Founded in 1754 DRU is now the European market leader for gas stoves. The story began in 1754, when a group of Dutch farmers discovered that their soil was rich in iron ore. They began extracting the metal and smelting it down to produce pewter. This was then cast into pots, pans and other household items, and the company of Diepenbrock & Reigers of Ulft (DRU) was formed. The products rapidly developed to include solid fuel fires and cookers. The company was one of the first in the world to produce natural gas fires, and has always been at the forefront of gas heating technology. During the 1930s, its engineers developed the balanced flue system, which today is used by gas heating manufacturers throughout the world. With this background DRU is now increasing their market share on the area of wooden stoves. By taking over the company Dik Geurts and starting the co-operation with the German European market leader for wooden stoves; Spartherm, the first steps are their.