Founded in Germany by Hans Grohe (hence the name) back in 1901, Hansgrohe is one of the leading sanitary fittings manufacturers in the world. It supplies a big percentage of the world’s showerhead, tap, and hand shower needs. Its top competitors include Kohler and Grohe, which we have talked about in previous articles.
Do not mistake it for the Grohe company, though, for they are separate entities. However, Grohe was founded by Hans Grohe’s son, Friedrich Grohe.
The company’s major shareholder is the Michigan-based Masco Corporation, which holds 68% of the company’s holdings. The remaining 32% remains in the family – in the hands of Klaus Grohe, Friedrich’s youngest son.
Starting in 2018, the Hansgrohe chairman is Hans Jürgen Kalmbach. You can purchase Hansgrohe products under two brand names: Hansgrohe and Axor.
The company has amassed a 1.077 billion Euro total in sales in 2017. It has a working staff of almost 5000 people worldwide. 40% of its workforce is situated outside Germany. Its products are manufactured in in-house factories, located in Germany, the US, China, and France. It has 21 sales offices and 34 subsidiaries all over the globe and exports its products to over 140 countries.
Hansgrohe History
The founder’s father, Hans Grohe founded the company in 1901 in the German Black Forest region of Schiltach. It started as a mere three-man company and began by manufacturing metal pressing products, such as sheet metal showers, and watch parts. Soon, their focus moved to sanitary metalware.
They exported to Amsterdam by 1907. An added 48 manufacturing staff and 3 office clerks were added to the roster. In 1929, Grohe began using a new brass pressing technique. By 1930, chromium-plating became a standard for his products.
In 1934, Friedrich Grohe left his father’s company and took over his own company. He based his work in Hemer, North Rhine-Westphalia. While Hans kept focusing on drainage and shower technology, Friedrich concentrated on sanitary fittings. This company is known as Grohe AG today.
In 1968, Klaus, the youngest son of Hans, joined the company. By 1975, he took over company management. The figurative mark (and word) Hansgrohe was introduced in 1977. Klaus led the company and began to partner with outside designers, such as Hartmut Esslinger, Philippe Starck, and Phoenix Design. He also expanded the company’s reach to wider markets. In 1981, the company began manufacturing faucets, and in 2001, introduced its greywater recycling system.
The Masco Corporation bought a sizeable chunk of shares in 1984. In 1999, they became the majority shareholder, and the Klaus Grohe family was the only family shareholder of the entire company with 32% of the holdings. The company became a European stock corporation in 2012.
In 2008, Klaus took over as the Director of the Supervisory Board after being in management for 33 years. Since 2015, he has been serving as an honorary chairman of the board. Hans Jürgen Kalmbach became the company’s chairman in 2018. Two grandsons of Klaus – Philippe and Richard Grohe – kept operative positions until 2016.
Since then, the Grohe family has been consistently supporting the Hansgrohe company as shareholders and representatives in the Supervisory Board.
Hansgrohe Product Lines
Hansgrohe products are designed for those who are looking for either a quick renovation or a full makeover of their bathroom architecture. The company recommends sticking to one furnishing style — and you can rest assured that there is a style available for everyone, thanks to their many product lines. Choose showers, bathtubs, and even bidets that fall under the same product line to enjoy a sense of style continuity. Read on to get a better idea of which one is suited for you.
What Style Are You Looking for?
Go for their more modern product ranges such as the Talis, Focus, Metris, Metropol, Novus, or Logis if you desire simplistic design coupled with functional precision. These minimalistic product lines will definitely act as understated highlights in your bathroom.
Choose their timeless classic collections such as their Metris Classic, Metropol Classic, Logis Classic, or Talis Classic product lines if you have a thing for traditional but posh aesthetic. These designs create a canvas of glamor best known from a bygone style era. Have instant time flashbacks from their ornate gold elements and sweeping lines.
If you are more of a “pioneer”, always looking towards something new, something fresh, and something unique, then you’ll best identify with the company’s Avant-Garde style. If this is the case, go for their PuraVida product range, which is full of emotion and beauty. The style inspiration mixes both sensual design and purist aesthetic. These are definitely beautiful surfaces that you’ll love to have and touch.
