Eberspaecher this week recognized half a century in North America, with a celebration for employees, customers and other guests including Mississauga mayor Bonnie Crombie.

“Half a century of successful operations – this is indeed a unique and outstanding performance. Happy anniversary to our Canadian team here in Mississauga,” said Martin Peters, managing partner of the Eberspaecher Group.

The German company expanded to the North American market – setting up operations in Mississauga – in 1973 after seeing local demand for its core product, the engine-off pre-heater. The business grew through the 1990s and 2000s when the U.S. began cracking down on heavy vehicle emissions.

“With our Airtronic D2 air heater, we were perfectly positioned for this,” recalled Oleg Riabtsev, president -climate control systems, North America.

Eberspaecher serves the entire North American market from its Mississauga location on Vipond Drive, which it moved into in 2006. The facility occupies about 9,000 square meters and is strategically located to serve all North America, Riabtsev explained.

“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,” he said.

In a speech to attendees, Riabtsev said the company continues to seek opportunities to expand its footprint here.

“We’ve been listening to the voice of our customers and anticipated the growth to diversify into new segments like RV, construction, and utility,” he said. “We have also introduced new product generations and launched new product lines like our AC systems and our Xellstor Energy storage system.”

John Dennehy, vice-president of marketing and communications told TruckNews.com that at least 60% of Class 8 sleeper trucks are equipped with the Airtronic D2 bunk heater. But with the cyclicality of the trucking sector, the business has been seeking out new applications, and discovinerg them even after 50 years. Some of those were on display at the company’s celebration event, including a mobile dentist office installed in a Sprinter van.

The owners can enjoy engine-off heating and air-conditioning when visiting patients. Utility trucks and off-road vehicles are also growing segments for the company.

“The same systems we’re using on Class 8 trucks, now we’re using them in other segments,” Dennehy said.