TEMAX is today the leading Greek

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

 manufacturer of fire-fighting vehicles, while under its previous name, Tangalakis, it has been one of the most historic bus manufacturers in that country.

History

There has been more than 100 bus manufacturers in Greece (the vast majority being body manufacturers) but Tangalakis is particularly remembered to this date for its significance and the quality of its products.

Company activity effectively started in 1925, when Petros Tangalakis joined as a partner G. Tournikiotis, a vehicle body manufacturer based in Athens, founded in 1922. The new joint company saw significant growth becoming the largest in its field, producing a variety of vehicles on imported chassis. In 1934 Tangalakis split off creating his own company, which remained the leading Greek vehicle producer for nearly three decades, also briefly venturing into passenger car manufacture. During the Axis occupation of Greece in WWII the factory was put under German control, but vehicle production was resumed in 1945.

The following years were Tangalakis's "Golden Era"; the company (operating two factories in Athens) focused on all-metal bus construction on chassis by Studebaker

Studebaker

Studebaker Corporation was a United States wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 under the name of the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, the company was originally a producer of wagons for farmers, miners, and the...

, Daimler

Daimler Motor Company

The Daimler Motor Company Limited was an independent British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in London by H J Lawson in 1896, which set up its manufacturing base in Coventry. The right to the use of the name Daimler had been purchased simultaneously from Gottlieb Daimler and Daimler Motoren...

, Volvo

Volvo

AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...

 and other manufacturers, producing several models remembered to this date (in some of which it introduced extensive chassis modification to accommodate higher loads and/or different vehicle dimensions). The company know-how was undoubtedly enriched through its assembly of Wayne

Wayne Corporation

Wayne Corporation was a large manufacturer of buses and other vehicles branded with the trade name "Wayne." The corporate headquarters were in Richmond, Indiana, in Wayne County, Indiana, in the United States...

 models in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

In 1963, facing strong competition from other bus manufacturing companies in Greece, it ventured into fire-fighting vehicle manufacture mainly on International Harvester

International Harvester

International Harvester Company was a United States agricultural machinery, construction equipment, vehicle, commercial truck, and household and commercial products manufacturer. In 1902, J.P...

chassis (chassis assembled by Tangalakis from SKD kits). In 1965 it created TEMAX, a new company entirely focused on fire-fighting and other specialty vehicle production, which operates successfully to date. Another branch of the original company, though, has continued business under the Tangalakis name, as importers and distributors of fire-fighting and rescue equipment, vehicle parts etc.

External links

• http://www.temax.gr
• http://www.tangalakis.gr
• 1937 Tangalakis-DKW automobile