“KWC is a guarantee of quality”

Last year the Franke Water Systems Division was sold by the Franke Group and the two business units Water Systems Commercial (WSC) and KWC were reorganized. CEO and Board of Directors Thorsten Klapproth talks about what has been achieved so far and what plans the company has for the near future.

Thorsten Klapproth, you have been at the helm of the two independent divisions KWC and WSC for almost a year now. How did you experience the first time in the new unit and which points were tackled first?

KWC can look back on a long tradition that is characterized by a strong inventive spirit. This would not be possible without our innovative and creative people in the company. For me, they are the company's most important resource. Due to the pandemic, however, the first contact with the employees based at the headquarters could not take place physically. The management team and the employees had to get to know each other via the screen. Even if it is very important to me and I much prefer to be close to the people: we did well with the start in web format. I experienced the first time very positively and have already settled in quite well. I know the industry very well and I am very enthusiastic about managing KWC. There is a lot going on here: it feels like a 150-year-old start-up company.

What did I tackle first? First, it was important to me to just listen. KWC has locations spread all over the world. It is essential that the independence of the company is built up jointly by the individual employees worldwide. And so our employees from different countries met offline or online in different work streams to take on the challenge of becoming a new independent group. Our motto is: One team - one goal - one company.

What is the priority at WSC?

... and what about KWC, which is well established in the Swiss market?

KWC and Water Systems Commercial are embarking on a new common path. The products and brands of the KWC Group AG - namely KWC, Water Systems Commercial, DEKO, DVS, Franke Sissons, Nokite - are combined under the KWC brand. The new brand is divided into three focus areas: KWC Home, KWC Professional and KWC Medical. With this strategic decision, we are strengthening our position in the sanitary industry and guaranteeing a wide range of products for kitchens and bathrooms in private households, semi- and public sanitary facilities and in medical technology. The uniform brand identity is the first step in bringing together the agile competence centers in order to make people's lives noticeably better. KWC stands for the goal of improving the quality of life.

KWC is a brand with a special reputation for its faucets and a 150-year company history. From the Unterkulm location, KWC exports its quality products to over 50 countries. What is the aim here?

With its production site in Unterkulm, Aargau, KWC is a guarantee of quality. In Unterkulm, precision and efficiency are lived in all parts of the company: short distances in production, product developments based on experience and service quality. We have the ambition to market our products even more internationally. Because sustainability, hygiene and purity of the water are global issues and here too the requirements are constantly growing.

What is planned at the various production and sales locations in Switzerland and abroad?

We have our production facilities all over the world: in Germany, England, the United Arab Emirates, China and of course at our headquarters in Switzerland. All are ideally positioned to produce high-quality products for our customers.

Our big advantage: With the knowledge from the professional field, we can also enrich the private space and vice versa. If you like: by professionals for professionals.

What about the current workforce at KWC Group AG? Are there any changes planned?

At the moment we count over 1000 employees in the group worldwide. Around 300 of these employees work here at the headquarters in Switzerland. Jobs are often lost when a company changes hands. We have a different perspective and rely on the many years of experience of existing employees to grow. In addition, internationalization is becoming increasingly important. Although we already have many international business relationships today, we want to grow even more in the future.

What is planned in your company in relation to the required sustainable restructuring in the economy and what has been achieved?

Water is the purest form of life. Nothing is more important to us than the purity of this precious primordial element. We derive our actions from this: Sustainability, hygiene, care and safety are our top priorities. The water simply comes out clean from the tap. And not a drop is wasted. But how does it actually work – and how can it be even better? There is no question that stainless steel is one of our core competencies. We produce sustainable and durable products that are 100% recyclable. Coupled with excellent design and smart electronics, we take water management to a new level. Digitization is also moving in here, and not only with touchless fittings and the regulation of resource consumption. We take this seriously and can therefore make a contribution to our environment without neglecting the needs of our customers.

What innovations do you plan to launch on the market next?

Smart sanitary solutions and the development of the KWC shower culture are part of our job. Stainless steel and electronics are our core competencies. We are always working on new product developments that make everyday life easier for our fellow human beings. Our experts concentrate here with innovative strength and passion to develop new products that are not yet known in our industry. All I can say at the moment is that the research and development department is working on promising projects. A lot is happening here at KWC. And we'll be able to show that at next year's ISH.

How can you imagine a visit to today's KWC?

KWC was founded in Unterkulm in 1874 and is one of the best-known traditional Swiss brands. The foundry, built in 1880, is still in Unterkulm today and is part of a new building complex that has been in existence since September 2020 as the new headquarters of KWC Group AG. The KWC fittings competence center is located on the first four floors with an Aquakulm exhibition, KWC shop and “Wynagarten” staff restaurant on the ground floor, with the offices on three floors above. The upper floors contain modern apartments that are part of the new KWC residential area.

The Aquakulm exhibition is open to everyone. Here, visitors are guided from the source of the water to how the water is used in the kitchen and bathroom. The story and the individual production steps can be experienced in multimedia. A fittings library provides an overview of all current products, and you can exchange ideas at the coffee bar. The exhibition is accessible to plumbers, plumbers, architects and builders, as well as to all interested private individuals. We are an open house and look forward to visitors.

How do you see the immediate future?

Clearly: the future needs a past. This merger makes our position so unique. KWC has a long tradition and a strong inventive spirit that needs to be preserved. Products such as the pull-out spray or the swan-neck mixer bear our signature and have become indispensable today. The electronic KWC KIO is currently the most modern version of the pull-out spray for the kitchen. With its futuristic design and intelligent functions, it lives up to the first pull-out spray from 1957. So we will always find something of our tradition in our new products in the future.

Furthermore, we want to expand our unique market position in the future. As the market leader in Switzerland and in the public sector in Germany, we are one of the leading providers in the premium segment. With the unified brand identity, we are simplifying customer contact and the cross-section of our wide range.