HERZ Armaturen

For exactly 110 years the company, which acts internationally from its headquarters in Vienna/Austria, offers stability, reliability and continuity by a clearly defined company concept, a well introduced and lived quality management, competent and motivated co-workers and regular personal contact on all levels. Founded in the year 1896, HERZ has a continuous presence at the market, which looks for their-same.

Set up in 1896 by the families Gebauer and Lehrner in Vienna, HERZ Armaturen quickly became one of the most important manufacturers of fittings in the large market of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Even in these early days, the foundry of our company manufactured a wide variety of products from fittings for heating, gas and water systems, bathrooms, and fountain tops to fittings for draft beer and wine, using the sand-moulding process.

The new political situation after World War I which changed the map of Europe, the period between the two world wars with hyperinflation, recession and mass unemployment and finally World War II were particularly hard tests which our company survived thanks to its extraordinary efforts.

The years of reconstruction after 1950 saw one of the most important modernisation phases in our production. This involved streamlining our product range and finally, in the late fifties, resulted in specialising in the manufacture of valves for heating systems. Within a few years, the all-round fittings factory of Gebauer & Lehrner was transformed into heating valve specialist HERZ operating on an international level. At the same time, continuous development in heating engineering and the increased demands on hydraulic systems in circulation pump heating systems led to the design and introduction of control valves such as "Rekord", and subsequently HERZ-DR, a double-spindle control valve.

The increased energy and cost awareness in the early seventies sped up further development of thermostatic valves: In 1972, the first thermostatic valve by HERZ left the bays of our factory. This was the basis for further international expansion. At the same time, the production facilities had to be expanded and modernised. Our operations had outgrown the premises at Herzgasse. So, the factory was re-located to the industrial zone of Inzersdorf at the outskirts of Vienna. By acquiring the plant at Sebersdorf in the province of Styria, our company secured a second location of operations suitable for further expansion.