The Wilo Group

A global technology group with sustainability DNA
 

Wilo is a pioneer in sustainable and intelligent premium water solutions for global challenges – creating impact for everyone.

Behind the Wilo brand stands a multinational technology group: the Wilo Group. Over the past decade, we have developed into a Visible & Connected Champion and have consistently implemented our successful region-for-region strategy. Today, the Wilo Group comprises 90 production and sales companies as well as 40 manufacturing sites, including our 16 carbon-neutral Green Fabs. Key hubs in our global Wilo network are three regional headquarters and the Group headquarters at the Wilopark in Dortmund.

Our actions are guided by the overarching Wilo sustainability strategy and its core impact areas: Creating, Caring, Connecting.

‘Creating’ covers the sustainable contribution of our technologies - e.g. to decarbonisation and improving water supply. ‘Caring’ describes our responsible actions with regard to the environment, employees and society and includes goals such as emission reduction. ‘Connecting’ stands for our commitment to strong international partnerships. All other functional corporate strategies are subordinate to this strategy – without exception.

We are convinced that in order to overcome the major crises of our time and become even more sustainable as a company, we need the courage to constantly look at things from new angles. From now on, we consider our Group-wide sustainability strategy to be overarching. All other functional corporate strategies are subordinate to it – without exception. Once again, we’re leading the way as a sustainability pioneer.

Oliver Hermes, President and Global CEO of the Wilo Group

More than 9,000 employees worldwide work every day on innovations with a clear goal: to improve people's quality of life.

For us, sustainability is not an end in itself. The focus of our commitment to sustainability is on impact for the people. Our work follows a simple principle: only when our actions improve people’s lives can they be considered sustainable. This deep conviction, along with our vision, mission, and unwavering values, unites the Wilo family – now and in the future.

In building services, water management and industry, we move, treat and control the most important resource on our planet.

In the applications of heating and cooling as well as water and wastewater transportation and treatment, we stand for highly efficient, smart, and secure premium products and systems. Our customised and holistic services support you both on-site and digitally. In this way, we provide solutions for the challenges posed by global megatrends – and take responsibility for water and the future.

For over 150 years, we have been thinking ahead – and today, as an innovation leader in our industry, we are shaping the digital and AI era.

Our story began in 1872. Founded as “Kupfer- und Messingwarenfabrik Louis Opländer” in Dortmund, we have developed into a pioneer in the pump industry over the past century. Today, we are a connected water technology group actively shaping the AI revolution – and a fifth-generation family business on an ambitious growth trajectory, true to our tradition.

Around 90 production and sales companies in over 50 countries

The Wilo Group produces pumps and pump systems at 16 main production sites in Europe, Asia and America. In accordance with the global production strategy (GPS), these production sites form the Wilo production network in the narrower sense in a worldwide network. They are coordinated and managed accordingly.

Around 90 production and sales companies ​worldwide

The Wilo Group produces pumps and pump systems at 16 main production sites in Europe, Asia and America. In accordance with the global production strategy (GPS), these production sites form the Wilo production network in the narrower sense in a worldwide network. They are coordinated and managed accordingly.

Milestones

1872
Foundation of the copper and brass factory

Foundation of the copper and brass factory "Louis Opländer", the predecessor to Wilo

1928
The world’s first circulation accelerator

The world’s first circulation accelerator, predecessor of today’s heating pump

1995
Wilo-EMU TR

Wilo-EMU TR: the first three-blade, low-speed, high-efficiency impeller

2001
Wilo-EMU FA

Wilo-EMU FA: the world's first submersible sewage pump with a hermetically sealed cooling system

2010
Main sponsor of the German Eight in Dortmund

Wilo becomes main sponsor of Team Germany Eight in Dortmund

2011
Champion Partner BVB

Wilo becomes Champion Partner of Borussia Dortmund football club

2011
Caspar Ludwig Opländer Foundation

The Caspar Ludwig Opländer Foundation becomes the majority shareholder of WILO SE

2016
Wilo-Foundation

The Caspar Ludwig Opländer Stiftung is renamed Wilo-Foundation

2017
Wilo-Stratos MAXO

Wilo-Stratos MAXO: the world’s first smart pump

2018
Wilo-Rexa SOLID-Q

Wilo-Rexa SOLID-Q: the intelligent system solution with Nexos Intelligence for a smart sewage pumping station

2019
Key handover ceremony

Key handover ceremony for the Smart Factory

2020
Opening of the Wilopark

Opening of the new Wilo headquarters Wilopark with its Smart Factory and Pioneer Cube

2022
150 Years of Wilo

150th anniversary of the Wilo Group

Climate protection and responsibility

Climate protection is part of the Wilo Group's business model. As a leading global technology company that moves water in building technology, water management and industry, the Wilo Group creates sustainable added value through innovative and energy-efficient products, systems and solutions. Wilo's commitment to sustainability has been emphasised several times in recent years by the platinum medal from EcoVadis. Only one per cent of the more than 100,000 companies assessed by EcoVadis each year received the agency's highest rating.

The Wilo Executive Board from left to right: Georg Weber, Global Chief Technology Officer (Global CTO), Oliver Hermes, President & Global Chief Executive Officer (Global CEO) of the Wilo Group, Dr. Patrick Niehr, Global Chief Financial Officer (Global CFO).

The Wilo Group is one of "50 Climate & Sustainability Leaders" worldwide. This global initiative recognises international companies that support a green and sustainable future.

Since its foundation in 1872, the Wilo Group has continuously evolved from a hidden to a visible and connected champion. Sustainability has always been an integral part of our DNA.

 Oliver Hermes, President and Global CEO of the Wilo Group

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employees worldwide
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tonnes old pumps from the take-back process
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percent (%) increase in net sales in the area of clean water treatment
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In 2021 the Wilo Group received the renowned German Sustainability Award (Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis, DNP) in the “Climate” transformation field. In 2021 the Wilo Group signed the Business Ambition for 1.5 °C Commitment, a global initiative led by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) which, in cooperation with the UN Global Compact, is aiming to cut carbon emissions to net zero by no later than 2050. In signing the commitment, the Wilo Group joined the international Race To Zero campaign that wants to actively accelerate the transformation to a low-carbon economy. In 2024 the Wilo Group has been named “Europe’s Climate Leader 2024”. For this accolade, the Financial Times and the statistics portal Statista evaluated hundreds of European companies based on their progress in reducing their carbon emissions. Also in 2024, the Wilo Group was awarded the "Corporate Health Award" - the most prestigious award for corporate health management in Germany.

Working to build a smart future and achieve the energy transition: the Wilopark

Here, Wilo connects people, machines, workplaces and buildings. On around 200,000-square-metre Wilopark will comprise five main buildings: the Smart Factory, the Pioneer Cube administration building, the Innovation Cube research and development centre, the Networking Cube, and the Health Cube (under construction). In total, Wilo has invested over 400 million euros in the development of the site.

The Wilopark in Dortmund is the biggest investment project in the company’s history. In this major construction project, sustainability played a key role. Innovative and efficient solutions help to reduce energy consumption at Wilo’s headquarters by 40 percent, saving more than 3,500 tonnes of CO2 in the process. Rainwater is being recycled, and solar panels for local electricity generation have been installed. In addition, there are many charging stations for electric vehicles.

Energy transition “Made in Dortmund”: The H2POWERPLANT uses electrolysis to convert green solar, wind and hydropower into green hydrogen. When necessary, a fuel cell can be used to convert the hydrogen back into electrical energy. The waste heat is either used in the interconnected system for heating, stored or converted into cooling on site.