Wavin Company
Terresa Cherrie
Wavin B.V. is a global manufacturer of plastic pipes, mainly for drainage and water supply purposes. The company was officially founded in the Netherlands on 5 August 1955, its name deriving from water and vinyl chloride. The company provides plastic pipe systems and products for tap water, surface heating and cooling, soil and waste, rain water, distribution of drinking water and gas and telecom applications.
Due to the common use of Wavin products, the name has become genericised in some parts of Ireland to refer to any manufacturer of orange-coloured drainpipes.[citation needed] The company operates in three locations in Ireland, with the main manufacturing and distribution plant in Balbriggan, North County Dublin, and additional offices in Lisburn and Cork .[1]
Wavin's own Technology and Innovation Centre (Wavin T&I), employs more than 50 people to develop new products and systems with local Wavin companies. Products for the European market include the smartFIX push-fit fitting, the Sentio heating and cooling controls, Tegra manholes and inspection chambers and the SiTech+ low noise in-house soil and waste drainage system.In 2012, Wavin was acquired by Orbia (previously Mexichem), a Mexican international company, expanding Mexichem's operations in 22 European countries. [2]
Wavin's reach is truly global, with operations in over 65 countries and a presence in more than 100, we lead the way in shaping the future of water management and indoor climate solutions. Our capacity to adapt to unique regional demands and our keen understanding of diverse market dynamics showcase our global expertise.
Wavin is more than just a company; we are a global community devoted to nurturing a sustainable and healthier world. With a dedicated workforce of over 11,000 employees worldwide, we cater to markets through our expansive global sales and distribution network.
Wavin's story begins in 1950s Zwolle, the Netherlands, where company founder Johan Keller was director of WMO, the local water utility. Supplying a largely rural district and a few urban centres, the company's water supply reached its customers through a large network of mostly iron pipes. Before long, WMO found itself battling against serious pipe corrosion and a significant loss of water. Keller decided that something needed to be done urgently, and began looking into plastic pipes as a solution. Although plastic pipes were already available in the 1950s, Keller wanted them tailor-made for the supply of drinking water. Finding none on the market, he set to work in a small workshop in Zwolle, and, in 1953, succeeded in producing the first plastic pressure pipes for potable water with diameters of 100 mm and larger.
WMO's solution to its pipe corrosion problem attracted the interest of utility companies both nationally and internationally. Unable to cope with the increasing demand for its pipes, however, and aware that as a government organisation its first duty was to serve the local population, WMO created an independent company to focus solely on pipe production. In August 1955, Wavin (a contraction of the words WAter and VINyl) was founded. It had 52 employees.
The new company drew interest from far and wide, and a wide range of possibilities opened up in the first years of business. Wavin decided to expand internationally, choosing to focus first on Europe. In the early years the company developed rapidly. In 1957, Wavin moved from Zwolle to a new plant in nearby Hardenberg. A network of factories and offices were set up throughout Europe. Factories opened in Germany (1956), Denmark (1957) and Ireland (1958). Sales offices were established in Sweden and Norway in 1958, and in 1961 Wavin Ltd. opened a sales office in London, followed by a production facility in Liverpool. In 1964 the company's French subsidiary opened for business. Wavin rapidly conquered Europe. In 1962, Royal Dutch Shell took a stake in the company, with WMO retaining 50 percent. Shell and Wavin began sharing knowledge on raw materials, technology and product applications.
In 2006 Wavin entered the NYSE Euronext stock exchange in Amsterdam and was included in the Amsterdam Midcap index. Six years later, in 2012, Mexichem, leader in Latin America in plastic pipe systems and in the chemical and petrochemical industry, acquired Wavin, leading to a delisting.
