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Groundbreaking for Klaus Grohe Daycare Center Schiltach Begins

Groundbreaking for Klaus Grohe Daycare Center Schiltach Begins

Schiltach, May 2022. The official groundbreaking ceremony on May 4, 2022, accompanies the start of construction work for the Klaus Grohe daycare center in Schiltach's former elementary school building. Together with Schiltach's mayor Thomas Haas, the town's master mason Roland Grießhaber, architect Philipp Groß and daycare center expert Dr. Ilse Wehrmann, Klaus und Philippe Grohe, Hansgrohe CEO Hans Jürgen Kalmbach and his deputy Frank Semling broke the symbolic ground.

"We are pleased to have made a swift start on the construction of our Hansgrohe company daycare center," said Hansgrohe Labor Director Frank Semling. "Many thanks to the town of Schiltach, which, as investor and builder, is making our project possible. Our thanks also go out to the Klaus Grohe Foundation, which is supporting the initial equipment of the kindergarten with a significant donation. As a result, we will be able to offer both interested Hansgrohe employees and Schiltach residents childcare places for their children from the middle of next year."

The Beginnings

After an employee survey in April 2019, it became clear quite quickly: There is a clear need for childcare for children under the age of six. That's why Hansgrohe took a close look at the topic of company childcare. In the summer of the same year, the first rough concept was developed together with an external provider. However, the Hansgrohe student residence, which was initially considered, proved to be unsuitable. "We were always in close contact with the town of Schiltach, and so Mayor Haas then offered us the use of the former elementary school for our project in the fall of 2019," says Frank Semling. "And that was a stroke of luck. Many thanks to the town and the town council that everything went so smoothly." Since then, two teams of Hansgrohe managers and external experts have been working flat out to implement the daycare plans. "This allows us to move the Hansgrohe project forward quickly," affirms Frank Semling. "We are very grateful for support from our entrepreneurial family, whose donation through the Klaus Grohe Foundation makes the initial equipment for our company daycare center possible. That's why our facility is to be called the Klaus Grohe Daycare Center."

What Awaits

Construction work is scheduled to be completed by the end of June 2023, so that the first children can move in during the summer. Spread over two floors, they will then be able to tinker, play, sing, do gymnastics and romp around on more than 1,000 square meters of space. The Klaus Grohe Daycare Center, operated by pme Familienservice GmbH, is designed for six groups with a total of 90 children in the final expansion phase. Three groups are planned, each with ten children under the age of three, as well as three additional groups, each with 20 children over the age of three. Daily fresh cooking awaits them in a dedicated kitchen, and meals will be eaten together in the children's restaurant. "Of course, the Hansgrohe spirit also moves into the daycare center's rooms," says Frank Semling. "Our young talents are not only getting beautiful sanitary rooms; we're also planning water experience rooms for showering, splashing and water games."

Hansgrohe brought in Dr. Ilse Wehrmann, a qualified social worker and educator, as an external expert for the concept of the daycare center. She advises companies and daycare providers throughout Germany on setting up and expanding their company daycare centers. The Schiltach-based architect Philipp Groß has been commissioned with the planning and construction management. pme Familienservice GmbH runs more than 80 daycare centers, back-up centers and family daycare centers throughout Germany, including the company daycare centers of well-known companies.

Sense of Family

"For generations, our family has been closely connected with the town of Schiltach and its people – old and young. We are pleased to continue to foster this triad consisting of company, family and town with the Klaus Grohe daycare center, and to create space and opportunities for the creative development of Schiltach's youngest," says Philippe Grohe, who attended the groundbreaking ceremony as a representative of the Klaus Grohe family. "Our contribution to the initial equipment will not only benefit the children, but the parents will also be able to organize their daily family and work life better and know that their kids are in good hands."

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. The 120-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 18,500 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. With 34 subsidiaries and 20 sales offices supplying products in 152 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 worldwide: 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 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 2021, the Hansgrohe Group generated a turnover of EUR 1.365 billion. It employs around 5,400 people worldwide, about 60 percent of whom work in Germany.

About the Klaus Grohe Foundation - A Heart for Schiltach and for the Element of Water

The Klaus Grohe Foundation is a non-profit foundation under civil law. It was established in 2009 by Klaus Grohe, Chairman of the Executive Board from 1968 to 2008 and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Hansgrohe from 2008 to 2015 and representative of the second generation in the family business. Its aim is to support charitable, benevolent and church causes and projects in Schiltach, the region and beyond. As an honorary citizen of the town of Schiltach, Klaus Grohe has so far supported activities and excursions for the residents of the Schiltach old people's home, the Friends of Addiction Support, the development of the Schiltach sports grounds and the restoration of the organ of the Schiltach Protestant Church, among other things, through the foundation named after him. Since 2021, and not least with the financial commitment to the initial equipping of a Hansgrohe SE company daycare center, representatives of the next generation have also been involved in a Klaus Grohe Foundation project for the first time. Further projects in the region as well as projects related to the topic of water or social impact are to follow.

About pme Familienservice - work-life pioneer since 1991

On behalf of more than 1,400 employers, the pme Familienservice Group supports employees in achieving a successful work-life balance. More than 80 childcare and educational facilities offer high-quality and flexible pedagogy. Whether vacation care, spontaneous demand, booking of individual places or even a company kindergarten: parents and employers receive suitable child care according to their needs. The pme Familienservice Group is represented in more than 70 locations in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic and employs more than 2,000 of its own employees and numerous experts from various fields.

Contact

Anke Messerschmidt
Manager Corporate Communications