The beginnings In 1874, Caspar Melchior Gebert started a plumbing business in
Rapperswil (SG), Switzerland. The
Second World War set back the company, but it soon recovered and, in 1952, introduced the first all-plastic toilet tank made of
polyethylene.
Expansion 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. In 1977, the company entered the installation systems market, which went on to become the most important market of the company. In 1980, the German facilities were expanded and a warehouse complex was opened at its Rapperswil-Jona headquarters. It also acquired a big German player in the installation-elements market, Sanbloc. In 1986, it began automating its production. In 1989, it acquired a stake in FAE Fluid Air Energy, joining the fresh water supply systems sector. In 1990, the facilities of Pottenbrunn were expanded. In 1994, a new plant was established in
Lichtenstein in Eastern Germany to take advantage of the new markets after the end of the
Cold War. In 1991, the Gebert family withdrew from managing the company and the first outsider was appointed CEO of the company: Gunter F. Kelm. With the new cash, the company started a series of acquisitions, which included Italy's Deriplast and Walking Pipe Italiana, Germany's Buchler Werkzeugbau AG and the United Kingdom's Caradon Terrain Ltd. In June 1999, Geberit was listed on the
SWX Swiss Exchange. In 2004, it purchased the leading German metal pipe manufacturer
Mapress Holding from
Lindsay Goldberg & Bessemer at a cost of 372.5 million euros. The Geberit share was included in the
Swiss Market Index (SMI) in 2012. In 2015, Geberit acquired the Finland-based bath and toilet firm
Sanitec for $1.4 billion. ==Strategy==