Company history

From a wooden clog manufacturer to one of the international market leaders for aluminium system solutions: this describes the company history of the family business heroal. Together with our partners, we drive innovation and set sustainability standards for today and tomorrow’s buildings. The d

From a wooden clog manufacturer to one of the international market leaders for aluminium system solutions: this describes the company history of the family business heroal. Together with our partners, we drive innovation and set sustainability standards for today and tomorrow’s buildings. The development, design and production of our system solutions, as well as efficient manufacturing processes and modern production sites, make us one of the technology leaders in our industry. We owe this not only to our inventive spirit, but also to our claim to always offer the best product and service quality in a dynamic market.

The origins

  • 1874: Foundation of a wooden clog manufacture

    In 1874, Johann Henkenjohann, grandfather of the heroal company founder Johann Henkenjohann, sets up his own business manufacturing wooden clogs.

  • 1948: Johann Henkenjohann joins the company

    After his return from war, Johann Henkenjohann (1922-2010) joins the wood business, representing the third generation. He starts to produce Chippendale furniture feet. A few years later, he produces the first wooden roller shutters. As the quality of wood declines after some time, Johann Henkenjohann decides to manufacture roller shutters from plastic.

  • 1950: Gerda Henkenjohann

    Gerda Henkenjohann supports her husband in the company and takes over all the commercial tasks.

  • 1958: Entry in the commercial register

    The company “Johann Henkenjohann“ is entered in the commercial register.


The invention of the foam-filled roller shutter slat


heroal on a growth curve


Passion for perfect engineering

  • 1997: Portfolio extended with fire protection

    The first heroal fire protection system is developed.

  • 2000: Development of heroal hwr powder coating

    The innovative hwr powder coating is set up in Plant II in Hövelhof. Thanks to the highly weather-resistant (hwr) coating, the surfaces of aluminium systems for windows, doors, curtain walls and lifting-sliding doors are extremely durable.

  • 2008: Portfolio extended with canopies

    heroal extends its portfolio with canopy systems for the creation of patio canopies and carports (cold roof).

    Dr Vera Schöne, daughter of Gerda and Johann Henkenjohann, joins the company as the fourth generation. During her time as Managing Director, she drives internationalisation and further expands heroal’s product range.

  • 2011: Logistics centre in Hövelhof

    The opening of the heroal logistics centre in Hövelhof, equipped with state-of-the-art technology and fully automatic storage systems with high racks, guarantees heroal customers short response and delivery times during the order process. At the 40,000 m² logistics centre, all heroal products are stored centrally, picked, and delivered to customers with the company’s own fleet of trucks – an important element for the company’s service ethos and growth strategy in Germany and Europe.

  • 2015: Portfolio extended with sun protection; branch office in the Netherlands

    heroal extends its product range to include sun protection systems. A drainage system for door and window elements and lifting-sliding doors is developed the same year. The branch office in Mill (the Netherlands) is opened with its own showroom.

  • 2017: Branch office in France

    heroal opens an additional branch in France (Mommenheim). In the same year, the innovative quality line in Plant II is put into operation.


Towards a digital and sustainable future

  • 2018: Exclusive surface coating

    Thanks to the partnership with Les Couleurs® Le Corbusier, heroal offers a unique colour spectrum for windows, doors and curtain walls as well as roller shutters, sun protection and roller doors – the wide range of heroal colours is extended with 63 industry-exclusive colours allowing for particularly harmonious combinations.

    The coating technology heroal Surface Design (SD) provides for high-quality wood, concrete and rust looks for windows, doors, curtain walls and canopies. With the tried and tested heroal hwr powder coating serving as its basis, heroal SD exceeds the advantages of profile foiling.

  • 2019: Portfolio extended with finished elements

    The introduction of the range of finished elements, heroal Ready, enables heroal fabricators to react more flexibly to market requirements in the product sectors roller shutters, sun protection and roller doors.

    The curtain wall system heroal C 50 GD creates new accentuations in the range of curtain wall designs. The glass fin, which takes on the static tasks of the aluminium mullion, visually reduces the face width on the inside, and at the same time the design depth of the mullion on the outside.

    In the same year, heroal Forum is opened at the company headquarters in Verl. The company building unites a bistro, training rooms and offices under one roof.

  • 2020: Expansion of the Mangement Board

    Dr Vera Schöne withdraws from active business and transfers the management to her son Dr Max Schöne, representing the fifth generation with an involvement in the company.

  • 2020: Portfolio extended with heroal OR

    heroal OR extends the range of canopy systems with a modern system in a timeless design. The patio canopy stands out for its cubic design and numerous accessory options, such as sun protection systems or sliding glass walls.

  • 2021: Relocation of Dutch branch and new showroom in Prague

    The Dutch branch moves from Mill to Helmond in April 2021. Also, a new showroom is opened in Prague.

  • 2022: New services and digital solutions

    heroal's service portfolio is expanded to include offers in the areas of training, marketing, calculation, ordering, production planning and optimisation.

  • 2024: Anniversary - 150 years of heroal

    2024 is a very special year for the family-owned company heroal, as it celebrates its 150th anniversary. The company, which is now managed by the fifth generation of the family, Dr. Max Schöne and Co-Managing Director Dr. Ramon Knollmann, has around 900 employees, is one of the international market leaders for aluminium system solutions and heroal is involved in the construction of sustainable, high-quality residential and commercial buildings worldwide.

Our heroal Promise: Manufactured in Germany, Fabricated in North America

One of the most important things in life is the freedom to choose – and heroal fully supports this. As a family-run company with 150 years of experience, we strongly believe that you should never compromise on quality. With the extensive range of heroal products, there is no shortage of optimal solutions that meet all demands. As leaders in technology, quality for us means better efficiency, better reliability, and better performance and therefore solutions that are “SIMPLY BETTER”.

After over 30 years of fostering business relations with the US, heroal is now fully represented in the United States of America. Since 2015, heroal has provided complete support and a fully qualified on-site team as well as a dedicated service team at our customer’s disposal. The same values are of utmost importance to both our German and our American organizations: quality engineering, premium innovation, and flawless service. Your local team is ready when you are!

  • Over 3,500 specialist partners worldwide
  • Products of certified quality
  • Family-run company with a long tradition
  • Made in Germany
  • Fabricated in North America
  • Individual design
  • Comprehensive range of services
  • Best technical solutions