Initial success was found in the small but growing sport of windsurfing where a strong, reliable roof rack was an indispensable piece of equipment. This was quickly followed by success in the ski business where Thule’s Swedish heritage certainly helped the product gain rapid acceptance.

By the mid-eighties the first major milestone of the company occurred. At this point, the company sold directly to ski and windsurfing shops but sold through distributors to address the large and growing bike business. A risky decision was made to terminate these distributor relationships and sell direct to retailers through a network of independent sales representatives. Upon this decision rests much of the company's market success today.

As the company’s sales in the bike business grew, so did the competition with another US rack manufacturer. By the late eighties, Åke and his management team felt that the US market had changed - roof racks were seen as almost lifestyle accessories - and customers demanded features and products different to those available from Thule Sweden where roof racks where viewed more simply as a car accessory.

From this sprang the decision that would be the company’s second major milestone. Åke hired a US engineer and set up a small assembly plant in Elmsford, NY in order to design and manufacture bike carriers that would offer the features demanded by the US consumer and compete effectively with other racks on the market.

From this decision grew the strategy to design and manufacture products in the USA for the US market. Since this time, the company has grown rapidly through product innovation, a commitment to quality and the continuance of a strong entrepreneurial spirit. Into the year 2000 and beyond, Thule continues to evolve our products to meet the need of users.

Thule has approx 3,700 employees at over 30 production and sales locations on all major car markets in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

1942
Thule is founded by Erik Thulin from Hillerstorp, southern Sweden. He starts off making basic products out of wood and sheet metal, including pike-gags, belt buckles and mousetraps.

     Pike Gag

1955
Thule makes its first car accessories – headlamp guards. These were popular with drivers on the stony roads of northern Sweden.

1962
Thule starts manufacturing ski carriers with rain gutters for cars, initially commissioned by a wholesaler from Stockholm.

1963
Thule moves into export, starting with Norway and closely followed by Denmark.

1973
Thule establishes contact with Far East Trading in Japan.

1977
Thule launches its first rooftop box on the market.

    Load carrier foot 1050 for cars with a rain gutter.

1979
Founder Erik Thulin sells Industri AB Thule to Eldon AB. Sales are now in the region of 29 MSEK and the company has 48 employees.

1979
Eldon AB buys Gisebo Vagnindustri.

1981
Eldon AB acquires Fogelsta Industrier and Tranesläpet.

1981
Eldon Rental starts renting out trailers.

1981
Thule Inc (formerly Eldon Group America) is established in the USA.

1983
Eldon Rental introduces a one-way rental system for trailers, based on the “Rent here, return there” concept.

The famous Combi box was very popular in the 1980s.

1990
Thule Ltd is established in the UK.

1991
Eldon AB acquires Jetbag GmbH (now Thule GmbH & Co. KG). Jetbag was already Germany’s biggest manufacturer of rooftop boxes, and has since multiplied its output.

1991
Eldon AB establishes the company Trailergruppen AB through the merger of Fogelsta Industrier, Gisebo Vagnindustri and Tranesläpet.

1992
Thule in the USA moves into its own, larger premises in Seymour, Connecticut. The business is expanded to include product development and production of bike carriers and roof racks.

1992
Eldon AB acquires Danish company Brenderup Trailer A/S.

1994
Thule USA starts manufacturing rooftop boxes in Denver, Colorado. Production is later moved to Franklin Park, Illinois.

1996
Thule Automotive Ltd is established in the UK to produce fixed rails for the automotive industry.

1997
Thule acquires the USA’s biggest manufacturer of rooftop boxes, Karrite Inc. The deal also includes UK company Karrite Ltd.

1998
After 25 years in the Japanese market (in collaboration with a Japanese distributor), Thule establishes its own subsidiary company, Thule KK, in Tokyo.

1999
Investment company EQT acquires Eldon AB.

2000
Thule Sp. z o.o. is founded to manufacture bike carriers in Poland.

2001
The Group’s parent company changes name from Eldon AB to Thule AB.

2002
Thule Division Car Rails starts Thule Automotive Poland Sp. z o.o. to establish production of roof rails in Poland.

2003
Thule Division Trailers Europe starts Thule Trailers Sp. z o.o. to establish production of trailer components in Poland.

2004
Thule acquires the Italian König S.p.A., one of Europes leading snow chain manufacturers, as well as 80 percent of the American recreational trailer manufacturer C&C Distributors.

New owner - in October Thule was divested to Candover, new majority owner, and the management, together with representatives from all the divisions, is a significant minority owner and controls approximately 27 per cent of the capital.

2005
In February Thule acquires the Swedish Star Industrier, manufacturer of horse trailers, with a turnover of SEK 40 M and 20 employees.

In June Thule acquires the Belgian leading European manufacturer of accessories for Recreational Vehicles (RV), Omnistor Accessories NV. Omnistor has an annual sales of M 34 Euro and 156 employees.