- Grundfos USA
- About us
- Who we are
- The history of Grundfos
This is a story of relentless innovation and a belief in better since 1945. How all we do is rooted in our sense of duty and responsibility to our customers and our environment. How by respecting, protecting and advancing the flow of water, we see the possibility in every drop.
Grundfos USA: pioneering water solutions since 1973
Our origins date back to 1973, when farmer Einar Cook began selling Grundfos pumps from his home in Fresno, CA. By 1977, Grundfos’ first U.S. manufacturing plant was opened and the company has been expanding ever since.
In 1984, Grundfos in Allentown, PA invented CAPS, the world’s first pump calculation program for commercial use. CRE, our first intelligent pump, made huge energy savings possible from its launch in 1993, and in 2002 the SQFlex with its flexible power supply was the ideal submersible pump for remote areas.
We continue to expand, bringing PACO into the Grundfos family in 2006-7 and today operating from 11 sites across the country. In 2022, our global Water Utility headquarters in Brookshire, TX were inaugurated, emphasizing our sustainability ambitions with LEED v4 Platinum certification and a commitment to energy-efficient solutions. The U.S. is a major market for Grundfos, accounting for almost ⅙ of the global company’s net sales in 2022.
Discover more of Grundfos’ global history below.
When Poul Due Jensen couldn’t find a pump of sufficient quality to irrigate a local farm, he developed one himself in his basement. After just five years, he was exporting his pumps internationally.
1944
A new company
Poul Due Jensen founded a small company in Bjerringbro in 1944 called Bjerringbro Pressestøberi og Maskinfabrik (Bjerringbro Die-casting Foundry and Machine Factory) in the cellar of his private villa. The name Grundfoss was originally a product name but became synonymous with the company during the 1960s. In 1967 an ‘s’ was removed and the name Grundfos we know today was a reality.
1945
A new direction
Poul Due Jensen and his few employees operated a smithy and heating & sanitation services in 1944. But when he received an order in 1945 for a small automatic waterworks for a local farm, and couldn’t find an electric pump of satisfactory quality, he decided to develop one himself. The year 1945 marks the beginning of the company’s pump activities and is therefore the celebratory year for all our anniversaries.
1946
The first pump
Poul Due Jensen’s first pump, Foss 1, was nicknamed ‘the pig’ because of its design. Foss (meaning running water) was a shallow groundwater piston pump, designed to pump water from wells up to 7 meters deep. It was a double action pump, pumping water with both the forward and the backward motion of the piston. A total of 26 pumps of this model were produced and sold.
1947
First pump for deep groundwater
The first Dybfoss pump was produced in 1947. It was a deep groundwater piston pump, designed to pump water from wells more than seven meters deep.
1949
Export begins
Having been selling our pumps to large parts of Denmark, during the 1940s Poul Due Jensen began looking beyond national borders. The first export, to Norway, became reality in 1949. Other countries soon followed, and we attended our first foreign exhibition in Sweden in 1953.
Our name changes to ‘Bjerringbro Pump Factory’ and we use the Archimedes screw logo for the first time. Central heating circulators and the first pumps for wells deeper than 7 metres are launched.
1952
The multistage centrifugal pump
Our piston pumps had a very high capacity, but were heavy and consumed a lot of material. So production of the CP, our first pump using centrifugal pump technology, began in 1952. The centrifugal pumps were a lot smaller and consisted of mostly round and cylindrical components, making more efficient production possible. They soon replaced the piston pumps.
1953
Dybfoss BP is introduced
Our first logo was introduced in 1953 and was an abbreviation of the company name Bjerringbro Pressestøberi (Bjerringbro Die-casting Foundry) with the letters B and P. The logo was used in the following years as the company name changed to Bjerringbro Pumpefabrik (Bjerringbro Pump Factory).
1955
New logo: the Archimedean screw
In 1955 an employee presented Poul Due Jensen with an illustration of Archimedes’ water screw, which had a remarkable resemblance to the inside of the CP centrifugal pump. Ever since, the water screw has been the symbol of Grundfos, and has seen various designs over the years.
1959
The first circulator pump – VP 32
The VP 32 circulator pump was launched as a pump for central heating and domestic hot water circulation. The pump had a stainless steel rotor can and hard metal bearings which did not become worn by the processes normally occurring in a heating system. The bearing system was extremely reliable and some pumps of this type are still in use.
