History of TKH Airport Solutions

The story of TKH Airport Solutions goes back 90 years. Discover the biggest steps of our history in the timeline below.

1930

Establishment of the Twentsche Kabelfabriek (TKF) by Johannes Cornelis van der Lof who was already operating his own cable installation and fitting company as early as the start of the 20th century. The experience in the cable market gained from this venture pushed him to establish NV Twentsche Kabelfabriek with business partner Jan Derk Odink in 1930.

The company’s registered office is in Haaksbergen, The Netherlands, where the vacant premises of Jordaan & Zonen Textielfabrieken, victims of the Great Depression, were for sale.

1953

To facilitate increased (international) expansion of the company, NV Twentsche Kabelfabriek applies to be listed on the Amsterdam stock exchange in 1953.

1969

Induperm A/S is founded in October 1969 in Denmark. The name Induperm is a combination of two magnetic terms: induction and permeability. This is demonstrating the business idea behind Induperm, which is the construction and production of coils and transformers. Induperm specializes in customer-designed transformers for airfield lighting, heavy industry, research projects (like CERN) and medical products.

Initially, Induperm is only dealing with airport projects as a sub-supplier, but in 1978 a separate airport section is established with the task of developing Induperm products for a complete lighting system. During the following years Constant Current regulators, Elevated and Inset lights and PAPIs are added to the product portfolio. In 1987 Induperm was taken over by Ole Lund-Hermansen after a management buy-out.


Approach lights on runway 22R in Copenhagen International Airport with light fixtures and poles manufactured and supplied by Induperm in 1987.

1980

In 1980, the acquisition of a number of companies in the Netherlands and Germany leads to the creation of N.V. Twentsche Kabel Holding (TKH).

1993

USE (Uilenspiegel System Engineering) is founded by Hans van der Kuil. USE creates pioneering products and solutions through smart technology combined with real application knowledge. Guiding, tracing and quality solutions created for the safety critical infrastructure in harsh environments, water and food sectors.

USE offers dynamic road marking systems to solve traffic congestion; guidance and evacuation systems for tunnels; process parameter detection modules for anchors in the oil industry; stray current detection technology for metro and train track infrastructure; and disruptive power quality and protection systems for the energy sector.

Dynamic Road Marking   Anchor Parameter Tracing System and Energy conversion

Tunnel Evacuation Guidance and Guiding Sound Beacons

2004

CEDD® technology is launched.

CEDD® is the abbreviation for Contactless Energy and Data Distribution. The technology has been developed because in the existing connectivity solutions for harsh environments, 9 out of 10 times the galvanic connection (the connector) was the cause of malfunctions.

A connector-free solution for energy and communication has emerged. The “connector-less” idea was further developed as a contactless concept based on the successfully applied Energy and Data Distribution (EDD) technology of USE. CEDD® technology has been developed specifically for safety critical harsh environments markets such as Helidecks on Oil platforms, Evacuation Systems in tunnels etc.

This CEDD® concept and its marketing was a basis for the cooperation between USE and the TKH Group in addition to the innovative and disruptive infrastructure solutions that were marketed by USE.

2007

TKH goes through a transformation to a leading player in the market for innovative total solutions in the Telecom, Building and Industrial Solutions with focus on the growth markets communications, healthcare, security and efficiency.

USE System Engineering becomes a member of the TKH Group NV, which is the new name of TKH. Being a player in infrastructural innovations, the business of USE System Engineering is a welcome expansion to the tunnel & infrastructure division of TKH Group NV.

After a thorough market research for optimal markets for CEDD® applications, the AGL market has proven to be very interesting and promising for the CEDD® technology. The LED introduction at that time and objections as a retrofit solution for existing AGL systems gives an excellent opportunity to generate market disruption with LED systems based on the CEDD® technology. No longer a question of “living in an era of change” but a “change of era” has arrived.

2009

The German company HELLA KGaA, a pioneer in the LED automotive sector, establishes a new business division focusing on Airfield Lighting. In 2011, HELLA takes over Induperm A/S in order to complete the portfolio for AGL. HELLA combines its own lighting portfolio with the Induperm CCRs, PAPIs and other special elevated lights, resulting in HELLA becoming the first player in the AGL market with a full LED AGL portfolio.

2013

The first CEDD® AGL installation is implemented on Groningen Airport Eelde (GRQ), The Netherlands. The complete new taxi centerline was installed, commissioned and in full operation 10 times faster than traditional AGL installations and had a performance of a first time yield of 100%.

The team hands over the CEDD®Control Pad of the first CEDD® AGL system to Operational manager Onno de Jong and his team from GRQ.

2016

TKH Group NV acquires the HELLA Airport Lighting activities by taking over the operating site in Nykøbing Falster (Denmark) and the main assets for AGL products from HELLA in Lippstadt (Germany), including all intellectual property rights.

The acquired AGL activities are now part of TKH’s sub segment connectivity systems within the business segment Building Solutions.

The acquisition strengthens the strategic activities of TKH in its vertical growth market Tunnel & Infra. The LED fixtures of HELLA have been successfully integrated in the CEDD® AGL solution of USE System Engineering.

2018

An AGL experience, training and test center is established on the airside of Twente Airport, Enschede, The Netherlands. Twente Airport is a former military airport that has been developed to become a special function airport. A former F16 hardened shelter is converted into a world class experience and technology center.

2020

As from January 1, 2020, USE System Engineering BV (The Netherlands), Induperm S/A (Denmark) and TKH Airport Technologies GmbH (Germany) further combine their activities under the name TKH Airport Solutions.

The companies, all part of the TKH Group NV, have been successfully working together for years and share a common vision and approach to airport (lighting) technologies and solutions. With this name change and far-reaching integration, the synergy between the companies is even better streamlined and optimal combinations of existing core technologies can be applied within the group into innovative total solutions for the airport market.

The three business locations Haaksbergen (NL), Nykøbing Falster (DK) and Lipperbruch (GER) are maintained, with Haaksbergen acting as head office.