Hansgrohe Group is marking the passing of Klaus Grohe, who died on 3 January 2026 at the age of 88. The youngest and third son of company founder Hans Grohe, he was born on 3 April 1937 in Aachen, Germany. He joined the family business in 1968, serving as the authorised signatory and head of sales.
Over the course of almost five decades, Klaus Grohe shaped the development of the Schiltach-based company – initially as managing partner, later as chairman of the executive board from 1999, and from 2008 to 2015 as chairman of the supervisory board. With visionary thinking, tireless energy and a strong customer focus, he transformed the family business into a global player in the sanitary industry.
His guiding principle was: “Always hands-on – being close to the customer, close to the product, close to the employee, both in administration and in production.” He was also an early advocate of sustainability, introducing water-saving showers and renewable energy projects that earned the company the Baden-Württemberg Environmental Prize in 1994.
“With Klaus Grohe, we are losing a pioneer who, until the very end, followed Hansgrohe’s development with great interest and commitment as honorary chairman of our supervisory board,” says Hans Jürgen Kalmbach, chairman of the executive board of Hansgrohe SE.
“He laid the foundation for the global success of our Group and decisively shaped Hansgrohe’s DNA. We are deeply grateful to him and will miss his advice and guidance. His principles and his passion for Hansgrohe will remain forever embedded in the company and in all our minds. All employees, the Executive Board, the Supervisory Board, and our shareholder Masco mourn his passing and extend their heartfelt condolences to his family.”
Richard Grohe, Klaus’s eldest son, added: “Klaus leaves behind a human and entrepreneurial legacy of immeasurable depth. His inspiration and entrepreneurial achievements will endure for generations. We accept his legacy and commit to preserving it.”