Father and Sons
Hans Grohe Senior, his sons and grandsons have shaped the Hansgrohe company over many decades. Whether first-born, latecomer or the generation of grandchildren: they all have a decisive influence on the course of the company's history from a small craft business to a global player in the sanitary industry.
How it all began
When Hans Grohe founded his business in Schiltach in 1901, his eldest son – also named Hans – was six years old. Like his two older sisters, Helene and Liesel, Hans Jr. was born in Luckenwalde near Berlin. Their mother, Luise, passed away in 1897. This was one reason why the father sought a new future in the Black Forest with his three young children.
As the small company grew, so did the family: Hans Sr. married Magdalena Schöttle from Schiltach, and their son Friedrich was born in 1904.
The "Heir"
From a young age, Hans Junior worked in his father’s business and had to prove himself there. He apprenticed in Stuttgart and attended business school.
In 1914, with the outbreak of World War I, daily life changed. In 1915, young Hans joined the army. After the war, the business “got going quickly,” according to the company founder.
In 1921, the company acquired the Klostermühle in Alpirsbach, where a brass foundry and turning shop were set up. At age 26, Hans Jr. took responsibility for this division, where around 35 employees produced drain valves for sinks, bathtubs, and wash basins.
The Second-born Son
After secondary school, Friedrich attended business schools in Calw and Lausanne. He completed an apprenticeship in the iron and fittings trade. From 1928 to 1934, he actively supported his father in the growing Schiltach business. Friedrich was granted power of attorney and developed a new process—the injection molding process for manufacturing valve bodies and trap parts.
In summer 1934, Friedrich left the family business to pursue his own path, taking over the iron factory Berkenhoff & Paschedag in Hemer (Westphalia) in 1936. From 1948, the company was called “Friedrich Grohe.” With Friedrich’s departure, Hans Jr. received power of attorney in 1934.
The “Latecomer”
On April 3, 1937, Klaus, the youngest son of the company founder, was born in Aachen. His mother was Emma Frieda Wolber from Schiltach, Hans Sr.’s third wife.
Klaus was destined for an entrepreneurial career from birth. From childhood, his life revolved around the Hans Grohe company. He was self-taught, tinkered and experimented, gained practical experience, and studied economics in Bern. He began his actual career at the Schiltach company in 1968 at age 31.
The Family Sticks Together
In 1953, Hans Jr. was appointed managing director. When company founder Hans Grohe died in 1955, the company shares passed to his sons Hans Jr., Friedrich, and Klaus. The limited partners were widow Frieda Grohe and the brothers Klaus and Friedrich.
Hans Jr. died unexpectedly in 1960.
The following year, the company was converted into a GmbH & Co. KG. The limited partners were Friedrich and Klaus Grohe, the heirs of Hans Jr., and the children of Hans Sr.’s two daughters. Friedrich Grohe then took over sole management in Schiltach, while also being sole managing director of his company in Hemer. The product lines of both companies differed significantly, but sales were handled through the same channels, and they appeared together at trade fairs.
Shared Roots – Separate Paths
In 1968, Friedrich Grohe sold 51 percent of his company in Hemer to the US corporation ITT. With the sale of Friedrich Grohe’s shares to a non-family corporation, Klaus Grohe was compelled to build his own field sales team for the Schiltach-based company.
Friedrich Grohe died in 1983. His shares in Hans Grohe GmbH & Co. KG passed to his heirs, as did the remaining shares in Grohe (Hemer). In 1984, Friedrich Grohe’s heirs sold their third of the shares in Hans Grohe in Schiltach to the US-based Masco Corporation. This ended the family connection between Hansgrohe and Friedrich Grohe. Despite the business separation, the families maintained a good relationship.
Father, Sons, Grandchildren
The family story continues in Schiltach. Klaus Grohe first took over management and later became Chairman of the Board. His two eldest sons, Richard (*1965) and Philippe (*1967), continued the family tradition. The founder’s grandchildren grew up with the company, learning the business from the ground up – not just in theory, but through daily experience in various areas.
Richard was Deputy Chairman of the board from 2008 to 2016, developing the hansgrohe brand into an international premium label with numerous innovations.
Philippe led the AXOR design brand from 2001 to 2016, focusing on collaboration with renowned designers. Both shaped Hansgrohe’s international success in the new millennium.
