Gulf Construction Online - 150 years of growth, innovation

Manufacturers & Procurement

The lead-lined wooden cistern invented by Gebert in 1905.

150 years of growth, innovation

01 February 2024

Geberit, which traces its origins to 1874 as a one-man business in the historic centre of the Swiss town of Rapperswil on Lake Zurich, this year marks 150 years of quality, innovation, and partnership as a pioneer in the sanitary industry.

Three decades after its inception, company founder Albert Gebert developed a lead-lined wooden cistern. The success story continued with the invention of the first plastic cistern in 1952, and a series of innovations thereafter.

Geberit’s founding family ... Albert Gebert with his wife and their two sons.

“Our comprehensive system solutions continue to set standards, then, now and in the future,” says Christian Buhl, CEO of Geberit.

“150 Years of Tomorrow”

Installers, wholesalers, building owners and end customers have been relying on the company’s innovative strength for 150 years. “Making good things even better has been our credo since day one. In doing so, we always put our customers at the centre,” says Buhl.

The brothers Heinrich and Klaus Gebert who built the family business into one of Europe’s leading sanitary technology groups.

One example of this innovative strength in action is the Geberit concealed cistern, or UP for short, which was launched on the market in 1964. Today, Geberit concealed cisterns and the blue Geberit Duofix installation frames set the tone in the sanitary industry.

Stable Geberit DNA

Geberit’s values and objectives have remained largely unchanged over the past 150 years: A down-to-earth attitude, quality awareness and the pursuit of excellence still characterise the corporate culture today.

Officials at Geberit’s Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 1999.

The modest family business of past times has now become the European market leader for sanitary products. Today, the globally active Geberit Group employs over 10,000 people and operates 26 production sites, four of which are overseas.

Festive atmosphere

Geberit is celebrating its anniversary together with employees, customers, and partners. Various events and celebrations are organised throughout the year. Geberit is reminiscing about the past 150 years with an anniversary book on the company’s history and an anniversary website.

A technical advisor with an early plastic cistern.