Immediately after World War II, Mr. Eugène Schmidt laid the foundation of ESCO by starting COTEC, a company focussed on reselling mechanical power transmission products (torque converters and Twin Disc marine reversing gear units) on the Belgian market.

Over time, Mr Schmidt expanded Cotec’s activities into adjacent European markets and diversified its product portfolio by launching a gear coupling line that was designed and manufactured in-house: ESCO (Eugêne Schmidt & Company) was born.

Today, although the company remains a family-owned-and-run business with the second and third generations working hand in hand, ESCO has become a multinational industrial company, employing more than 200 employees spread across 9 subsidiaries established in different European and Asian countries.

1946

Establishment in Brussels, Belgium of the company Cotec which will become Esco, the abbreviation of his founder’s name: Eugène Schmidt & Co. Esco was originally a reselling company in the torque convertor and marine reversing gear unit sector.

ESCO's first European subsidiaries open in Germany, France and the Netherlands.

1958 - 1964
1966

ESCO Couplings delivers its first CST gear coupling and enters the couplings sector, starting its amazing journey of innovations, records and success.

Entering a new level, Esco Couplings designs and produces its first high-speed couplings for turbines.

1973
1976

Launching of the Escogear F series couplings range.

1978

Signing of a major contract with General Electric (USA) for the supply of couplings for the first gas pipeline from Siberia to Western Europe. This was the beginning of a long-lasting and treasured relationship between the two companies.

Launching of the Escodisc couplings range. Designed for infinite life, Esco Couplings wanted to meet the market demand for a maintenance-free, environmentally-friendly coupling which no longer required lubrication.

1986
1990

First purchase orders received from Alstom for the Escogear FTR traction couplings for double-decker trains. These will soon be followed by many others for underground trains and high-speed trains worldwide. Today Alstom and ESCO Couplings still work closely together.

1995

ISO 9001 certification is granted to ESCO Couplings.

Esco Couplings keeps improving and developing its range of products and introduces a new range of Escodisc couplings (1999), a new range of Escogear couplings (2000) and several new Elastomeric couplings (2001), developing its range on the couplings market even further.

1999 - 2001

Extension of production facilities in Diegem (Brussels, Belgium).

2002
2003

Engineering and manufacturing of a new range of Escodisc couplings for windmills, with a unique (and protected) EIOS torque overload protection system.

Opening of ESCO Couplings & Transmissions Private Limited (ECTPL) in Bangalore, India.

2007
2010

Acquisition of the company André De Decker (Saintes, Belgium) and set-up of an independent production site for general industry couplings.

2012

Establishment of ESCO Couplings (Jinan) Ltd, in Jinan, China.

2017

Construction of a brand-new facility to support the growth of the Indian subsidiary ESCO Couplings & Transmissions Private Limited (ECTPL) in Bangalore.