With the new site located in Serbia, Hansgrohe Group aims to strengthen its European manufacturing network
The famous German sanitary fittings manufacturer Hansgrohe, officially marked the beginning of production in Valjevo by ribbon cutting ceremony. The factory in Serbia is the most modern and largest within the Group and will be producing high-demand Hansgrohe faucet lines.
This is a project for the construction of a factory for the casting of faucet bodies, which is the second of the total of four phases of the construction of a factory in Valjevo. The third phase will entail galvanization, and the fourth the expansion of the production complex by another 30,000 m2. The total value of the investment project is around 85 million euros.
The project plans a production capacity of 4 million fittings bodies, namely, 3 million brass bodies and around a million zinc components (bodies or handles) a year. The faucets produced in the factory in Serbia will be intended for markets such as Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the USA.
The opening of the factory was attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Chairman of the Hansgrohe Executive Board Hans Jürgen Kalmbach, Serbian Finance Minister Sinisa Mali, Construction Minister Goran Vesic, Minister of Trade Tomislav Momirovic, German Ambassador to Serbia Anke Konrad and the representatives of the Development Agency of Serbia.
Hans Jürgen Kalmbach, Chairman of the Executive Board, gave the opening speech.
"Over the course of the company’s 120-year history, Hansgrohe has become a global leader in innovation and design with more than 700 design prizes. The products of Hansgrohe Group are found worldwide, but Hansgrohe Group stands out from the competition by consistently providing superior quality", Hans Jürgen Kalmbach said.
Ambassador Konrad said that Hansgrohe brings new knowledge, experience, and technologies to Serbia, stressing that this German company will advance dual education in Valjevo.
"Hansgrohe is focusing on further growth, as well as strengthening of human resources. This company is a world leader in the production of bathroom equipment. Valjevo and the Kolubara district got a serious employer, a large exporter. We are talking about a company that will develop together with Valjevo and Serbia", said President Vucic.
The president added that by the end of the year, the German company will employ more than 100 people in Valjevo, and by 2027 it will have 1,000 employees.
The newly built facility meets the latest environmental protection standards. The project has a LEED certification as a guarantee that the building was designed and built in accordance with green building standards, which primarily include energy efficiency, emission reduction, proper management of water supply, and an increase in the quality of the environment.
Photo TANJUG / Miloš Milivojević
The Hansgrohe Group, headquartered in Schiltach, is a global player in the bathroom and kitchen industry. Along with Hansgrohe one of the brands in the Hansgrohe Group is AXOR, the premium brand for luxurious bathrooms and kitchens.
Founded in 1901, the 122-year history of the company is marked by innovations design, and quality. Its brands and products have won numerous awards. The Hansgrohe Group was awarded in Germany the "Top Employer 2021" seal for outstanding working conditions, and the company received the same award again in 2022.
Hansgrohe owns five production facilities: two in Germany, one each in the United States, France, and China. By the end of 2022, production sites worldwide have been converted to green power and climate neutrality has been achieved in all global sites in terms of direct emissions and energy consumed.
Despite a difficult global economic environment, the Hansgrohe Group amounted to a total of €1.528 billion in sales, which marks an increase of 11.9 percent compared with the previous year. Globally, Group employs more than 5,600 people.