Within the ever-changing world of global logistics, a little consistency goes a long way. And the Klinge family business has consistently been providing high-level service and products since its founding by Paul Klinge just after the Second World War in Denmark.
Paul ventured out to the US shortly after the end of the war, seeking new partners and opportunities and eventually securing representations for companies such as Union Carbide (which at the time included the Energizer and Eveready battery brands), Bendix, Westinghouse and Borg-Warner that later invested in York International, which, among other products, also produced refrigeration systems for marine transport containers.
In order to maintain the level of consistent service, however, adaptation and fresh thinking was also needed and, in a family business, this often comes in the form of a new generation joining the team. By 1984, Paul and his son Henrik Klinge, who had worked in the company since 1971, were the main agents for the York ocean transport business and would eventually take over the business completely as York focused on other business opportunities. The production of standard reefer equipment eventually moved to Denmark where other Klinge companies were operating, while other specialised reefer equipment production remained in York, Pennsylvania and both Klinges continued to press the products forward into new markets.
Henrik moved with his family to the US in 1986 to run the Klinge facility in York, now called Klinge Corporation. Throughout the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, Henrik continued to build Klinge’s brand in the industry, also introducing tank container refrigeration and heating equipment as part of the company’s offerings, as well as starting multiple other successful companies, including a refrigerant reclaim company and a booming spare parts business.
The third generation
Following in his father Henrik’s footsteps and continuing the influx of fresh energy from generation to generation, Allan Klinge joined the company in 2007. Allan brought a renewed passion to focus on the core competencies of Klinge Corporation – innovation, specialised design and customer service. New projects and endeavours followed, including large contracts with the Australian Defence Force and Swedish Defence, all while building on long-term success in the chemical industry and introducing new product lines of explosion-proof equipment for the oil and gas industry.
Sadly, while Paul had been a part of the business up until the end, he passed away in 2010 at the age of 88. Henrik an Allan continued on with the work in the US, bringing on new clients in the pharmaceutical and food-processing space, and Allan eventually took over Klinge Corporation completely in 2017, becoming president and then CEO in 2022.
Henrik continues as director and is still deeply involved in the engineering side of the business, while Allan focuses on implementing a series of business process improvement plans to help keep Klinge at the forefront of innovation, while also focusing on building an engaged and passionate team to ensure long-term success – continuing the decades long-trend of generational change.