HISTORY | The History of ISRI

As anyone who has dealt with Modern Motor Trimmers over the years knows, we have become famous not only because of our service, but because of the “ISRI” - ISRINGHAUSEN seat that we supply and fit.

To borrow some “marketing talk”, Isringhausen is the “global market leader in the development and manufacture of innovative seating systems for commercial vehicles, with a product range used in trucks, buses and construction equipment”.

To make these seats takes some effort, and to do so ISRI need 49 plants across 20 countries in order to generate the number of product required to satisfy worldwide demand.

But this hasn't been a short journey to where they are today. The company first commenced operations in Bielefeld in 1919, when it began as a manufacturer of bicycle seats and springs, the same year as the German made Kalkhoff bike was sprouting into existence. These were the times when bikes such as the Raleigh Model D Roadster, promoted as the “All Steel Bike” were in vogue in the UK.

At the time Bielefeld was a town that was well known for manufacture and steel works, so it was a good place for ISRI to get off the ground.

Moving forward some years, it was a good 38 years later that the company moved to Lemgo, also in Germany. Lemgo had been founded in the 12th century by Bernard II, Lord of Lippe at the crossroad of two merchant routes. This geography proved helpful for early companies moving product from their manufacturing facilities into customers hands. It was during this period in Lemgo, that the production of ISRI seats for construction machines began. This proved to be a pivotal point in the company’s history.

In the following decades the ISRI range expanded to include the production of seats for other commercial vehicles, including buses, vans and trucks. It was during this timeframe that major innovations such as the height-adjustable integrated three-point belt were manufactured which further established the company as a world leader. Fast forward to 1972, ISRI designed the first automatic self-levelling air suspension seat for commercial vehicles, which further solidified it’s market standing.

Now you will see the ISRI seat being specified as equipment of choice by many of the big name truck, bus, train and van manufacturers including Volvo, DaimlerChrysler, MAN, Scania, IVECO, Ford, DAF, Citroen and Renault.

Being the month of October, and given the German history of the company, we have been celebrating Oktoberfest here at Modern Motor Trimmers, so we hope you’ve got into the spirit as we reflect back on where this all started from.

We can’t wait for two years time when ISRI turns 100.