RICHARD Grohe, deputy CEO at the Germany-based bathroom and sanitation solutions firm Hansgrohe, says the company is focusing on emerging markets and strengthening its presence in the Middle East.

He adds there is a new market among “aspirational” customers in the Gulf region, many of whom are newly married and who wish to live away from their parental homes. Hansgrohe is offering them a selection of products from a range of designers, the variety on offer extending from simple items to the most expensive ones. It is also consolidating its position in Saudi Arabia.

“We have invented most of the showers. We feel confident, subject to the market volatility,” says Richard, the grandson of the company’s founder. He points out that Hansgrohe shower systems are doing very well in the Gulf. Globally, the company has set up state-of-the-art showrooms and invested much in training sales staff.

Some 40 per cent of Hansgrohe products come within the very high-luxury, premium-price range, he says. The company is not interested in producing cheap, low-quality goods.

The company’s turnover was €610 million ($835.03 million) during the global recession of 2009 against €668 million in the year before.

Hansgrohe stresses it has prioritised green issues, creating over many years water-saving and energy-saving products that offer long service and is introducing sophisticated recycling systems. It says it is maximising the use of renewable energy and selects environment-friendly locations and manufacturing technologies.

The Hansgrohe Group is involved in the future-oriented and sustainable Masdar City in Abu Dhabi. It has provided EcoSmart mixers and showers in the city’s first building, the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology.

Earlier this year, Hansgrohe was presented with the Deloitte Axia Award 2010 for Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart for its innovative culture. Founded in 1901, the group has 10 production sites and subsidiaries in 37 countries and is among a few global players in the sanitation sector. Most of its sales are realised overseas.