Vaillant Group
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| Industry | Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and Renewable Energies |
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| Founded | 1874 |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people |
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| Revenue | € 2.381 billion (2013)[2] |
Number of employees | 12,070 (2013)[3] |
| Website | www.vaillant-group.com |
The Vaillant Group is an internationally operating, family-owned company in the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning industry (HVAC). The company employs a staff of more than 12,000 and is posting an annual turnover of about €2,3 billion. The Vaillant Group is the second largest company in the HVAC industry in Europe and a world market leader in the wall-hung boiler segment. The company headquarters are located in Remscheid, Germany.[4]
History
The history of Vaillant Group dates back to 1874 when founder Johann Vaillant started an installer craftsmanship business in Remscheid, Germany. Several years later, in 1894, he patented his invention of the gas water heater "closed system". Vaillant’s invention made it possible for the first time to heat water hygienically, without the combustion gases coming into contact with the water. At the time, the innovation was significant. It had a lasting impact on heating technology and created a whole new market segment. In 1924 followed another technological milestone. Vaillant developed a central heating boiler. For the first time, the building’s heating system consisted of a single central appliance combined with radiators in individual rooms. The principle has remained common ever since.[5]
Notable events in the more recent history of the company include the market launch of the Circo-Geyser in 1961, the very first wall-mounted central heating boiler; followed, in 1995, by the first self-developed and manufactured wall-hung boiler based on condensing technology. The acquisition of the British Hepworth Group, in 2011, internationalized the Vaillant Group, extended the brand and product portfolio as well as the sales and manufacturing network. The internationalization was driven further ahead with the take over of the majority interest in the Turkish heating and air-conditioning specialist Türk Demir Döküm Fabrıkaları in 2007.
For several years now, the Vaillant Group continues to focus ever more on technologies based on renewable energies. In 2006, a production line for heat pumps was established in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The large-scale industrial manufacture of solar thermal collectors started in 2008. In 2010, the zeolite gas heat pump, a novel technology, was developed. In 2011, the first European micro combined heat and power station especially designed for use in single-family houses was market launched in Germany. The latter was recognized with the 2011 German Sustainability Award.[6]
The Vaillant Group is wholly under family ownership.
Brands and sites
The Vaillant Group markets eight international brands. The brands are positioned and sold separately in various European and international heating technology markets. The brand portfolio comprises the brands Vaillant (founded 1874, Germany), Saunier Duval (1907, France), awb (1934, Netherlands), Bulex (1934, Belgium), DemirDöküm (1954, Turkey), Glow-worm (1934, UK), Heatline (1960s, UK), Hermann Saunier Duval (1970, Italy) and Protherm (1991, Slovakia).
The company maintains R&D and manufacturing sites in seven European countries and in China. Four sites are located in Germany (Remscheid, Gelsenkirchen, Bergheim, Roding). There are two manufacturing sites in Slovakia (Trenčín and Skalica) and additional sites in Nantes (France), Belper (UK), Bozüyük (Turkey), Bergara (Spain) and Wuxi (China).
Products
The product portfolio of the Vaillant Group comprises the full-line of the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning technologies that are available today. The company’s core business is in wall-hung and floor-standing condensing boilers, solar thermal systems for hot water supply and heating support, various heat pump technologies, wood pellet boilers, combined heat and power stations, hybrid systems, heat recovery ventilation for low energy houses, controls, gas and electric water heaters, radiators and related services. Efficient and green technologies make up the majority share of product sales.
By means of acquisitions and product developments, the company in recent years has increased its activity in the low output class segment of the combined heat and power (CHP) market in Germany. Micro CHP stations produce heat and electricity on-site in buildings. The technology has been part of the portfolio for some years. But in 2011, the company introduced the first micro CHP system designed for typical single-family houses in Germany. Also in 2011, a new large-scale production line was established in Gelsenkirchen. In 2012, the company bought the Hamburg-based CHP specialist Cogenon. Currently, the range of CHP stations covers electrical output classes from 1 kWh up to 20 kWh.
Publications
The Vaillant Group publishes an Annual Report with information on corporate performance and developments as well as an annual Sustainability Report. In addition to the reports, the Vaillant Group publishes the employee magazine "Life", the German-language customer magazine "21grad" and a German-language compendium "Energie, Zahlen, Daten, Fakten" with statistics, facts and figures on global energy production, supply and consumption.
External links
References
- ^ Change in the Vaillant Group Management Board. (Found on 11 July 2014)
- ^ Vaillant Group continues on course to growth. (Found on 11 July 2014)
- ^ Vaillant Group continues on course to growth. (Found on 11 July 2014)
- ^ Vaillant Group Annual Report 2011
- ^ Durchgebissen und nach oben gearbeitet (German-language article published in daily German business newspaper "Handelsblatt"). (Found on 11 July 2012)
- ^ The ecoPOWER 1.0 micro-cogeneration system is Germany's most sustainable product. (Found on 11 July 2012)