Geberit AG
 |
|
| Aktiengesellschaft | |
| Traded as | SIX: GEBN |
| Industry | Plumbing parts manufacturing and supplying |
| Founded | 1874 |
| Founder | Caspar Melchior Gebert |
| Headquarters | Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland |
|
Area served
|
Worldwide |
|
Key people
|
Christian Buhl (CEO) Albert M. Baehny (chairman) |
| Revenue | CHF 2.59 billion (2015) |
| CHF 590.9 million (2015) | |
| Profit | CHF 493.1 million (2015) |
| Total assets | CHF 3.55 billion (end 2015) |
| Total equity | CHF 1.48 billion (end 2015) |
|
Number of employees
|
12,126 (end 2015) |
| Website | www.geberit.com |
Geberit (German pronunciation: [ˈɡəbeːrɪt] or [ˈɡəbeːʁɪt]) is a Swiss multinational group specialized in manufacturing and supplying sanitary parts and related systems. It is a leader in its field in Europe with a global presence through its subsidiaries.
In 1874, Caspar Melchior Gebert started a plumbing business in Rapperswil, Switzerland. In 1905, he began to manufacture parts. His toilet tank, the Phoenix, a first, made of lead-coated wood and with lead fittings (particularly a flushing mechanism), was revolutionary and a great success. When Gebert died in 1909 his sons Albert and Leo took over the business. In the following years, the company expanded within Switzerland as well as to neighboring countries, and added new products (pipes, taps and valves). In the 1930s, the company was a pioneer of plastic parts in the sanitary industry.
The Second World War affected the company, but it soon recovered and in 1952 introduced the first all-plastic toilet tank made of polyethylene.
In 1953, Heinrich and Klaus Gebert inherited control of the company and named it Geberit. The company opened a distribution subsidiary and new branches in Europe, which, besides parts, also offered technical services. As Germany was considered a growth market, the first international subsidiary was opened there in 1955, in Pfullendorf, which was also going to be the site of the first factory outside Switzerland. Since then, a number of subsidiaries were created in European countries, including France (1959) and Austria (1965). The company moved from Rapperswil to a larger facility in Rapperswil-Jona and introduced a concealed tank system.
In the 1970s, Geberit introduced more new products, such as full drainage systems, flush-mounted systems, and new components for the hygiene sector. A third plant was opened in 1972 in Pottenbrunn/Sankt Pölten, Austria. The company also created subsidiaries in Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands. The company made an attempt to enter the American market, creating a subsidiary in Michigan, Indiana. However, the U.S. presence remained insignificant for years.
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Wikipedia