Production and logistics
Management approach
The Geberit Group operates 26 plants, 22 of which are located in Europe, two in the USA, one in China and one in India. The number of plants remained unchanged compared to the previous year. The 26 plants fall into the following three categories depending on the processed materials and production technologies:
- Ceramics (10 plants)
- Plastics & Metal (12 plants)
- Composites & Metal (4 plants)
The most important production processes at Geberit are:
- Plastics processing (injection moulding, blow moulding, extrusion)
- Metalworking (bending, stamping, drilling, welding, forming)
- Manufacture of bathroom furniture (wood forming)
- Ceramic production
- Installation
Group logistics comprises the logistics centre for installation and flushing systems and piping systems in Pfullendorf (DE) as well as a decentralised network of 13 European distribution sites for ceramic appliances and bathroom furniture. Geberit does not have its own transport fleet, having outsourced this to external transport service providers.
Impacts, risks and opportunities
Fluctuations in demand pose major challenges for the production network. Operational flexibility while maintaining strategic stability is therefore very demanding for both the plants and employees. When volumes decline, the time is used to optimise processes and improve energy and material efficiency. In addition, continuous investments are made in specialisation and automation to ensure long-term growth.
The system of intercompany logistics and distribution logistics plays a key role in reducing the environmental impact in logistics.
Management system
All production plants and the logistics centre in Pfullendorf (DE) are certified in accordance with ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment) and ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety). In addition, five German plants (Pfullendorf, Langenfeld, Lichtenstein, Haldensleben and Wesel) are certified according to ISO 50001 for energy management.
The production processes are geared to the principle of flow production. Maximum efficiency and flexibility are targeted in this way, which is reflected in the reliable, timely supply of products to customers and savings in important resources such as working time and materials. The Geberit Production System (GPS 2.0) is the guideline for production processes in which the principles for efficient manufacturing are summarised.
In logistics, the focus is on collaborating with transport service providers to reduce emissions. Partners agree to actively support Geberit in its efforts to use energy and packaging material efficiently and to reduce emissions. Developed in 2010 and continuously expanded since then, the logistics calculator facilitates the annual capture of data on the vehicle fleet composition, transportation performance and fuel consumption of all transport service providers, as well as the preparation of the eco-balance.
Key figures and measures
In ceramic production, fully automated pressure casting cells and an energy-efficient tunnel kiln were installed. Sites such as Ekenäs (FI) and Bromölla (SE) were further specialised, and automation was promoted at the Polish plants. For examples of improvements in energy efficiency in production, see Energy and CO2 > Reduction measures in production.
Despite challenges in Pfullendorf during the first half of the year, logistics ensured product availability throughout the year. Since 2015, Geberit has improved the eco-efficiency of its logistics operations (environmental impact per tkm) by 37%.
For examples of improvements in energy efficiency in logistics, see Energy and CO2 > Reduction measures.
For further information, see Business Report > Business and financial review > Financial Year 2024 > Production and Business Report > Business and financial review > Financial Year 2024 > Logistics. For the eco-balance of logistics, see Energy and CO2 > Energy consumption and energy intensity.