The Trane Difference Trane, a leading provider of indoor comfort systems  and comprehensive facility solutions, began as a family-owned business more than a century ago. In 1885, James Trane opened his plumbing company in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and in 1913 was joined by his engineer son, Reuben. Their small company gradually evolved from plumbing into manufacturing heating products. Their first innovation was a low-pressure steam heating system called Trane Vapor Heating, and by 1925 their lightweight, highly efficient convector radiator could replace the heavy cast-iron radiators of their day. Their first air conditioner, the Trane Unit Cooler, was designed in 1931. It was a bold new idea forma company that was becoming well-known for its innovative thinking. Through the decades that followed, the innovative thinking became a hallmark of Trane.