| Industry | Manufacturing, Sanitary Fittings |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1901 |
| Founder(s) | Hans Grohe |
| Headquarters | Hansgrohe, Schiltach, Black Forest |
| Products | Showers, mixer |
| Website | www.hansgrohe-int.com |
Hansgrohe is a German sanitary fittings manufacturer. It was founded by Hans Grohe in 1901, in Schiltach, Germany. Hansgrohe is currently the world's largest shower head and hand-held shower attachment supplier followed by competitors such as GROHE and ROHL. Hansgrohe is a subsidiary of Masco Corporation [1] of Taylor, Michigan, USA.
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Pioneering work in the Black Forest
Master clothier Hans Grohe (1871-1955) was an innovator. In 1899 he moved from Luckenwalde near Berlin to the small Black Forest town of Schiltach. Two years later he turned his back on weaving and established a metal pressing workshop. Hans Grohe had a passion for the element water, and so from 1901 onwards he bravely hedged his bets on the sanitary sector, still in its early stages of development. Of course bathrooms in private houses were only just becoming fashionable at that time. He specialised in tin showers, thus laying the foundations for untold success. During the course of the 20th century, Hans Grohe’s small three-man operation in the Kinzigtal valley developed into a global company. Today it is one of the international innovation and market leaders for mixers and showers.
When showering became popular - A German success story
By the mid-20th century in Germany, for broad segments of the population it was still sheer luxury to have their own bathroom. Hans Grohe considered the shower an affordable alternative to the bath. It was part of the product range in his metal pressing plant from the outset. And in the decades to come he devoted himself passionately and painstakingly to developing his showers further. In doing so he proved that he had a good nose for business – and shaped shower culture far beyond the borders of the Black Forest. From 1928, Hans Grohe’s hand shower became a convenient alternative to the then customary overhead shower. Hans Grohe became a shower specialist and pioneer for the German sanitary industry. For many decades his craftsmanship and design set the trends. Even as an 82-year-old, this visionary invented something trend-setting: the wall bar, to which the hand shower can be attached at the desired height. Today it is common in bathrooms all over the world – in 1953 it was a stroke of bathroom genius. Would you like to find out more about the Schiltach think-tank inventions? Here you will find Hansgrohe's innovation history – milestones in shower craftsmanship.
Like father, like son - An innovative family
Throughout all its generations, the company has had a true passion for water, the elixir of life. The founder’s youngest son, Klaus Grohe (*1937), has played an active role in his father’s company from 1968 up to the present day. As a “Green Mind” (Financial Times Deutschland), Klaus Grohe is becoming the sanitary industry’s mentor on issues of environmental protection and sustainability. He promotes water-saving, energy-saving products just as vehemently as he promotes environmental protection and resource conservation in manufacturing. Klaus Grohe has managed the now globally-operating company for 33 years. Since 2008 he has presided over the Hansgrohe AG Supervisory Board. Please don’t confuse Hansgrohe AG from the Black Forest with Grohe AG from Hemer in Westphalia. Even though both companies are active in the same sector, they have little in common. The competitor has not had a Grohe on board for years. The situation is very different at Hansgrohe: more than a century after the company was founded, descendants of the South German shower pioneer are still actively contributing to the company’s success. Today, three of Klaus Grohe’s sons are continuing the family tradition: since 2008, Richard Grohe (*1965) has been Deputy Chairman of the Board and has overseen the Hansgrohe brand. His brother Philippe Grohe (*1967) manages the Axor brand. Pierre Nicolas Grohe (*1975) is Global Key Account Manager. Today, in addition to the direct descendants and family members of founding father Hans Grohe, the following people govern the destiny of the company: our Supervisory Board and Executive Board. Today, this bathroom and sanitary specialist employs around 3,200 workers, on every continent. A good two-thirds of these work in Germany. In the small Black Forest town of Schiltach, bathroom history is still being written: Hansgrohe in facts and figures .