Grundfos celebrates 75th anniversary

Foss 1, often called ‘the Pig,’ is Grundfos’ first pump, built in 1945 when founder Poul Due Jensen received an order for an automated waterworks. Photo credit: Grundfos.

Water pump manufacturer Grundfos, well-known by specifying engineers and facility managers alike, is celebrating its 75^th anniversary today.

The company’s history began in Denmark in 1945, at the end of the Second World War. A shortage of supplies pushed founder and engineer Poul Due Jensen to develop and construct a complete, automated water pump system from scratch for a local farmer. The success of that project (pictured), along with Jensen’s belief in the power of workplace collaboration, provided the foundation for the organization.

”If you’re on your own, you can do a little,” he said, “but you can do a lot when you work together to do the job.”

Many of the company’s 19,280 employees around the world will mark the occasion digitally, as they continue to work from home (WFH) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company is using the opportunity for local teams to reflect on the past, present and future.

“We celebrate the pioneering, socially responsible spirit that continues to drive us today with a commitment to fight climate and water challenges,” says group president and CEO Mads Nipper. “Grundfos is now stronger than ever. We have an ambition, over the coming decade, to contribute to bringing safely managed drinking water to 300 million people and to become a climate-positive company.”