Customized Solutions to Local Challenges

Over eight decades of its existence, the Danish company Grundfos has become the world's largest manufacturer of pumps and submersible pumps since its founder, Poul Due Jensen came up with his first pump model. Its philosophy has been about persistent innovation and striving for the best since 1945. Internationally, Hungary is one of the main production sites of Grundfos, supplying the global market with critical products and components.

The company’s Country Director Hungary, Olivér Szundy highlights to Diplomacy&Trade that “the key to our growth has been that we have never been satisfied with the status quo and trying to achieve the best has been in the company's DNA since 1945.”

That aspiration involves continuous development of technology, especially in the areas of energy efficiency, reliability and intelligent control. “We have grown from a small pump manufacturer to a global market leader because we have always anticipated customer needs and offered state-of-the-art solutions. Our main driving force behind all this is our instinct for change and optimism about the future, in the spirit of action in which Grundfos was founded. We recognized early on the importance of international expansion, which has enabled us to be present all over the world and offer customized solutions to local challenges. Unmatched quality and durability have made Grundfos pumps reliable for generations.”

Grundfos in Hungary: not just production
Grundfos Manufacturing Ltd. was founded in Tatabánya, west of Budapest, in the year 2000, but now has two additional sites in Hungary. Olivér Szundy, who is also the Plant Director of the Tatabánya factory, stresses that production by Grundfos in this country has undergone tremendous development. “From a single site at the beginning, we have now become a complex network operating in Tatabánya as well as in nearby Székesfehérvár and Páty. Our capacity and product range have continuously expanded from the initial smaller motors and components to the production of high-performance, complete pump systems.”

The sites have been continuously modernized, introducing automated manufacturing processes that play a key role in Grundfos’ global production. Strengthening its knowledge base, and with the launch of R&D activities in 2007, the Hungarian unit is now not only a manufacturer but also a knowledge center.

“In addition, let me point out that production has indeed been going on for 25 years in our country this year, but our sales and service center has been operating since 1996 under the name Grundfos South East Europe Ltd. Since 2010, one of the company's key service centers has also been located in Hungary, namely the Grundfos Shared Service Center. As a result, the total number of employees at Grundfos companies in Hungary now exceeds 3,000,” he says.

Hungarian intellectual capital
Speaking more in detail about research and development, the Country Director underlines that R&D activities of Hungarian experts are highly recognized within the global organization of Grundfos. “The Hungarian R&D center contributes significantly to the latest energy-efficient pump and motor developments, especially in the areas of intelligent control and Industry 4.0 solutions. The work of Hungarian engineers and scientists is considered among the best internationally, they lead and support numerous innovative projects. Our R&D activities are directly aligned with the group's global innovation strategy, ensuring that technological developments are quickly made available to the entire group. In this way, Grundfos Hungary is actively shaping the future of water treatment and pump technology.”

The activities in Hungary are a key link in the Grundfos Group's global operations, which span 55 countries and manufacture around 17 million pumps annually. Hungary is one of the main production sites, supplying the global market with critical products and components. The Hungarian sites are models of quality and efficiency, he adds.

Day-to-day ‘green’ practices
Environmental protection is a priority in the company's operations, and this is recognized in the business world. This year, at the annual event of The Business Council for Sustainable Development in Hungary (BCSDH), Grundfos received the Green Future Innovation Award in the Biodiversity Restoration category. The company was also recognized a year earlier when Károly Nyári received the Change Leader Award. As to how the ‘green’ approach manifests itself in the company's day-to-day activities, Olivér Szundy emphasizes that “for Grundfos, environmental protection is not just a marketing slogan, but the cornerstone of our daily operations. We are very proud of these BCSDH awards that recognize our efforts and achievements in sustainability.”
Going into detail of the company’s ‘green’ practices, he notes that the fundamental goal of Grundfos product innovations is to minimize energy consumption. Grundfos pumps are designed to significantly reduce operating costs and carbon dioxide emissions.

“At our sites, including our factories in Hungary, we are continuously reducing our own energy, water and raw material consumption, as well as our waste production. We strive to apply the principles of the circular economy. As part of our award-winning Biodiversity Restoration project, we are actively working to restore ecosystems around our factories and increase local biodiversity, involving our employees and local communities. In line with this, Grundfos Hungary employees have planted a forest next to our factories in Székesfehérvár, created a self-sustaining rain garden in collaboration with the city, and participated in the national tree planting project in the spring.”

Support for people and the environment
It may not come as a surprise that water and sustainable environmental technology are at the heart of the CSR activities of Grundfos. As the Country Director puts it, Grundfos' CSR activities naturally focus on these fields, reflecting the company's main area of activity and global challenges.

The most significant element is the global projects supported by the Grundfos Foundation (Poul Due Jensen Foundation), which aims to provide clean, safe drinking water to disadvantaged communities around the world. “This is not just about donations, but about installing sustainable water treatment solutions.”

In education and professional training, there are long-term partnerships with local educational institutions, support for vocational training programs to increase interest in engineering and technology professions, thereby contributing to the training of future sustainability professionals.

“We also support communities around our sites in Hungary, primarily through initiatives related to water, environmental protection and health. These activities also reinforce Grundfos' commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (in particular Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation),” he concludes.

Diverse areas of use
Grundfos pumps are sold worldwide and used in a wide range of industries and applications of which the most important where the company’s solutions play a critical role are:

• Building services (heating, air conditioning, water supply): ensuring energy-efficient water circulation and pressure boosting in homes, office buildings, and public buildings.
• Water supply and water treatment: drinking water supply systems, wastewater treatment and disposal. This area is essential for global water security.
• Industry (processes, cooling, dosing): manufacturing processes, industrial cooling systems, and precision fluid dosing in various industrial sectors.
• Agriculture and Irrigation: sustainable irrigation solutions to meet growing food demands.