GROHE invests 5 million euros in color technology and creates new jobs in Lahr, Germany

16.10.2019 Company Information

  • New color technology for hand showers and shower systems creates 27 new jobs at the GROHE site in Lahr
  • Over the past three years GROHE has invested approx. 15 million euros in technologies and site infrastructure
  • Goal: CO2-neutral production in all five GROHE plants worldwide from 2020

Düsseldorf, 16 October 2019. Grohe AG recently announced new investments in Lahr. The sanitary fittings expert from Düsseldorf runs its global competence center for hand showers and shower systems at this site. As Thomas Fuhr, Grohe CEO and COO Fittings LIXIL International, revealed during a site visit, the GROHE production in the Black Forest will be implementing PVD technology by the end of 2019. The investment amounting to approximately 5 million euros will also be creating 27 new jobs. “With the PVD coating technique we bring a high-end technology to Lahr that’s in line with a global consumer trend and also serves a growth segment: hand showers and shower systems in beautiful colors for customized designs in bathrooms. With this investment we’re increasing the manufacturing scope of the plant, which puts us in a better position to bring the hand showers and shower systems in GROHE colors to market faster”, says Thomas Fuhr.

Innovative production Made in Germany
GROHE supplies its entire global product portfolio for hand showers and shower systems with around 1300 product variants produced at its Lahr site. As a technology leader, GROHE invests significantly in the continuous expansion of its five production plants worldwide. Over the past three years around 15 million euros have been invested in Lahr alone. This plant is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, working with more than 100 automated processes and collaborative robots.

“The technologies used at this site are cutting-edge in the sanitary industry and we’re proud that adding the PVD technology will create another highlight in our production of hand showers and shower systems. This will strengthen our innovation cycle and give additional support to Lahr not only as a production site but also an attractive employer in the region”, explains plant manager Hans-Martin Souchon. Over the past five years the number of GROHE employees in Lahr has risen by 20 percent to around 750.

Investing more into sustainability – CO2-neutral production target for 2020
As CEO of Grohe AG, Thomas Fuhr is also responsible for the areas of technology and sustainability. “Technology and sustainability are interdependent. Whenever we invest in technology, it’s important for us to know that this investment can also make a positive contribution to our environmental balance sheet. This is a process that necessitates considerable investments. With regards to Lahr, in the past five years over 60 measures for increasing energy efficiency have been implemented”, summarises Thomas Fuhr.

GROHE, as is its mother company LIXIL who is listed in the highly-regarded Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, is firmly committed to sustainability. In September, when being conferred the 2019 B.A.U.M. Environmental Award in the category “large enterprises”, Thomas Fuhr announced the company’s goal of CO2-neutral production at all five GROHE production plants worldwide starting next year. In this context, GROHE converted all its production plants to green electricity in July 2019. The provider of sanitary fittings will also offset unavoidable CO₂ emissions with compensation projects.

Shower highlights from Lahr ensure “pure joy of water” worldwide
In conscious contrast to the hectic, loud world outside, our bathrooms increasingly become oases of wellbeing where we find peace in our own personal spa. Minimalist design and products play an important role here. When developing its product solutions, the global brand for full bathroom solutions focuses on the needs of the consumer and develops innovations for a sustainable water experience with an approach that combines intuitive use with precise control and water enjoyment without compromise.

The results of this approach include, for example, the innovative GROHE SmartControl for showers, with the push-turn-shower control panel that makes it easy to select water pressure and spray patterns or switch between the head and hand shower. Additionally, the latest shower innovations from the GROHE Rainshower family have convincing smart features while giving the user full control with intuitive operation. The most innovative hand shower in the portfolio is the new GROHE SmartActive. The integrated GROHE SmartTip technology enables intuitive selection of spray patterns. Positioned conveniently on the back of the ergonomically-shaped hand shower, the preferred spray pattern can be selected with just a tip of a finger. And thanks to the GROHE DripStop feature, that annoying dripping after switching off the hand shower is a thing of the past.

For images please use the following link: click here.

About PVD technology
PVD is the abbreviation for Physical Vapor Deposition. The technology originates from the aerospace industry and has set a new standard for the quality of finishes. During the first step, the pre-treatment, the components are carefully cleaned and heat-treated in an oven where the plastic components undergo a degassing process. During the second step, the PVD coating is applied. This process takes place in a high vacuum environment and consists of three steps: First, the substrate is cleaned, then the base coat is applied followed by the paint coat. The process ensures a broader range of colors while at the same time making it possible that the finishes are three times harder and ten times more scratch-resistant than galvanized finishes.

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