After more than a decade of leadership, Willy Nelissen retired in 2016. He was succeeded by Henry Karpinski, a production engineer with the same rare dual qualifications in electronics and electrical engineering. Henry not only preserved Thor’s tradition of deep technical expertise but also improved the DAT filter technology beyond expectations.
Working closely with Professor Nihal Kularatna at Waikato University (New Zealand), Thor secured patents in Australia, New Zealand, and the US for its non-sacrificial surge protection technology. This innovation meant that surge protectors no longer needed to degrade after each strike — a revolutionary departure from the industry norm.
In 2017, Thor released the first products incorporating this patented technology: the STViQ inline protection models.