We are now named ‘Grundfos’. Innovative circulators, submersible pumps, and even production line machinery take shape. Social responsibility and employee development becomes a priority.
1960
First subsidiary
Our first subsidiary, a sales and production company, was founded in the small town of Wahlstedt in Germany.
1962
Employee education
In 1962, we established a night school for employees as expansion and global trade became more and more relevant. The first courses on offer were in languages and maths.
1965
Launch of the VP 35 circulator pump
The VP 35 was similar to the VP 32, but with an overhauled design and reduced weight. The innovation was the hydraulic adjustment feature, which made it possible to ‘turn down the pump’ using an internal bypass. This offered several advantages: for example, the resistance of the system did not have to be calculated very precisely, and the system could be changed and expanded without problems.
1967
Submersible pumps in stainless steel
The SP submersible pumps were used for pumping unfiltered water for water supply, irrigation, and groundwater lowering. They were a big breakthrough since they were made entirely of stainless steel, which meant that pumps had a much longer lifetime, even in aggressive water. The SP pumps filled a niche with a significant demand, as the piston pumps were long outdated.
1968
Social responsibility
In 1968, Grundfos became the first private company in Denmark to open a sheltered workshop for employees with special needs. The initiative was taken in 1964 and was a collaboration between Grundfos, the parish council and the national welfare system.
1969
Invention of production machines
Because no standard production machinery could be found to mass produce our circulator pumps, we started to design and build our own production machines. The machine was called the “carousel”, processing parts for the circulator pumps which led to significant time savings.
Innovation continues as key product lines are established, winning industry awards. Poul Due Jensen’s son Niels takes the reins, recognising our responsibility to make the world a better place through energy efficiency.
1971
Centrifugal pumps go inline – CR30
The CR30 was the first inline multistage centrifugal pump ever produced. The most revolutionary aspect was that inlet and outlet were placed at the same level, in line with each other. The pump could therefore be installed anywhere in a system without requiring changes to the piping, which was a huge installation advantage. Like several other Grundfos designs, it is now an industrial standard.
1973
First overseas subsidiary
Grundfos’ first overseas subsidiary was established in 1973 in the USA. The official inauguration, however, didn’t take place until 1976, when the company had a better foothold in the new market.
1974
Production of submersible motors
The development of our own submersible motors commenced in the late 1960s, and production started in 1974. The submersible motors were made of thin sheet stainless steel to avoid corrosion. This meant that the motors were cost-efficient as repairs and replacements were infrequent.
1975
The Poul Due Jensen Foundation
In 1975, Poul Due Jensen established the Poul Due Jensen Foundation. Having been given the majority of Grundfos shares, the Foundation became the new owner of Grundfos and was able to ensure new investments and growth in the company.
1976
Introduction of standard motors
In the year we first started production of our own standard motors, the first standard motor received the Danish award for industrial design, the ID award.
1977
The JP jet pump is introduced
Before the introduction of the Jet Pump, pumps were usually installed at a fixed place from where they operated. The Jet Pump was a portable centrifugal pump developed and designed for universal applications, such as small-scale water supply, boosting, car washing, swimming pools, farms, liquid transport, and industrial plants. Easy and simple installation, reliable and quiet operation and long life were some of the advantages. The Jet Pump was equipped with a built-in ejector, which made it self-priming. It was a very handy, efficient and innovative pump which also earned Grundfos its third ID award (Danish award for industrial design) for its innovative design.
1978
The new generation
In November 1977, Poul Due Jensen passed away at the early age of 65. His son Niels Due Jensen, who at the time was 34, was placed in charge of the company, succeeding as head of management in 1978
Revolutionary production techniques make custom-made pumps possible for customers, while innovation in electronics, computer programmes and solar pumps drive forward our vision of efficiency.
1980
Electronics development
The production of electronics in Grundfos had existed since the 1970s, but with the worldwide focus on climate and energy savings a new project started to evolve in 1980: the development of a frequency converter controlled by a microprocessor.
1982
Solar-driven pump systems
During the 1980s a broad interest in climate change and sustainability started to manifest all over the world. Grundfos started to investigate the possibilities of a solar-driven pump around 1980, and when the United Nations Development Programme launched a solar pump system competition in 1980, the work really took off. Grundfos introduced their solar-driven pump system to the world in 1982 and won the UNDP competition.
