News
25-04-2012
Grundfos centralises North American waste water business
Grundfos celebrated the official launch of a new business-development competence centre serving all of North America and devoted exclusively to the municipal waste water market. Located in Aurora approximately 60 kilometres west of Chicago, the centre is housed in the 105,000-square-foot, pump-manufacturing facility of the former Yeomans Chicago Corporation (YCC), which Grundfos acquired in December 2008.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Regional Managing Director for Grundfos North America, Jes Munk Hansen, said:
- This centre is pivotal to Grundfos becoming a leader in the North American municipal waste water business. We have big ambitions for the next five years, as we strive to double - if not triple - our sales in that key segment, with commensurate growth in our product offering.
Danish Minister present at ceremony
Nearly 100 guests joined Grundfos personnel for a ribbon-cutting ceremony inaugurating the new Water Utility Centre, led by Denmark’s Minister for Trade and Investment, Pia Olsen Dyhr and Dan Seals, assistant director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
Pia Olsen Dyhr praised Grundfos as an example of a Danish company successfully meeting the global mandate to counter climate change by reducing water and energy consumption.
- One of the most pressing challenges facing the world today and over the next decades will be identifying and implementing technologies that mitigate climate change through the conservation of water and energy, Dyhr said.
North American presence is important
One of numerous such competency centres operated by Grundfos worldwide, the North American Water Utility Centre brings together a fully integrated team of professional experts in the municipal waste water industry. Their specialized skills include engineering, manufacturing, product sales and service, distribution, regulatory issues and equipment testing.
The new Water Utility Centre will bring its customers consistent lead times, a shorter supply chain and accelerated new-product development - all made possible through a permanent North American presence, according to Andrew Warrington, president of the Grundfos Water Utility business unit.
- As a North American supplier, we engineer, manufacture, sell and service products that are unique to this market. It is vital to have a local, interdisciplinary team like the one we have in Aurora, so we can offer the industry a holistic solution, he said.