“My only employer”

Hai Zhu has worked at Geberit in China for almost 30 years. As one of the first employees here, he has been part of the growth of the company since the very beginning.

Geberit enters the Chinese market in 1996. Hai Zhu is there from the start: straight after leaving school, he starts at the company as a machine operator in his home town on Qushan Island, 120 kilometres south of Shanghai. At that time, the plant has 30 employees, who produce cisterns, fittings and WC lids. “Transport and communication were limited – which made a lot of things more difficult,” he remembers.

From an island to a metropolis

Since the turn of the millennium, Hai Zhu lives in Shanghai. The metropolis is now Geberit’s only production site in China, and the company also runs a research and development centre here. As facility engineer, Hai Zhu is responsible for the maintenance of buildings as well as heating, ventilation, air conditioning and electrical systems. “Geberit is my first and only employer,” he says with pride.

Common values

Although there are over 9,000 kilometres between Shanghai and headquarters in Rapperswil-Jona (CH), Hai Zhu still feels well connected: “We discuss the latest stories and news from the Geberit world in the Intranet.”

Despite the cultural differences, he still sees similarities: “I particularly appreciate the integrity that is practised in the company.” This can be seen in consistently honest behaviour, keeping promises and treating customers and employees in a respectful and trustworthy manner.