Orscheln Europe

The Orscheln Group is an entrepreneurial group of companies widely diverse in products, services and market. Though diverse, we're singular in purpose: Creating ideas that make a world of difference.

We Began With An Idea

In the 1930s, brothers Ed and William Orscheln established a trucking business. As maintenance supervisor for Orscheln Brothers Truck Line, it was brother Al's job to fix any problems on the fleet. Parking brakes failed quite often and one day in 1938, driver Gus Williams came in complaining, "You've got to fix the parking brake on old Six Speed." Al sketched out a different design (the first "over center" parking brake), built one in the shop, installed it on a truck going to St. Louis, and Orscheln manufacturing was born.

And the first of a world of business ideas.