75 years of Grünbeck - characterized by innovations and constructive cooperation

Grünbeck Wasseraufbereitung GmbH is a modern, medium-sized company that can look back on 75 successful years. Comprehensive product, quality and growth offensives, the commitment of its employees and a positive industry climate have allowed Grünbeck to grow steadily. Firmly rooted in Höchstädt an der Donau, those responsible are currently successively expanding their spatial capacities and thus creating important conditions for continued success in the future.

Every watercourse begins with a small spring that gradually grows into an ever-widening river. Grünbeck Wasseraufbereitung GmbH, which has developed from a small company for the sale of water treatment products into a large manufacturing and research company, is no different. Since it was founded in 1949 by Josef Grünbeck, the employees have been working on understanding water better and better and turning this knowledge into products. According to the company's mission statement, they want to ensure that hygienically safe water is available to everyone around the world.

Continuous growth
Today, more than 700 people are employed at Grünbeck in Höchstädt and a further 300 work at other locations in field sales and service. Turnover has risen continuously over the 75 years to currently around 150 million euros. In order to continue this trend, Grünbeck has been investing in the gradual expansion of the production, logistics and office buildings at its headquarters in Höchstädt for a few years now.

The signs are also pointing to growth on the product side. Developers are constantly making the water softeners, filters and dosing systems even more efficient, flexible and convenient. They ensure simpler installation and operation. At the same time, they are focusing on new products, such as the SODA JET Office drinking water dispenser presented for the first time in 2021, which produces chilled still, mildly sparkling or sparkling fresh table water directly from the tap. It meets the highest hygiene and quality standards and is ideal for use in industry and commerce as well as in public facilities.
Another important future topic for Grünbeck is "green" hydrogen technology, in which water is broken down into hydrogen and oxygen using electricity generated from renewable sources. Since 2022, the Höchstadt-based company has been developing and producing turnkey desalination plants that produce ultrapure water precisely designed for the electrolysis process. Those responsible are convinced that there is still potential in this sustainable growth area for new work places.

Milestones in Grünbeck's history
A company anniversary is not just about celebrating the present and the future, but also about looking back. Especially when the past is as interesting and varied as it is at Grünbeck.
On September 1, 1949, Josef Grünbeck set up his own business as a commercial agency for technical water treatment equipment, followed by the sole proprietorship "Josef Grünbeck - Water Chemistry and Apparatus Engineering" in 1967. The company founder is the first supplier to bring a self-developed, tested dosing device onto the market. This guaranteed that the water from the tap complied with the drinking water regulations in force at the time. He thus laid the foundations for success and economic growth, which ultimately led to the construction of a new administration and production building in 1967.

This was followed by years of intensive research and production. In 1980, Josef Grünbeck renamed his sole proprietorship "Grünbeck Wasseraufbereitung GmbH" and founded sales companies in several European countries. Between 1981 and 1986, Grünbeck registered 78 patents and 25 utility models. In 1990, the ground-breaking ceremony for the technical center took place, in which numerous patented inventions were later worked out.

In 1995, Grünbeck was certified according to the DIN EN ISO 9001 quality standard. This was a boost for the dynamic growth of the company, which pursues the highest quality as one of its most important goals. In the years that followed, further certifications were obtained - for medical products and environmental management systems.

The next milestone came in 2010: the "Loni and Josef Grünbeck Foundation" was established. It promotes research, development and education in the field of water treatment and supports employees of the company as well as citizens at the company headquarters in Höchstädt who are in need due to health or financial reasons through no fault of their own. It also ensures the company's long-term independence.
Three years later, Grünbeck employs more than 500 people in Höchstädt for the first time and is present in all major markets worldwide with a further 250 employees.

2020 sees the start of the "Plant Planning 2040" project, which provides for the aforementioned construction measures in various phases. Well over 100 million euros are to be invested in expanding the building at the Höchstädt headquarters. This is an important prerequisite for the future of the company, for secure jobs and for the preservation of water as a vital resource.

Since 1997, when Grünbeck Wasseraufbereitung GmbH received the Bavarian Quality Award, awards have been piling up - for development projects, for a corporate culture based on partnership, for efficient and flexible corporate management and for the design of new products. In 2014, the company was voted one of the 50 most innovative medium-sized companies in Germany by "Wirtschaftswoche" magazine and received the exclusive "Brand of the Century" award from ZEIT Verlag in 2022. A jury of several members chose Grünbeck in the water treatment category. The jury stated that the brand stands for quality of life and value preservation as well as for the endeavor to provide people around the world with access to hygienically clean water and to maintain it in the long term.

The core of the company
Dr. Günter Stoll, who has been with the company for almost 30 years and has been managing the business for many years, considers the "Brand of the Century" to be a very special award: "It is right at the heart of our company and describes what Grünbeck is all about. On the one hand, this is our work on water treatment in all its forms for all people and, on the other, our corporate culture."

The latter cannot be determined by the number of years. This special attitude was instilled in the company by its founder and his wife and is still very important at Grünbeck today. "We cultivate a corporate culture at eye level, empathetic and respectful. Values such as a sense of responsibility and respect beyond pure profit are combined at Grünbeck like oxygen and hydrogen to form H2O," says CEO Stoll.
In fact, employee participation in the company, which Grünbeck calls a "social partnership", has been in place since 1968. Initially, this was a profit-sharing scheme, which expanded into direct participation with own shares in 1980 with the founding of Beteiligungs-GmbH.

Celebrations on September 21
75 successful years - if that's not a reason to celebrate. Grünbeck is opening its doors on Saturday, September 21, 2024. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., visitors can take a look behind the scenes. During this time, part of the company premises will be open to guests to give them an insight into the production, logistics and office areas. Short guided tours are also planned.
The evening will then belong to all employees in Höchstädt, the branches and factory representatives as well as the subsidiaries abroad, who are invited to celebrate together.