Trachte Building Systems history

1907 Trachte Brothers Co. moves to a larger space at Bedford and West Washington Ave. near the Illinois Central Depot.

1912 Trachte Brothers Co. designs and patents a roll-forming machine to manufacture corrugated livestock water tanks.

1916 Trachte Brothers Co. is incorporated and publishes its first catalog illustrating the company’s line of tanks and heaters.

1919 The first Trachte steel structure is built to house an automobile, Arthur’s new Dodge.

An 8′ x 16′ garage sold for $100 FOB Madison, WI. 1920

1923 Trachte Brothers begin to market their steel buildings throughout the Midwest and southern states.

1926 The 25th Anniversary Catalog is published to showcase Trachte’s complete line of steel products.

1927 On August 22, a Trachte airplane hangar houses Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St Louis during his visit to Madison’s Penco Field.

1928 The concept of self storage begins to emerge.

1929 Trachte employees vote on a three-day work week to keep all employees actively employed during the Great Depression.

1930 1930 Trachte introduces the “modernistic cornice” mansard/facade for storefront designs.

Trachte buildings became familiar sights as companies such as Oscar Mayer, Schappe Pontiac, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Standard Oil, and Sinclair Oil considered them ideally suited to meet their needs 1950

1968 Trachte Metal Buildings Company is sold to Paul Lindau.

1974 Trachte enters the self-storage industry by pioneering one of the first all-steel mini-warehouses in the country.

1975 Trachte Metal Buildings Company changes its name to Trachte Building Systems, Inc.

1976 Trachte sells its first mini storage building outside the United States.

1978 Robert Trachte retires as President.

1979 The company sells its first two-story mini storage building.

1981 Trac-Rite® Door, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Trachte, is incorporated.

1984 Stephen Pagelow purchases the majority control of Trachte Building Systems, Inc.

1985 Trachte purchases six acres of land in the Sun Prairie Business Park and begins construction of its 40,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility.

1987 Trachte expands its manufacturing plant with an additional 9,000 sq. ft.

1988 The Micro Storage Unit is introduced serving portable storage needs of owners and renters.

1990 1990 Trachte redesigns its standard self-storage building to include a new 18-gauge header and jamb system.

1991 Trachte enters into an agreement with Fire Facilities Inc. to manufacture the company’s line of steel fire training towers.

1993 The manufacturing plant is expanded adding 18,000 sq. ft. to the facility.

1995 Trachte expands its plant again adding 23,000 sq. ft. for a total of 100,000 sq. ft.

1996 In February, the company launches its first website and benefits from a sale from this medium.

1997 A help line is established to assist contractors during the installation process.

1999 Trachte purchases a cut-to-length line and a folding machine allowing the manufacture of longer parts.

2001 Trachte celebrates 100 years of business.

2002 Trachte receives the Certificate of Recognition award from the State of Wisconsin – Department of Workforce Development for successfully improving its workplace injury rate.

The Roof Mart companies were started by Robert McNees in 2004 and are based in Vernon, Alabama.

2005 Trac-Rite Door introduces the SpaceGuard latch and cylinder lock as new features on its steel roll-up doors.

The availability of credit to self storage developers helps the industry to begin recovery from a construction slowdown that began in 2008.

2010 The Small Business Administration now allows loans to self storage businesses for the first time.

2015 With sales restored to record levels, Trachte’s manufacturing floor receives new and updated equipment.

2017 Trachte subsidiary Trac-Rite develops a new robotic manufacturing cell for roll-up doors.