Grundfos Appoints New CEO Nth America
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill. (Oct. 4, 2013) – With a focus on continuing the universal drive for increased energy efficiency, particularly in building services and other applications, new Grundfos North America CEO Duncan Cooper says he is ready for the challenges ahead. “This is a huge opportunity for me to come to the United States and take on the responsibility of increasing our market share in what is still the largest pump market in the world,” Cooper told Pumps & Systems in an exclusive interview.
On Oct. 1, Grundfos appointed Cooper as president and chief executive officer of the company’s North American region. He succeeds Jes Munk Hansen, who leaves the company to pursue other interests after leading the region for the past five years. “With my previous experience with the company, I have been responsible for European businesses where the Grundfos brand is more powerful. This makes sense since Grundfos originated in Europe,” Cooper said. “This is a great challenge to come to the U.S. and North America where we are currently less strong in brand awareness and product fire power.” Søren Ø. Sørensen, Group executive vice president said Cooper’s experience will complement Grundfos’ existing strategies and plans.
“With more than 11 years of experience as a regional managing director in Europe, Duncan brings strong sales and marketing leadership to his new role,” he said. Cooper said he has had important conversations with Grundfos executives about energy savings linked to legislative and environmental changes. With energy efficiency a continuous focus for the company, Cooper said he has plans to continue that initiative as part of his plan for future growth.
“Many people talk about the U.S. not being as energy conscious, but when you peel back the layers there are huge opportunities here,” Cooper said. “I look at big North American cities like Chicago with the large number of big buildings and it is easy to see that Grundfos has an opportunity to make a big difference in the efficiency of the existing buildings. New construction becomes less relevant and we can focus on what we can do with the existing buildings with regard to energy efficiency.”
Cooper comes to the North American region with 16 years of experience within the company. Most recently he served as regional managing director of Grundfos Western Europe, where he led a newly created sales and service region with 1,300 employees and more than $900 million in revenues. He will also maintain his role as Group senior vice president. “I look forward to working with our team in North America to achieve our ambitious goal of doubling regional revenues to $1 billion,” Cooper said. “We will continue to expand our business and support our partners through innovative techniques to further tap into this growing market.”
In his new position, Cooper will oversee and direct all operations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico with continued emphasis on residential and commercial buildings services, as well as the industry, water utility, irrigation and agriculture and wastewater businesses. The presidents or general managers of each of those sectors will report directly to Cooper, as will the heads of finance, human resources and public affairs.
Cooper began his career with Grundfos in 1997 as managing director of Grundfos United Kingdom and, in 2003, he was promoted to managing director and Group senior vice president for North Europe and Africa. In this role, he developed an African growth strategy that facilitated the launch of a stand-alone area in 2008.
Grundfos North America currently employs 1,600 people in 10 major sales and service facilities throughout the continent. The company opened its North American headquarters in the Chicago area in August 2013. With an annual production of more than 16 million pumps, Grundfos is a global leader in advanced pump solutions and in water technology, specializing in circulator pumps for heating and air conditioning as well as centrifugal pumps for industrial applications, fire protection, water supply, wastewater and water treatment. In addition to pumps, Grundfos produces standard and submersible motors as well as state-of-the-art electronics for monitoring and controlling pumps.
Since its inception in 1945, the company has flourished from one small factory in Bjerringbro, Denmark, to a global corporation comprising more than 80 companies and over 18,000 employees. In 2012, Grundfos reported net revenues totaling $4 billion. This year, the company celebrates its 40th anniversary in the United States. In North America, Grundfos employs more than 1,600 people—1,300 in the U.S. alone—and is continually expanding its regional expertise. Grundfos North America is headquartered in Downers Grove, Ill. The company maintains operations, sales and service facilities in Olathe, Kan.; Allentown, Pa.; Fresno, Calif.; Brookshire, Texas; Aurora, Ill.; and Indianapolis. In Canada, Grundfos has a sales facility in Oakville, Ontario, and in Mexico, the company operates a manufacturing facility in San Luis Potosí and sales offices in Monterrey and Mexico City.
High on the company’s corporate agenda is an active commitment to improving the environment. Grundfos contributes to global sustainability by pioneering technologies that improve quality of life for people and care for the planet. For more information, visit www.grundfos.us. – See more at: http://www.pump-zone.com/topics/exclusive-interview-duncan-cooper-grundfos-north-america-s-new-ceo#sthash.ErJFXJDi.dpuf