1984
The first wastewater pump – KP
With the introduction of the small and handy KP drainage pump, Grundfos entered the wastewater market. The pump stator was embedded in composite, and the rest of the pump was made completely of stainless steel. The pump was suitable for a great variety of purposes involving drain water or grey wastewater and it was very easy to clean with simple hand tools. The KP drainage pump was the first of a wide range of reliable, high-quality wastewater pumps to be introduced by Grundfos in the following years.
CAPS- Computer-Aided Product Selection tool
Grundfos invented CAPS, the first pump calculation program for commercial use in the world, for use on an Apple II computer.
1989
Grundfos equals quality
In 1989, Grundfos A/S, as the first pump manufacturer in the world, was certified according to the quality standard ISO 9001.
A revolutionary technique
Using so-called “core melting technology”, we were the first pump manufacturer able to produce complicated shapes in composite, such as special pump housings for OEM customers, enabling us to produce custom-made pumps in a much more efficient and accurate way.
The world’s first intelligent pump launches, alongside pioneering advances in all-in-one pump and motor technology. Our belief in environmental responsibility is reinforced with ISO 14001 certification.
1990
The Technology Centre
The Technology Centre was established to continue the expansive development work in production technology, optimisation of production processes and research in new materials and designs.
1991
The intelligent pump
The development of a micro frequency converter began in the mid 1980s. The extensive research and development resulted in the launch of X99 in 1991. X99 was presented in the circulator pump UPE, making it the world’s first intelligent pump. The X99 resulted in enormous energy savings and was subsequently an integral part of many Grundfos pumps.
1992
The JetSub
The introduction of the JetSub in 1992 was revolutionary, as it was the first submersible pump with built-in electronics encapsulated in the motor. Due to the X99 micro frequency converter, the pump could reach a higher speed of rotation and the pump’s dimensions could therefore be reduced to match a 3" borehole while still delivering the same performance as a conventional pump.
1993
Introduction of the MGE motor
Grundfos was the only pump manufacturer that produced its own electric motors and electronics. With the MGE electric motor a micro frequency converter was, for the first time, built into a standard electrical motor as an integrated unit. Because of this, pumps with a variable need for flow and pressure, ventilators and other appliances could be speed controlled, making huge energy savings possible.
The Business Development Centre
Connected to the Technology and Development Centre by a glass footbridge, the BDC was inaugurated. All business-related activities and departments are now located in this futuristic building.
A compact all-in-one booster system: JetpaQ
The JetpaQ was revolutionary with frequency converter, pump, pressure sensor and tank all built into one integrated unit. The pressure and water flow was automatically regulated through the integrated electronics, and combined with its small size, it was possible to install almost anywhere.
1995
The first stainless steel sewage pump – AP
Grundfos introduced its first stainless steel sewage pump – the AP pump.
The new generation of MGE motors
We again took the lead in technology by introducing a 3-phase standard motor with a built-in frequency converter that could also be adjusted via a remote control.
Pumps with remote control
Grundfos introduced the remote control R100 in 1995, which allowed electronic pumps to be configured, diagnosed and serviced using a remote handheld device. The device communicated to a small printer which printed vital pump statistics, making the R100 completely unique in the world of pump technology.
1996
Environmental responsibility
Grundfos received the international environmental certification ISO 14001.
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As Niels Due Jensen steps down as CEO, the new millennium brings a digital revolution to society and Grundfos. Energy-saving innovations abound and sustainability is at the core as our ‘Innovation Intent’ is introduced.
2000
The first digital dosing pump
Grundfos introduced its first digital dosing pumps. Based upon the patented revolutionary step motor principle, digital dosing pumps are able to deliver very precise quantities of dosing fluid.
Dosing made digital
Until the introduction of Digital Dosing, it was a slow and difficult process to reach the exact dosage required for dosing systems to be economical and safe. Grundfos Digital Dosing introduced completely new drive principles in diaphragm dosing pumps, supplemented with direct electronic digital control from push-button control panels.
2001
Inauguration of The Poul Due Jensen Academy
The education of Grundfos employees began in 1962 with the introduction of a night school, continuing to develop over the years. With the inauguration of the Poul Due Jensen Academy, all education and learning was gathered in one place with all-new education facilities.
Be Think Innovate, Branding and eBusiness
The branding project was initiated to communicate the essence of the fundamental values to customers, employees and other partners.
The objective was for current and future customers to prefer dealing with Grundfos because they were aware of and appreciated the company values. An additional objective was for the employees to choose Grundfos as their workplace because they agreed with the values and philosophy – and wanted to play a part in maintaining and consolidating them. Be Think Innovate became the new corporate payoff.
