New Factory Strengthens European Manufacturing Network

The Hansgrohe Group Opens New Faucet Factory in Valjevo, Serbia

Valjevo/Schiltach, June 2023. The Hansgrohe Group continues to focus on growth, opening its new production site in the Serbian city of Valjevo on June 27. A factory for the production of bathroom and kitchen fittings was built here over the past year and a half at a cost of around 85 million Euros. "With this investment, we are strengthening our manufacturing network in Europe," said Hans Jürgen Kalmbach, Chairman of the Executive Board of Hansgrohe SE, during the opening ceremony, which was also attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and German Ambassador Anke Konrad. "The factory is part of our global manufacturing strategy to keep supply chains and transport routes short and safe."

Hansgrohe relies on a high level of in-house manufacturing expertise for its products. "With our employees at all locations, we fulfill our high quality promise and thus ensure the satisfaction of our customers," says Kalmbach. "The factory in Serbia further strengthens our valve competency. Now we have additional capacity, especially for the European market, to be close to our customers." In the future, Valjevo will primarily manufacture hansgrohe branded products. The existing faucet factory in Schiltach, which has been modernized over the past two years, focuses on AXOR branded products. With Valjevo, we are aligning Hansgrohe for the future and strengthening all national and international locations." Hansgrohe produces faucets in Schiltach, Valjevo and Shanghai (China). The factory in Offenburg specializes in plastic products, such as showers, surface technology and the assembly of fittings for bathrooms and kitchens. Cartridges and thermostats are also manufactured there. The company has other factories in Willstätt, Bad Bentheim (Germany), Wasselonne (France) and Atlanta (USA).

Worldwide Investments

However, Hansgrohe is not only investing in Serbia. In Shanghai, China, the bathroom and kitchen specialist opened a new center for innovation at the beginning of June: the Hansgrohe InnovationParc. The focus here is on developing product ideas for the Asian market. Hansgrohe is thus pushing the localization of its products and brands in China and the Asia-Pacific region.

Investments are also being made at the German sites. In the AXOR Center for Excellence in Schiltach alone, more than ten million Euros have been invested in the last three years - among other things in new assembly lines and equipment. This is where Hansgrohe manufactures designer faucets, showers and accessories by AXOR. In Alpirsbach, the "InnovationsPark" was created in 2022, where, among other things, prototypes are produced. The largest production site in Offenburg remains the competence center for plastics, surface technology, and the assembly of bathroom and kitchen faucets. In 2018, 30 million Euros were invested here in a new plastics electroplating facility. "Our current production sites in the Black Forest will of course remain an extremely important pillar for Hansgrohe in the future," says Chief Production Officer Frank Semling.

Most Sustainable Factory in the Hansgrohe Manufacturing Network

The new Hansgrohe factory was built in the municipality of Valjevo, about 100 kilometers southwest of the capital Belgrade, on a 130,000-square-meter site. It is the most sustainable site within the Hansgrohe Group. A photovoltaic system on the roof, a combined heat and power plant to generate electricity, graywater use for the toilets, 26-centimeter-thick roof insulation, and triple glazing on the windows, are just a few examples of what makes the building and its use sustainable. For this, Hansgrohe received LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), an internationally recognized certification system for ecological building. In June, the Serbian employees already started working in the assembly line. Other areas will follow in the next few weeks. All new colleagues will be trained in Schiltach for several weeks in advance. "We are delighted to welcome our Serbian colleagues to the Hansgrohe family," says the Hansgrohe CEO. "With our intensive induction plan, they will immediately experience our Hansgrohe Spirit, which has made our success in recent years possible." Currently, just under 100 people work at the new location. In the long term, up to 1,000 jobs are to be created in Valjevo. "We have looked at locations around the world," adds Frank Semling, Hansgrohe's Chief Production Officer. "Valjevo offers us the best overall package. This includes both the availability of skilled workers and suppliers. In addition, Serbia has an association agreement with the European Union, which means that internationally high standards apply to investments such as ours. At the same time, the infrastructure is convincing. From the new location, we can serve the increasing demand for our products in Europe better and faster."

A total of around 5,600 people work for Hansgrohe worldwide (as of Dec. 31, 2022), including more than 60 % at the Schiltach and Offenburg/Willstätt sites. The company generated sales of 1.528 billion Euros in 2022.

About the Hansgrohe Group – Setting the Beat of Water. Since 1901.

With its brands AXOR and hansgrohe, the Hansgrohe Group, based in Schiltach/Southern Germany, enjoys a reputation as a leader in innovation, design and quality within the bath and kitchen industry. Founded in 1901 in the Black Forest, the company gives water form and function with its faucets, showerheads and shower systems. In combination with sanitary ceramics and bathroom furniture, the company offers individual design options from a single source for holistic bathroom experiences. The 122-year history of the company is marked by innovations, such as the first hand-held shower with multiple spray types, the first pull-out kitchen faucet, and the first wall bar to hold a hand-held shower.The company holds more than 20,000 active property rights. The Hansgrohe Group stands for long-lasting quality products and for responsibility towards people and the environment. Sustainable production of resource-conserving products is central to the company’s business activities around the globe. By developing innovative technologies for faucets and showers, Hansgrohe achieves the greatest possible effect on protecting water as a resource and limiting and adapting to climate change during the usage phase of its products. As part of its consistent sustainability strategy, Hansgrohe is equipping all water-bearing products exclusively with water-saving technologies by 2030 within its "ECO 2030" initiative. With 33 subsidiaries and 20 sales offices supplying products in more than 150 countries, the globally active company in the sanitary industry is a reliable partner to its customers in all regions of the world. The Hansgrohe Group, its brands and products have won numerous awards, including more than 700 design prizes since 1974. The products of the Hansgrohe Group are found around the world: on renowned cruise ships, in luxurious 5-star and boutique hotels, in international metropolitan cities, in extraordinary spas, exclusive bathrooms of lodges and luxury villas, public facilities, as well as in countless private homes. The Hansgrohe Group’s high quality standards are ensured by seven wholly-owned production facilities: four in Germany, one each in France, the United States and China. In 2022, the Hansgrohe Group generated a turnover of EUR 1.528 billion. It employs around 5,600 people worldwide, about 60 percent of whom work in Germany.