FNA and FRC homologation. This range is marketed under the brand Polyvan-chilled.
  • 2002  PolyPan introduced a new high-tech panel : HexaPano, the aluminium honeycomb panel. One of the sole panel manufacturers having this product line as a standard in 2550mm height.
  • 2003  Aluvan launches as the first in the market an internet price request and product specification programm for customers and prospects.
  • 2003  The expansion continues by the introduction of a wide range kits for the insulation of panel vans (Citroën, Ford, Mercedes, Iveco etc) also available in FNA and FRC versions.
  • 2004 A completely new concept of plywood kits (FRP or GRP) is introduced : rivetfree, glueing technology, prepainted profiles (the revolutionary product is marketed successfully under the name PolyStar): a new star among the PolyVan Dry Freight bodies saw the light of day (as sales figures confirm).
  • 2004  The Polish production plant of Polypan starts making locally his own GRP /FRP panels and becomes the first one in the Central European new EU members (marketed under the name PlyPano).
  • 2005  The Alvan group of companies introduces from his Polish plant and as first Central European company the vans/boxes for ice cream transport with eutectic plates at a operation temperature of      -30°C.
  • 2005  The Alvan group of companies acquires the technology for making modern, light weight top-quality kits for sliding curtain roofs and sliding curtain walls for rigids up to 7,5T GVW (this product is marketed under the brand name FlexoVan).
  • 2005  The group of companies receives a new name : The European Van Company. The European Van Company is characterised by its motto : “The Friendly Company”.
  • 2006  The European Van Company introduces a new range of insulated shutters for the deepfrozen goods transport (marketed under the name Eurofreeze). 
  • 2006  A new curtain sider body for trucks, trailers and semi-trailers for the heavier segment (7,5 to 26T) is introduced.
  • 2008  Alvan (the owner of The European Van Company) takes over 100% of the shares of the Spanish company Panelados Gonsalvo specialised in manufacturing sandwich panels and dry freight kits.   This take over will help Panelados to stand the international competition for the next decades and develop a very appropriate strategy for the markets in Spain and Portugal
  • A very special effort will been made towards rising the quality of the panels and the industrialisation of the processes