Thirty-eight members of IHEEM’s Northern Ireland Branch recently enjoyed a memorable two-day visit to Switzerland, with a tour of the Geberit Headquarters, in Rapperswil, Zurich, the Branch chair, Joanna Dougherty, writes.
The company dates back to 1874, when Casper Melchior Gebert was granted work as a plumber in Rapperswil in Switzerland. In 1905 he started to manufacture parts, developing the first wooden cistern for toilets, the so-called ‘Phoenix’, lead-coated, and with a flushing mechanism which was considered revolutionary.
Joanna Dougherty explained: “The Geberit Group is now the European market leader in sanitary technology. With representatives in 41 countries, its product range includes sanitary and piping systems. Our group was afforded a very interesting visit around Geberit’s research and development facility, learning about the importance of effective waste drainage systems, silent in operation, and minimal in water usage. Included was a detailed talk on Geberit piping systems, during which the mystery of the shower toilet was explained!”
In addition to the technical portion of the trip, members also had some free time to explore the Rapperswil area, including a guided tour of Zurich.
