Geberit - 2019 Annual Report

ANNUAL REPORT 2019

+3.4%

Currency-adjusted net sales growth

29.3%

Operating cashflow margin +110 basis points versus prior year

644

Free cashflow (in CHF million) +10.7% versus prior year

17.97

Earnings per share (in CHF) +4.4% versus prior year

Dear shareholders,

With the integration of the ceramics business into our Group, we have created conditions that are absolutely unique in our branch. Sanitary engineers, ceramics specialists, designers, environmental experts and marketing professionals can now all shape the future of the bathroom together, as part of a company which is also able to take major innovative projects and turn them into reality under its own steam. One milestone on this journey is Geberit ONE, which was introduced to the industry in spring 2019. This is a comprehensive answer to the question of how a bathroom can optimally meet important end user needs. Other answers are sure to follow. We invite you to take a closer look at the ideas and innovations behind Geberit ONE, and hope you have fun doing so.

Albert M. Baehny
Chairman of the Board of Directors

EDITORIAL

The Chairman of the Board of Directors looks back on 2019 →

HIGHLIGHTS

Reporting year → Financial year → Sustainability →

Geberit
ONE

01 Holistic
approach

02 Added space
and comfort

03 Innovations
with potential

04A proven
system

Geberit
ONE

01 Holistic
approach

02 Added space
and comfort

03 Innovations
with potential

04A proven
system

geberit one
Redefining the
bathroom

More space, more cleanliness, more comfort – when it comes to the bathroom, these requirements are at the top of the end users' wish list. As a result, they are the key benchmarks for our development teams, meaning a lot of questions were asked when developing Geberit ONE. Take the interplay between the ceramic sanitary appliances and sanitary technology or the use of the available space. The answers are groundbreaking – and of course have the quality and functionality required for them to convince the plumber.

Design meets function KnowHowInstalled

Holistic approach

The wall as an integral element

In conventional bathroom construction, the wall is seen as a border with the ceramic sanitary appliance in front and the installation technology behind. In contrast, Geberit ONE follows a different approach. The wall instead becomes an integral part of the washbasin, a practical niche in the shower or a cabinet behind the mirror. Meanwhile, installation technology is found inside the WC ceramic appliance, thus making it height-adjustable. By consistently combining sanitary technology and ceramics expertise, completely new opportunities open up.

An interdisciplinary
development team

The people behind Geberit ONE

Play Video

Added space and comfort

Form and function in perfect harmony

Even in upscale urban apartments, the bathroom is usually one of the smaller rooms. The challenge here is to take the room as it is and create as much space as possible. This is why Geberit ONE makes use of every cubic centimetre on offer, and all while creating a spacious, open ambience.

Added comfort starts by ensuring the bathroom always appears clean and tidy without the need for special attention. The result is many clever detailed solutions in the shower and at the washbasin area that users will soon no longer want to live without. The bathroom experience is rounded off by a toilet where everything is absolutely spot on.

What catches the eye first?

No washbasin trap

Mirror cabinet in the wall

No visible fastening points

Space-saving wall-mounted tap

Completely free floor surface

Frameless shower partition wall

Practical niche in the shower

Innovations with potential

Setting the standard for
future bathroom generations

Geberit ONE is a beacon for innovation in the bathroom. Whether washbasin area, toilet or shower – the entire bathroom has been completely redesigned and improved in a variety of ways. The consistently high standards seen on all the detailed solutions resulted in numerous patents being registered. These are all innovations that are also being gradually incorporated into other product solutions, thus achieving the desired economies of scale.

Asymmetric, rimless inner geometry for a quiet, thorough flush

The wall-mounted tap is perfectly aligned to the washbasin

The drain cover with comb insert is held in place by magnets

WC ceramic appliance with integrated fastening element for adjustable installation height

Concealed trap with overflow, jewellery catcher and waste outlet

Geberit ONE also has to impress the plumber. Only then will they recommend this solution to their customers. Therefore, sanitary specialists from different markets were invited to install the first prototypes at Geberit as part of a large-scale test carried out long before the start of production. We carefully watched and listened, which then helped us to further improve and optimise various details. It is thus not surprising that Geberit ONE was already a mature product by the time it was launched on the market.

FACTS AND FIGURES

competitors offer comparable
solutions

employees involved
in the development process

>20

patent applications
to protect the
innovations

A proven system

Prewall technology that
has been installed millions
of times over

Geberit installation systems are firmly established in the sanitary industry and form the backbone of Geberit ONE. On the one hand, they ensure that the applicable standards are adhered to. On the other, they are developed further especially with Geberit ONE in mind in order to further simplify the coordination of links to other trades. This increases the planning reliability for everyone involved in the building process.