Orbia is a company driven by a shared purpose: to advance life around the world. Orbia operates in the Polymer Solutions (Vestolit and Alphagary), Building and Infrastructure (Wavin), Precision Agriculture (Netafim), Connectivity Solutions (Dura-Line) and Fluorinated Solutions (Koura) sectors. The five Orbia business groups have a collective focus on expanding access to health and wellness, reinventing the future of cities and homes, ensuring food and water security, connecting communities to information and accelerating a circular economy with basic and advanced materials, specialty products
Our major products range covers polypropylene (PP) plastic piping systems of pressure and/or hot water (heating) distribution. WAVIN Ekoplastik s.r.o. is a dominant producer of those systems in the Czech Republic and ranks among the leading European manufacturers.
To satisfy our customers' needs, technology development is at the foremost position in the goals of our company. The increase in the number of our extrusion lines for production of pipes and injection-molding machines for production of fittings corresponds with the increasing variety in our product range and with our increasing share on the local and international markets.
While in the production division of our operations, the number of elements produced automatically increases with every new piece of machine, the number of employees in customer service, quality control, research and other areas, where people can not be replaced by machines, is growing. This brings a great significance for the development of our company and services offered.
The company is divided to separate departments, interconnected by their respective activities as follows:
Production - Quality Control - Logistics - Accounting - Marketing and Sales.
Wavin provides effective solutions for the essential needs of daily life: safe distribution of drinking water; sustainable management of rainwater and waste water, and energy-efficient heating and cooling for buildings. Our customers worldwide receive the highest industry standards of product innovation and quality, sustainability and reliability of supply.
Wavin is a leading global supplier of plastic piping systems and solutions and provides above and below ground solutions for hot and cold tap water, surface heating and cooling, soil and waste, rainwater management and last mile telecom.
Wavin's end-to-end solutions include consultation, design, implementation and after-sales service. Our customers are building and civil wholesalers, plumbing merchants, civil contractors, housing developers, large installers, utility companies and municipalities.
Highly respected within the construction industry, Wavin has a reputation for innovation and leadership and has an extensive product portfolio under the Wavin, OSMA, Hepworth, Hep2O, Thermoboard, Intesio and Certus brands.
Working closely with municipalities, installers, real estate developers and architects, Wavin has gained an extensive local knowledge of market requirements and regulations throughout most countries in Europe.
Wavin is headquartered in Zwolle, The Netherlands and has offices in 24 European countries with manufacturing plants in 15 countries. The Wavin business in Europe is organised in 4 geographic areas: North West Europe, South West Europe, Central & Eastern Europe and South East Europe.
Wavin Overseas is the central export organisation of the Wavin Group. It is responsible for all activities outside of Europe and focuses on three key activities: Product Sales, Technology Partnerships and International Projects. An extensive international network of around 120 agents, licensees and distributors enables Wavin Overseas to supply Wavin piping systems solutions wherever needed. The export organisation has its headquarters in Dedemsvaart, The Netherlands, and has representative offices in China, India and Dubai.
The company is committed to innovation at all levels of our design, production and supply chain. Our goal is to achieve 20% of revenues from products less than five years old. In addition, profitability is increased through product rationalisation and other operational improvements. New product ranges such as the successful Hep2O Plumbing System and underfloor system utilising Wavin's Hepworth push-fit technology are made from Polybutene-1 (PB-1).
The Hep2O pipe is manufactured from flexible PB-1 and the pipe comes off the coil straight and can be easily cabled through joists, making installation fast and easy. The packaging is designed to stay intact and feed the product as required. This allows the remaining pipe to be pristine for the next project.
All fittings are rigorously tested at Wavin's fully accredited testing Hepworth facility. Only when systems have been proved under appropriate temperature, pressure and loading conditions are they ready for the company's unique, industry leading 50 year guarantee. The Hep2O range has a guarantee twice as long as other plastic systems. This indicates the level of confidence Wavin has that Polybutene-1 is the best material selection for pressurised hot and cold water systems.
Wavin piping systems are the benchmark for excellence and product innovation. They are precision-manufactured using the most advanced injection moulding and extrusion machines, materials and processes. All products comply with or exceed relevant European and British standards to ensure reliability and long-lasting service. The British Standards Institution has issued certificates registering Wavin as a firm of assessed capability, with a quality management system which meets the requirements of BS EN ISO 9001.
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