Simultaneously, the Grundfos eBusines department was founded with the objective to strengthen existing partnerships by adding electronic services to our existing activities. The Grundfos Extranet and WebCAPS are examples of projects that have been developed. The present day eBusiness department concentrates on “e” Innovation, especially in Sales and Marketing.
A customer adapted pump – Magna
Prior to its introduction, user focus groups contributed with a list of things they would like to see in a new and approved circulator pump. This resulted in a pump with automatic adaptation to system characteristics, night-time reduction, a user-friendly operating panel and other features required by customers. The Grundfos Magna was also equipped with a permanent magnet motor, ensuring significant energy savings. In addition, the concept of automatic speed control was further developed – a breakthrough in state-of-the-art circulator pumps in 2001, just as the VP pump was in the late 1950s.
2002
Flexibility in power supply – SQFlex
The SQFlex is flexible in its power supply and is therefore ideal for remote areas where there is either no power supply, or where the supply is unreliable. The pump can be run by for instance solar or wind energy, or run on a generator or batteries. Like the solar pump systems developed by Grundfos in the 1980s, the SQFlex is virtually maintenance-free.
WebCAPS
Grundfos introduced WebCAPS, the first online web-based pump calculation programme.
2003
New CEO without the Due Jensen name
Niels Due Jensen (son of founder Poul Due Jensen) left the responsibility to the first CEO without the Due Jensen name: Jens Jørgen Madsen who had his entire 30-year career at Grundfos. During his career he was Chairman/Member of the Board in more than 25 Grundfos companies, and became a member of Group Management in 1991. Jens Jørgen Madsen resigned as Group President on 30 November 2006.
A new generation of sewage pumps – SE1 and SEV
Grundfos introduced the SE1 and SEV sewage pumps which also received the ID award for their design.
2005
The revolutionary energy saving pump – ALPHA Pro
The ALPHA Pro was the first low-energy pump based on a permanent magnet rotor and built-in micro frequency converter. The stator was segmented, the frequency converter control was based on hall sensors and the production capacity was limited. Automatic control ensured that the pump’s pressure and flow was constantly adjusted to current needs. The pump automatically adjusted itself to summer or winter, night or day. The ALPHA Pro paved the way for low-energy pumps globally.
2006
Grundfos A/S receives the EFQM Award
Among 27 finalists, Grundfos A/S won the EFQM Excellence Award – Award winner and the EFQM Excellence Award – Prize winner for Corporate Social Responsibility and EFQM Excellence Award – Prize winner for People Development & Involvement.
The organisation behind the prizes is EFQM (The European Foundation of Quality Management). Its mission is to inspire and help companies throughout Europe to participate in improvement activities ultimately leading to excellence in customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, impact on society and business results.
Grundfos NoNOx Urea Dosing System
In 2002, Grundfos NoNOx A/S started development of a dosing pump for SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction), for heavy-duty diesel engines. The SCR process removes the poisonous nitrogen oxides (NOx) from exhaust gases by dosing a precise amount of a reducing agent, urea.
The NoNOx system represented the first step for Grundfos in the automotive segment. It was launched in Europe in 2006 for Cummins Euro 4 applications.
2007
Carsten Bjerg becomes Group President
Carsten Bjerg took up the position as Group President after Jens Jørgen Madsen. He joined Grundfos in 1997 as Director of International Production. In 2000 Carsten Bjerg became a member of Group Management overseeing production and logistics, research and technology, eBusiness and quality. In 2004 he was appointed Group Vice President before becoming CEO and Group President in 2007.
Grundfos BioBooster
Grundfos Biobooster was introduced in 2007 as a decentralised wastewater treatment system. The technology enables industrial manufacturers to treat wastewater on site. This reduces the load on municipal wastewater treatment plants and minimises the need for heavy investments in infrastructure. The system is compact, has a minimal carbon footprint and is odourless so it can be situated in residential areas.
2008
Innovation intent
In 2008, Grundfos introduced the Innovation Intent which focuses on long-term innovation efforts.
The common denominator of the Innovation Intent is to put sustainability first, to be there for a growing world, and to pioneer new technologies – in brief: Concern, Care, Create.
2009
Grundfos LIFELINK
Grundfos LIFELINK is a business unit with a social purpose, established with the purpose of developing sustainable water systems, primarily for rural areas in developing countries. The arrangement is made possible by various organisations donating the system to a village. The villagers then pay for the water by mobile phone, and these payments cover the maintenance of the system. The first system was established in Kenya in 2009.
