Temax

Temax is a Greek specialist vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Athens. Its business is associated primarily with fire engines, rescue vehicles, trailers, fire-related equipment and snow-clearing equipment. The company emerged from the Tangalakis vehicle-manufacturing tradition, which began in 1925 when Petros Tangalakis entered a partnership with Athens-based vehicle manufacturer G. Tournikiotis. Tangalakis separated from that partnership in 1934 and established his own company, creating the industrial foundation from which the later Temax operation developed. During the Second World War occupation of Greece, the factory was compelled to operate under German control. Regular vehicle production resumed in 1945. In the postwar period, the company concentrated on all-metal bus construction. It produced bodies using chassis supplied by manufacturers including Studebaker, Daimler and Volvo, and some designs involved substantial chassis modifications to accommodate heavier payloads or different vehicle dimensions. The company also assembled Wayne bus models during the late 1940s and early 1950s, reflecting the broader role of Greek manufacturers at the time in adapting imported chassis and vehicle designs for domestic transport needs. A major strategic change came in 1963, when Tangalakis moved away from bus production and toward firefighting vehicles. Early fire apparatus was primarily based on International Harvester chassis, which Tangalakis assembled from semi-knocked-down kits. This transition shifted the business toward specialized vehicles requiring purpose-built bodies, equipment integration and adaptation for emergency-service operations rather than conventional passenger transport. In 1965, members of the Tangalakis family joined Alexandros Ginis, Fanourios Gyrtatos and Antonis Kalogeropoulos to establish TEMAX as a new company focused on firefighting and other special vehicles. A separate branch of the original Tangalakis business continued under the Tangalakis name as an importer and distributor of firefighting and rescue equipment and vehicle parts. The distinction between the Temax manufacturing company and the continuing Tangalakis trading operation is important when interpreting the group's industrial history. Temax's documented product scope extends beyond fire trucks to rescue vehicles, trailers, associated firefighting equipment and snow-removal machinery. Its position is that of a specialized commercial-vehicle and equipment producer serving operational applications where vehicle bodies, systems and auxiliary equipment must be configured for emergency response, municipal service or difficult weather conditions. Publicly available reference material provides limited information about current ownership, leadership, production volumes, export markets and present operating status; those details therefore remain unconfirmed in this dossier.

Temax's history is rooted in the Tangalakis vehicle-manufacturing enterprise founded in Athens in 1925. Petros Tangalakis initially worked in partnership with G. Tournikiotis, an Athens vehicle manufacturer. In 1934, Tangalakis left that partnership and formed his own company. This independent operation became the basis for a long-running Greek manufacturing tradition that later produced buses and specialized vehicles. The company's development was interrupted during the occupation of Greece in the Second World War, when the factory was forced to operate under German control. Normal vehicle production resumed in 1945. In the years immediately after the war, the business concentrated on all-metal bus bodies and complete bus construction. It worked with chassis from several international manufacturers, including Studebaker, Daimler and Volvo. Some of the company's buses used extensively modified chassis, allowing the manufacturer to support heavier loads or adapt vehicle dimensions to local requirements. The company also assembled Wayne models in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The decisive change in direction occurred in 1963. Rather than continuing to prioritize buses, Tangalakis began focusing on firefighting vehicles. These early fire vehicles were mainly mounted on International Harvester chassis, with the chassis assembled locally from semi-knocked-down kits. The move represented a transition from passenger-transport manufacturing to specialized emergency vehicles, where the principal value lies in integrating a chassis with a custom body, pumps, storage systems and other operational equipment. In 1965, the Tangalakis family and Alexandros Ginis, Fanourios Gyrtatos and Antonis Kalogeropoulos founded TEMAX. The new company was created to manufacture firefighting vehicles and other special-purpose vehicles. The original Tangalakis organization did not disappear entirely: another branch continued under the Tangalakis name as an importer and distributor of firefighting and rescue equipment and vehicle parts. Consequently, the post-1965 story includes both Temax's manufacturing role and the related Tangalakis distribution activity. Temax is described as producing fire and rescue vehicles, trailers, fire-related equipment and snow-clearing equipment. This range places the company within Greece's specialized commercial-vehicle sector, serving emergency response and municipal or infrastructure-related duties rather than the mass passenger-car market. Available public sources do not establish a complete chronology of individual vehicle models, ownership changes, export programs, later facilities or current management. The company website is available as a reference point, but the supplied historical sources do not provide enough verified information to characterize current scale or operating status with confidence.

1. 1965TEMAX is established

   The Tangalakis family, Alexandros Ginis, Fanourios Gyrtatos and Antonis Kalogeropoulos established TEMAX to manufacture firefighting and other special-purpose vehicles.

   Source
2. 1963Shift from buses to firefighting vehicles

   The Tangalakis operation moved its main manufacturing focus toward firefighting vehicles, principally using International Harvester chassis assembled from semi-knocked-down kits.

   Source
3. 1945Regular production resumes after wartime occupation

   Following the period in which the factory operated under German control during the occupation of Greece, regular vehicle production resumed.

   Source
4. 1934Petros Tangalakis establishes an independent company

   Tangalakis separated from the Tournikiotis partnership and founded his own vehicle-manufacturing operation.

   Source
5. 1925Tangalakis vehicle enterprise begins

   Petros Tangalakis entered a partnership with Athens vehicle manufacturer G. Tournikiotis, marking the beginning of the manufacturing history from which Temax later developed.

   Source

A Greek specialist manufacturer focused on emergency-service vehicles, related equipment and other purpose-built commercial applications.

• Firefighting vehiclesEmergency vehicles1963

  Temax's central product category consists of firefighting vehicles developed for fire-service operations. The company's historical transition into this field began in 1963, when it started producing fire apparatus primarily on International Harvester chassis assembled from semi-knocked-down kits. The vehicles represent the company's move from bus construction toward integrated, purpose-built emergency equipment.

• Rescue vehiclesEmergency vehicles

  Rescue vehicles are part of Temax's documented specialist-vehicle range. Public reference material identifies the category but does not provide a complete model list or detailed specifications. These vehicles belong to the company's broader role in supplying purpose-built equipment for emergency and rescue services.

• Special-purpose vehiclesCommercial vehicles1965

  Temax was established in 1965 to manufacture firefighting and other special vehicles. This category covers vehicle applications outside ordinary passenger transport, with bodies and equipment configured for particular operational duties. The available sources do not identify every body type or model produced under the Temax name.

• Trailers and fire-related equipmentEmergency equipment

  The company's documented range includes trailers and equipment used in firefighting-related applications. The supplied sources do not specify individual products, technical configurations or model names, but place these items alongside Temax's vehicle-manufacturing activities.

• Snow-clearing equipmentMunicipal and winter-service equipment

  Snow-clearing equipment is included in Temax's published product scope, extending the company beyond emergency vehicles into winter-service and municipal applications. Available reference material does not give model-level information or establish the current availability of this line.

1. Temax (company)
2. Temax official website