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Company history

From a wooden clog manufacturer to one of the international market leaders for aluminium system solutions: this describes the company history of the family business heroal. Together with our partners, we drive innovation and set sustainability standards for today and tomorrow’s buildings. The development, design and production of our system solutions, as well as efficient manufacturing processes and modern production sites, make us one of the technology leaders in our industry. We owe this not only to our inventive spirit, but also to our claim to always offer the best product and service quality in a dynamic market.

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The origins

When Johann Henkenjohann, the grandson of the company’s founder, joins the family business, the company’s focus changes. Driven by his inventive spirit, Johann Henkenjohann dedicates himself to the manufacture and development of new products – from furniture feet to roller shutters. By his side is his wife Gerda Henkenjohann, who takes care of all office administration, while her husband can be found in the production area most of the time, always tinkering with new ideas.

  • 1874: Foundation of a wooden clog manufacture

    In 1874, Johann Henkenjohann, grandfather of the heroal company founder Johann Henkenjohann, sets up his own business manufacturing wooden clogs.

  • 1948: Johann Henkenjohann joins the company

    After his return from war, Johann Henkenjohann (1922-2010) joins the wood business, representing the third generation. He starts to produce Chippendale furniture feet. A few years later, he produces the first wooden roller shutters. As the quality of wood declines after some time, Johann Henkenjohann decides to manufacture roller shutters from plastic.

  • 1950: Gerda Henkenjohann

    Gerda Henkenjohann supports her husband in the company and takes over all the commercial tasks.

  • 1958: Entry in the commercial register

    The company “Johann Henkenjohann“ is entered in the commercial register.

The invention of the foam-filled roller shutter slat

The quality of roller shutters made from wood or plastic does no longer meet Johann Henkenjohann’s expectations, which is why he makes a permanent change to aluminium. He uses painted aluminium strips to produce the first single-walled aluminium roller shutter profiles in a roll-forming process. When he develops the first double-walled aluminium roller shutter slat, some industry representatives are very sceptical. But this does not put off Johann Henkenjohann. He fills the aluminium slat with foam and, with this product, revolutionises the roller shutter market. The customers are enthusiastic about the innovative roller shutter slats, and the demand is enormous.

  • 1968: Company renamed to heroal

    During the new production process, Gerda Henkenjohann comes up with the idea of combining the first letters of the surname (Henkenjohann), the production process (roll-forming) and the material (aluminium). The current company name heroal is born (Henkenjohann roll-forms aluminium).

    As the panel boxes available on the market do not meet the high quality standards of the company, heroal develops its first own roller shutter box. The first roller doors are also manufactured at this time.

  • 1969: Introduction of the double-walled, foam-filled aluminium roller shutter slat

    The first foam-filled, double-walled aluminium roller shutter slat of the world, “heroal Selecta“, is officially presented to the trade at the R+T fair in Stuttgart. The aluminium roller shutter slat sets new, unrivalled standards in terms of smooth running, thermal efficiency and burglary protection, and makes it possible to create shutters up to 5 m wide. At this time, the company already employs around 60 people, and its products are also sold in the Netherlands.

  • 1970: Entry into the French market

    The international interest in heroal products grows continuously. heroal also sells its aluminium system solutions in France.

heroal on a growth curve

The success of the foam-filled, double-walled aluminium roller shutter slat is the spark for growth in all company sectors: heroal becomes known not only in the region, but also nationally and internationally. The product portfolio is gradually expanded with window, door, sliding and curtain wall systems. heroal also develops its own surface coating facilities. As the company grows, the administrative building is extended and the production and storage capacities are gradually expanded.

Passion for perfect engineering

Johann Henkenjohann’s innovative spirit shapes the development of the company heroal to this day. In addition to the claim to offer customers consistently high quality “Made in Germany“, the constant further development of heroal aluminium systems, the expansion of the product portfolio and the use of innovative technologies are decisive in order to meet customer needs and anticipate changing requirements of the market. With the opening of branch offices in the US, the Netherlands and France, heroal sets an additional focus on the comprehensive support for international partner businesses and on-site consulting.

  • 1997: Portfolio extended with fire protection

    The first heroal fire protection system is developed.

  • 2000: Development of heroal hwr powder coating

    The innovative hwr powder coating is set up in Plant II in Hövelhof. Thanks to the highly weather-resistant (hwr) coating, the surfaces of aluminium systems for windows, doors, curtain walls and lifting-sliding doors are extremely durable.

  • 2008: Portfolio extended with canopies

    heroal extends its portfolio with canopy systems for the creation of patio canopies and carports (cold roof).

    Dr Vera Schöne, daughter of Gerda and Johann Henkenjohann, joins the company as the fourth generation. During her time as Managing Director, she drives internationalisation and further expands heroal’s product range.