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The iconic submersible pump celebrates its 50th anniversary, while next-generation circulators and new magnet motors lead the way in efficiency. Grundfos is recognised at the UN for its commitment to making water and sanitation available for all.
2010
Energy savings with new motor
Grundfos introduced their first pump with permanent magnet motor, ensuring significant energy savings of up to 70% compared with other pumps of a similar size.
2012
A new generation of circulators
The ALPHA2 and MAGNA3 hit the markets.
The new ALPHA2 offered the highest efficiency for any domestic circulator in the industry with an EEI of 0.15- 20% EuP benchmark level. Designed from the inside and out, its new features make installation, control, and optimisation easier than ever before.
The MAGNA3 is more than a pump. It is a full range of intelligent, high-efficiency circulators for heating, cooling, ground source heat pumps systems and domestic hot water applications.
2013
Expansion in Hungary
Grundfos inaugurates new facilities in Székesfehérvár. The state-of-the-art facility is home to production, testing and D&E and is the fourth production site in the country
2014
Mads Nipper joins as new CEO
After a long and successful career at Lego, Mads Nipper joins Grundfos as new Group President and CEO.
2015
Grundfos Olympics – bigger and better than ever
1,200 Grundfos employees from 55 countries met for the Grundfos Olympics, held in Bjerringbro and its surroundings under the banner of “Teambuilding and Friendship”.
UN climate award goes to Grundfos
Grundfos won the prestigious United Nations’ Momentum for Change Lighthouse Activity Award in the ICT category. The award was given for the Lifelink water solution that provides reliable and sustainable water supply in developing countries.
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After 25 years at Grundfos, Poul Due Jensen, grandson and namesake of the founder, becomes CEO. We continue our promise to protect, respect and advance the flow of water.
2020
Poul Due Jensen is our new CEO
Crucial to the appointment is Poul Due Jensen’s global experience, strong results, leadership qualities and values. He has been an invaluable part of Grundfos since the turn of the millennium, and since 2015 he has been a central part of Group Management.
2022
Grundfos to the power of four
Grundfos organises into four Divisions with full end to end accountability to accelerate innovation, become easier to do business with, and become a more rewarding place to work, learn and grow. The Divisions – Commercial Building Services, Domestic Building Services, Industry and Water Utility – form one Grundfos, united by our purpose and values.
Possibility in every drop
Encapsulating our belief in the power of water to change the world, we announce our new promise: to ‘respect, protect and advance the flow of water’. The promise is underpinned by the endline ‘Possibility in every drop’.
2023
Fifty years in the US
Grundfos celebrates fifty years of US operations. Established in Fresno, CA, there are now 13 offices and manufacturing facilities with more than 1,600 employees across the USA. The year prior, the new US headquarters opened in a newly built, first-of-its-kind, environmentally sustainable building in Brookshire, TX. The 45,000-square-foot facility is the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified v4 Platinum new construction in Texas.
New CBS headquarters
New global headquarters for the Commercial Building Services division are unveiled in Singapore. A critical component of the relocation strategy is the Singapore Innovation Hub, which aims to leverage local knowledge to pioneer future solutions for energy-efficient commercial buildings.
Continued expansion
The acquisition of Metasphere, a leading provider of telemetry and analytics solutions for water networks, will empower the industry to meet the challenges of climate change and provide even stronger offerings to our global municipal customers.
Climate action
As part of the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, Poul Due Jensen is one of over 100 signatories to an open letter to world leaders urging the rapid increase of public-private collaboration and action ahead of COP28.
2024
Top 1% for sustainability
Grundfos joins the top 1% of companies globally for outstanding sustainability efforts, earning a Platinum EcoVadis rating for its commitment to sustainable business practices.
Forty years in Singapore
Celebrations are held marking forty years of Grundfos in Singapore. Established in 1984, Grundfos Singapore has grown to become a key driver in the organisation’s global operations.
Building a water treatment platform
Our water treatment business is further advanced with the acquisition of Culligan’s Commercial & Industrial division. With water scarcity becoming a pressing concern and water stress affecting communities and industries worldwide, we are building a new water treatment platform that integrates advanced technologies and processes to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of water treatment. This is set to make a substantial difference in industries where water quality is paramount, including food and beverage and pharma.
Explore Grundfos further
Discover more on our purpose and values, what we do, and our strategic partners.