What Kind of Shower Do You Want?
You can base your decision depending on the shower style you want. Just like the product lines mentioned above, you can go Modern, Classic, or Avantgarde. These will allow you to coordinate your fixtures and fittings perfectly.
There are a ton of shower styles available, including their most famous ones: Croma, Raindance, PuraVida, Crometta, and Rainmaker. Their Unica bathroom range, in particular, is bound to satisfy your shower set requirements. You can visit their website to see more!
If you have a thing for smart technology, you can relish in the fact that some of their showers are geared with central control units. Take your pick from the ShowerTablet, RainSelect, Ecostat, or ShowerSelect product ranges. These give you the most convenient and the safest shower experiences. Say goodbye to unwanted temperature fluctuations while taking a shower!
Is Hansgrohe a Good Brand?
There is no question or doubt that Hansgrohe is a good brand. They use top-quality materials that are not only durable but are also approved safe for use with drinking water. Their materials and parts go through several endurance tests. For the company, the meaning of quality workmanship means a lot more. They follow four core points of quality:
- Product Quality – their products are reliable and sturdy. You can rest assured that you’ll get a long-term service using them. This quality also refers to smart functionality, ease of use, ease of installation, and technologies that add value to daily life.
- Design Quality – the design of their products goes beyond trends and fads. You’ll be able to enjoy timeless fittings and fixtures for many years. Hansgrohe design doesn’t only cater to the aesthetics; it refers to quality design inside and out.
- Manufacturing Quality – during the production phase, they use only high-quality materials, precision work, and high-tech design. In conjunction, they practice environmental protection, which includes smart and mindful use of resources. This also involves healthy and safe working conditions for its entire staff. When you buy a product from Hansgrohe, you do so with full peace of mind and zero guilt: every product is manufactured sustainably and with high quality.
- Service Quality – the service does not end after your purchase. If you have questions, concerns, or warranty claims, the company has open ears and arms to hear you out and assist you further. You can also reach out to the company through its many international events and trade fairs, where you can experience first-hand their showers and taps.
Awards and Certifications
Hansgrohe believes that functionality, safety, and hygiene are all equally essential when it comes to sanitary ware and bathroom products. For these reasons, the company commissions outside and independent certification and testing companies from all over the world, such as the DVGW and TÜV to ensure that they are on top of their industry standards.
They make sure that they meet standards for such measures as safe operation, electronics, safeguarding drinking water, scalding protection, and conserving water and energy, among others.
The Hansgrohe Group has received many awards and recognitions, and the following are only a few of them, specifically from the iF World Design Index (2014-2018) of the International Forum Design’s top rankings across various categories:
- Ranked among the Top 3 Companies in the iF category: Industry: Bath
- Ranked among the Top 10 out of 1365 German companies in the iF category: COUNTRIES: Germany
- Ranked among the Top 25 out of 4000 companies in the iF category: COMPANIES (Global)
Hansgrohe Warranty
The company will cover the claims encapsulated by the manufacturer’s guarantee for all consumers. You can read about the details in the guarantee’s fine print on the company’s website.
In a nutshell, these are the conditions that will not be covered by the warranty:
- Reasonable wear and tear in parts, including seals
- Damage to breakable parts, including bulbs and glass
- Wear and tear of consumable materials, including aerators, batteries, and filters
- Slight deviations from the target quality which do not affect the product’s usability
- Damage from aggressive chemicals, environmental influences, or detergents
- Lime-scale deposits and errors in operating and handling
- Cleaning of water jets (especially hot water jets)
- Defects caused by transportation, installation, or test operation
Where to Buy Hansgrohe
You can purchase Hansgrohe products in physical stores internationally. You can locate the store or authorized retailer nearest you using the company’s online Shopfinder.
You can also shop from authorized online retailers, such as Wayfair.com, Houzz.com, and Amazon.com. Each link will open all Hansgrohe products on each retailer.