Grohe is a German-born international company that is leading the way for complete solutions and fittings for bathrooms and kitchens. The brand has gone a long way since it was founded. Today, it has more than 6000 employees all over the world.
Since 2014, the company has become part of the larger LIXIL Group Corporation. As a global brand, the people behind Grohe are pushing the boundaries of technology without holding off on the design, quality, and sustainability. Their main adage is to give customers the PURE JOY OF WATER.
Since its inception, it has been developing new products and technologies. Some of the most notable product lines include the Grohe Blue and Grohe Red water systems. One of their later innovations is the state-of-the-art Grohe Sense water security system, which is just one facet of their ever-growing and changing smart home technology.
Although it is a brand that has spread its influence all over the world, its main base and more than a third of its employees are located in Germany. That’s why when you see their “Made in Germany” seal, you’ll know that it is a mark of innovation and design.
Grohe History
1911 to 1990 – It all began in 1911 when the family built a ferric hardware factory in Hermer, Germany, called Berkenhoff & Paschedag. They later renamed it to the Friedrich Grohe Armaturenfabrik company in 1948. In 1968, a 51% stake was sold by Friedrich Grohe. By 1983, their products were only distributed in the East Mediterranean, Middle East, and North and West Africa via Grome Marketing.
The 1990s to 2009 – The company purchased two faucet manufacturers: Herzberger Armaturen GmbH and Armaturenfabrik H. D. Eichelberg & Co. GmbH, located in Brandenburg and Iserlohn in Westphalia, respectively. During this time, the company became a public limited company. Its sales and profits have been dwindling for years at this point, and by 2007 they were cutting close to 1000 production jobs in Germany. The Herzberg factory was also shut down.
2010 to Present – Today, Grohe is the biggest manufacturer of sanitary fixtures and fittings in Europe. It also holds 8% of the entire world market. In 2013, the company received the biggest investment from a Japanese company. In 2014, Grohe was taken over by the Development Bank of Japan and Lixil. In 2017, it was listed in the Change the World ranking of Fortune Magazine and considered as one of the top 50 international brands that had a positive societal impact.
Grohe Product Lines
Back in 1975, the company opened a tiny office just outside of Chicago. Urell, Inc. represented it at the time. It started to supply European-style bathroom and kitchen fixtures to American retailers and tradesmen. This venture was incorporated as Grohe America, Inc. only a year later. It moved into a warehouse and office complex.
Its growth was rapidly rising, so the company often had to upgrade its locations. It upsized to a bigger warehouse in 1978, to an entire warehouse in 1986 in Wood Dale, and in 1993, it settled to the custom-built 90,000 square foot location in Bloomingdale, Illinois. This is still the warehouse being used to this day.
There was a doubling of sales just one year after they launched a series of successful products. Ladylux was the first-ever pull-out spray kitchen faucet and was introduced in 1983. It had a detachable hand spray. It was also the first-ever hand-spray that had a drinking water filter. It came with different snap-on accessories.
In 1989, the Europlus was another market hit. It was also a pull-out spray faucet. The early 90s experienced a flush of sales for over 7 years when Grohe launched its products in a designer “white” finish. By using clear powder-coating in the 80s, they pushed the birth of polished brass and other polishes with high levels of adhesion quality. This used to be a major issue in the industry, and they solved it with an easy fix. The late 90s, on the other hand, witnessed the end of powder-coating and the advent of stainless steel.
The Grohmix Thermostat line was launched in 1979. It revolutionized the industry by being able to control the water temperature to the accuracy of a single degree (Fahrenheit). This was further improved in 1980, with their water-temperature regulation technology.
With these shower systems, the brand started advertising directly to their consumers. Commercial customers were given an entirely new line in 1989, complete with a full showroom marketing geared for wholesalers. Grohe America had its first TV ad in 1996, and in 1997, it offered its first limited lifetime warranty. The mid-90s saw the brand selling $38 million worth of fixtures every year, with a 1.7% market share.
In September 2011, Grohe opened a 15,000 square-foot Fifth Avenue showroom in New York City, catering to its professional partners. The next year, it was announced that the American headquarters will leave Illinois and transfer to New York City.
Is Grohe a Good Brand?
Within the last decade, the brand has received more than 300 awards in design and innovation. It is also given several top rankings that validate the brand’s success and impact in the industry. It is one of Germany’s Most Sustainable Large Brands, too. It was the very first in the industry to bag the German Government’s CSR Prize. Fortune Magazine also ranked it as one of the Top 50 Brands that are “Changing the World”.
These awards are merely concrete proofs of the brand’s legacy and dedication to quality. Its motto, PURE JOY OF WATER (PURE FREUDE AN WASSER), tells its story on its own.
Grohe believes that water is the source of many good things in life. It gives life, comfort, and joy. That’s why its products always revolve around the core values of quality, design, technology, and sustainability. By keeping these four values in perfect balance, the brand is able to give its customers competitive water satisfaction.
QUALITY
German brands are known for their dedication to perfection, and Grohe is not an exemption. The company strives for excellence in all of its products, beginning at the designing stage to actual production and customer service. They have a solid history of prime German engineering, coupled with several and rigorous testing and certifications to give their customers the confidence and satisfaction that they deserve.
TECHNOLOGY
The sign of a great brand is one that does not stay contented with its technology. Despite massive success with previous product lines and technological features, the brand keeps on searching for innovations that they can integrate with their latest advances. The ultimate goal in the end is to come up with smart solutions that improve the daily life of their customers.
DESIGN
Just because it’s advanced and practical does not mean that it can’t look nice – and we’re talking about design that’s inside and out. Their products feature intuitive designs that create the feeling of “having been custom made for you”. They are also highly ergonomic and – of course – visually appealing, both aspects of which have won awards worldwide.
SUSTAINABILITY
In this day and age, it’s very important to remain socially conscious and play our part in conserving our resources. Grohe’s belief of offering PURE JOY OF WATER cannot become reality if we run out of water — or at least, the future generations would. Thus, they came up with smart and sustainable solutions such as Grohe Blue, Grohe SilkMove ES, and Grohe EcoJoy. They also file a Sustainability Report to highlight their efforts as a corporate entity to do their part in saving the planet.
Grohe Warranty
The Grohe Limited Lifetime Warranty will replace and/or repair any defective part or finish with regard to material and/or workmanship. This is all dependent on the product being used, installed, and serviced normally. Wear and tear is not covered.
A Residential Products Warranty is given on all products that are installed in a residential setting. This includes all faucets purchased after Jan. 1, 1997, only to the original purchaser.
A Mechanical Warranty is grated for all mechanical parts that were originally free from material or workmanship defects, as long as they are used normally and as long as the original purchaser lives in the home. You’ll need to present the original receipt, invoice, or purchase order with the exact date of purchase and installation.
Grohe covers electronic faucets, controls, and valves that do not have material and workmanship defects from manufacturing, under normal use. This is good for 5 years from the date of purchase.
All product finishes are covered by a Finish Warranty and covers material and workmanship defects.
If the Grohe product was purchased by a non-authorized seller, the company will not honor the limited lifetime product warranty.
For more information or to file a warranty claim, go to Grohe’s official website. It will take 1 to 2 weeks to process your warranty claim. You can also reach out to their customer service team via phone at (800) 444-7643 or email at [email protected].
Where to Buy Grohe
Shop directly from Grohe’s online store. For US customers, go here. For Canadian customers, go here.
If you are from anywhere else in the world, find the Grohe shop for you here.
Their product lines are also available on Amazon, Wayfair.com, and Houzz.