From D&D to Dango & Dienenthal: Building finds new life

As chance would have it, German industrial engineering company Dango & Dienenthal USA Inc. has opened its U.S. sales headquarters in Carrollton, bringing new life to the former D&D TV and Appliance building at 618 Canton Road NW.

This gives Carroll County a direct connection in America to an international manufacturer with operations around the world.

During an open house and presentation, company representatives outlined the history of the Germany-based parent company, its worldwide footprint and the types of specialized industrial equipment it manufactures.

CEO Dr. Jens-Uwe Heitsch said the company dates back to 1865.

“The company was founded in 1865 by August Dango and Louis Dienenthal,” Heitsch said.

Today, the business remains family-owned and is now led by the fifth generation of the founding families. The parent company’s headquarters are still located in Siegen, a city in Germany about an hour north of Frankfurt.

Company officials said the larger Dango & Dienenthal group includes three main brands — Dango & Dienenthal, Hanco and TMT — with business units focused on filtration technology, forging and handling machinery, aluminum production equipment, mining solutions, vacuum technology and blast furnace systems.

The company also maintains subsidiaries and operations in several countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, India, Japan, South Africa, Mozambique, Indonesia and the United States.

Worldwide, the group employs about 850 people, according to Heitsch. Its largest production facility is in Siegen, where officials said the company can manufacture components weighing up to 50 tons and lift pieces as heavy as 240 tons.

Among the equipment the company produces are forging manipulators, pipe-sizing machinery, filtration systems and material-handling systems used in steel, aluminum and mining operations.

Heitsch showed examples of machines used to handle molten metal, transport heavy industrial components and support forging processes involving extremely high temperatures. Some of the machines are built to handle pieces weighing as much as 100 tons.

The company also highlighted its filtration systems, which are designed for use in industrial cooling, irrigation, drinking water and other applications where solid materials must be removed from water. Heitsch said one of the company’s strengths is designing filters that can clean themselves while continuing to operate.

Carrollton native Lorrie Fenton serves as operations manager and treasurer for the U.S. division and played a key role in bringing the company to the area.

Fenton said she was tasked with finding a location for the new office and evaluated approximately 30 different buildings across Ohio before the company ultimately selected the Carrollton site.

“I began searching for properties in January 2025,” Fenton said. “The second facility I considered was the old D&D building. It seemed like a good fit, but it was too far from interstates and major cities.”

She said the search expanded across multiple communities, including Alliance, Youngstown, Boardman, Austintown, Canfield, Leetonia and Columbiana, as the company looked for a location closer to major highways.

“My boss lost track after I dragged him to 30 different facilities, while I lost count at 80 properties,” Fenton said.

Despite that, she said the company repeatedly returned to Carrollton as a potential fit.

“We revisited the old D&D building five times,” she said.

By September 2025, the company had narrowed its search to three final locations, including the Carrollton site. Fenton said the Carrollton building ultimately met the company’s needs, leading to a lease agreement in November and a move-in in December.

Fenton said bringing the company to her hometown was especially meaningful.

“Having witnessed businesses come and go since the oil and gas industry took over our county, I felt compelled to establish our business here,” she said. “Personally, I want to see businesses that are here to stay.”

She said the company’s presence also allows it to invest in the community, noting she has already supported local organizations including the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Carrollton Baseball, the Carrollton High School band and 4-H.

Fenton added that welcoming company leadership to Carrollton was a point of pride.

“When the German executives visited, they were impressed because the building and town exceeded their expectations,” she said.

She said convincing company leaders to choose Carrollton was not easy, but the community ultimately proved itself.

“I was thrilled that a company from Germany chose to make our town its home,” Fenton said. “Although it lacks the allure of a big city with a four-lane highway, it offers much in its own right.”

She credited several local individuals and businesses for helping support the effort, including building owner George Bach, Mayor William Stoneman, former village administrator Mark Wells and several local business owners.

In addition to its industrial machinery, the broader company group also includes mining equipment, vacuum systems for material recovery and forestry equipment dealerships in Germany.

Executive Director and General Manager Robert Smith, who was raised in a county seat in Pennsylvania, said the Carrollton office will serve as a base for sales and service operations in the United States. If business continues to grow, the company may also add light assembly operations in the future.

“As a base point, here we are proud and happy to be here,” Smith said.

While the company’s largest machinery will continue to be manufactured overseas, representatives said equipment can be shipped to customers in pieces and assembled after delivery.