  • 2011: Logistics centre in Hövelhof

    The opening of the heroal logistics centre in Hövelhof, equipped with state-of-the-art technology and fully automatic storage systems with high racks, guarantees heroal customers short response and delivery times during the order process. At the 40,000 m² logistics centre, all heroal products are stored centrally, picked, and delivered to customers with the company’s own fleet of trucks – an important element for the company’s service ethos and growth strategy in Germany and Europe.

  • 2015: Portfolio extended with sun protection; branch office in the Netherlands

    heroal extends its product range to include sun protection systems. A drainage system for door and window elements and lifting-sliding doors is developed the same year. The branch office in Mill (the Netherlands) is opened with its own showroom.

  • 2017: Branch office in France

    heroal opens an additional branch in France (Mommenheim). In the same year, the innovative quality line in Plant II is put into operation.

Towards a digital and sustainable future

Dr Max Schöne, member of the Management Board, is the fifth generation to lead the company. In addition to the spirit of innovation, today’s objectives are digitalisation, CO2 footprints, recyclable products and our social responsibility. As a family company geared to the future, we think in generations. We know the growing expectations and requirements and offer sustainable, flexible and individual solutions. We constantly enhance our aluminium systems, expand business sectors and support our partner businesses world-wide with our versatile services. With targeted activities, we actively shape our future – and constantly changing markets create new opportunities for us.

  • 2018: Exclusive surface coating

    Thanks to the partnership with Les Couleurs® Le Corbusier, heroal offers a unique colour spectrum for windows, doors and curtain walls as well as roller shutters, sun protection and roller doors – the wide range of heroal colours is extended with 63 industry-exclusive colours allowing for particularly harmonious combinations.

    The coating technology heroal Surface Design (SD) provides for high-quality wood, concrete and rust looks for windows, doors, curtain walls and canopies. With the tried and tested heroal hwr powder coating serving as its basis, heroal SD exceeds the advantages of profile foiling.

  • 2019: Portfolio extended with finished elements

    The introduction of the range of finished elements, heroal Ready, enables heroal fabricators to react more flexibly to market requirements in the product sectors roller shutters, sun protection and roller doors.

    The curtain wall system heroal C 50 GD creates new accentuations in the range of curtain wall designs. The glass fin, which takes on the static tasks of the aluminium mullion, visually reduces the face width on the inside, and at the same time the design depth of the mullion on the outside.

    In the same year, heroal Forum is opened at the company headquarters in Verl. The company building unites a bistro, training rooms and offices under one roof.

  • 2020: Expansion of the Mangement Board

    Dr Vera Schöne withdraws from active business and transfers the management to her son Dr Max Schöne, representing the fifth generation with an involvement in the company.

  • 2020: Portfolio extended with heroal OR

    heroal OR extends the range of canopy systems with a modern system in a timeless design. The patio canopy stands out for its cubic design and numerous accessory options, such as sun protection systems or sliding glass walls.

  • 2021: Relocation of Dutch branch and new showroom in Prague

    The Dutch branch moves from Mill to Helmond in April 2021. Also, a new showroom is opened in Prague.

  • 2022: New services and digital solutions

    heroal's service portfolio is expanded to include offers in the areas of training, marketing, calculation, ordering, production planning and optimisation.

  • 2024: Anniversary - 150 years of heroal

    2024 is a very special year for the family-owned company heroal, as it celebrates its 150th anniversary. The company, which is now managed by the fifth generation of the family, Dr. Max Schöne and Co-Managing Director Dr. Ramon Knollmann, has around 900 employees, is one of the international market leaders for aluminium system solutions and heroal is involved in the construction of sustainable, high-quality residential and commercial buildings worldwide.

Our heroal Promise: Manufactured in Germany, Fabricated in North America

One of the most important things in life is the freedom to choose – and heroal fully supports this. As a family-run company with 150 years of experience, we strongly believe that you should never compromise on quality. With the extensive range of heroal products, there is no shortage of optimal solutions that meet all demands. As leaders in technology, quality for us means better efficiency, better reliability, and better performance and therefore solutions that are “SIMPLY BETTER”.

After over 30 years of fostering business relations with the US, heroal is now fully represented in the United States of America. Since 2015, heroal has provided complete support and a fully qualified on-site team as well as a dedicated service team at our customer’s disposal. The same values are of utmost importance to both our German and our American organizations: quality engineering, premium innovation, and flawless service. Your local team is ready when you are!

  • Over 3,500 specialist partners worldwide
  • Products of certified quality
  • Family-run company with a long tradition
  • Made in Germany
  • Fabricated in North America
  • Individual design
  • Comprehensive range of services
  • Best technical solutions