Inventive Spirit with Passion
Company founder Hans, later his son Klaus, and finally, the grandsons Richard and Philippe, react to social developments and customer needs with curiosity and a keen sense of mind. Since 1901, a central theme has accompanied the company: inventiveness.
Inventing what the Customer Needs
Looking beyond one’s own horizon, questioning familiar thought patterns and breaking new ground – all this always leads to creative and forward-looking solutions. Their credo for innovation: “Invent what the customer needs – plus a little ingenuity“. These impulses not only arise in the immediate family circle. They are the result of real teamwork – supported by many clever minds in the company, who work with passion and inspire with fresh ideas.
From Tinkerer to an Industry Leader
Hans Grohe recognized the importance of hygiene and personal hygiene at an early stage – and took action. In addition to watch parts and stove rosettes, he soon produced sanitary products. In this way, he paves the way into this industry and ensures the existence of the company.
Over decades, simple showers and drains have been transformed into special solutions: for example, the shoulder shower in 1932 and the first automatic bathtub drain and overflow set in 1934.
A milestone followed in 1953: the first height-adjustable shower rod UNICA. What was considered revolutionary at the time is now standard equipment in every bathroom.
In 1968, the SELECTA hand-held shower was launched on the market – a bestseller in the millions. It stands for the innovative spirit of the company: with adjustable spray types and a new material at the time – plastic.
Design Makes the Difference
Until well into the 1970s, the home bathroom was one thing above all: a functional wet room. Faucets and showers only serve their purpose. But Klaus Grohe thinks ahead: he wants to combine technology with aesthetics.
Together with Esslinger-Design, the colored TRI-BEL shower is created – a real eye-catcher with three spray types. It brings color to the bathroom and is the company’s first product to be awarded a design prize. This marks the beginning of the company’s successful design history. Close companions are Andreas Haug and Tom Schönherr from Phoenix Design.
Timelessly Modern
With the introduction of the brand AXOR in 1993, other renowned international designers were added: Philippe Starck, Antonio Citterio, Patricia Urquiola, Jean-Marie Massaud, and Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby. Together with AXOR, they develop iconic products that combine function and aesthetics at the highest level – such as the AXOR Starck collection with its minimalist joystick lever that still looks timelessly modern after 30 years.
New Territory: Faucets
In 1981, a new era began: Hansgrohe entered the faucet business. The first series is called ALLEGROH. With its unconventional design, the innovative bow handle and an innovative ball mixing system, it redefines the single-lever mixer – in a market that had previously been characterised by classic single- and two-handle mixers.
In its more than 40 years of faucet expertise, Hansgrohe has created an impressive variety of product lines for its AXOR and hansgrohe brands – in a wide variety of styles and designs, surfaces, price ranges and technical versions, always tailored to the requirements of international markets.
The Temple in the Bathroom
As early as 1975, Hansgrohe was thinking in terms of system solutions and presented an integrated shower cubicle with electronic fittings and automatic alternating shower at the ISH. However, the market breakthrough for pre-assembled shower units did not follow until 20 years later and was established as an independent brand – PHARO.
In 1989, Hansgrohe caused a sensation once again: the “Shower Temple“, presented as a design study, thrilled the public. Demand remained and so the luxury product went into series production in 1995.
In 1993, the idea of the shower temple gave rise to a new concept: the shower panel – affordable for a wide audience and extremely successful for more than a decade in various editions.
At the turn of the millennium, Hansgrohe sets another visionary example with the “Cocoon“ mobile shower system.
Trendsetter Raindance
In the early 2000s, Richard Grohe tinkered in the spray laboratory and tested a large overhead shower. He is immediately enthusiastic about the shower experience, but his father remains skeptical: “Customers prefer to buy hand-held showers.“ Then Klaus Grohe comes up with a brilliant idea: Why not combine the two?
Together with Phoenix Design, a hand-held shower with a large shower pane and short handle is being created – comfortable, innovative, surprisingly different. The Raindance concept is born and triggers a new trend in 2003: large-scale hand-held and over head showers that redefine showering.
Invisible Revolution
The introduction of the iBox universal in 2001 marks the beginning of a new chapter in flush-mounted installation. The ingenious idea: a single installation unit for all applications – flexible, versatile and universally applicable. It makes complex installations much more efficient. Instead of numerous systems, a base body that is compatible with all common connection types is now sufficient.
Installers benefit from faster installation, fewer sources of error and more design freedom. The iBox universal is sold millions of times and is still considered the benchmark for intelligent bathroom installation today.
Pioneer in Sustainability
As early as the mid-1980s, Klaus Grohe increasingly focused on ecological thinking and environmental protection. In addition to numerous sustainable projects in production and administration, in 1987 Hansgrohe launched the Mistral-Eco, the first water-saving, hand-held shower on the market.
Since then, the company’s own spray research has worked continuously on the question of how water can be reduced without sacrificing comfort. Decades of development work have resulted in groundbreaking technologies, such as RainAir. Air is mixed with water for gentle, enveloping drops of rain and an intense shower feeling.
Water and Comfort Rethought Again and Again
But the visionary Klaus Grohe thinks ahead. By the end of the 1990s, he was involved with greywater recycling. The Pontos system treats shower and bath water – for reuse in washing machines, toilets or even garden irrigation.
Another milestone would follow in 2023: the Hansgrohe Green Vision Beyond Water – a conceptual bathroom that consumes up to 90% less water.
For 125 years, Hansgrohe has been a home for tinkerers and thinkers – a place where water and comfort are constantly being reshaped. What Klaus Grohe said on the occasion of the 100th anniversary still applies today: “The path to becoming a leading bathroom outfitter was marked by ups and downs. But we always had the goal of producing innovative, environmentally friendly and design-driven products for the bathroom.“
“The path to becoming a leading bathroom supplier was characterized by ups and downs. But our goal has always been to produce innovative, environmentally friendly and design-driven products for the bathroom.
”Klaus Grohe, 2001
