On June 9, 2026, a groundbreaking ceremony marked the start of a transformative project at KSB’s headquarters in Frankenthal, Germany. In the presence of state and local dignitaries, along with around 400 employees, KSB CEO Stephan Timmermann officially launched the expansion of the Eta production facility—an investment of more than €70 million, making it one of the largest single investments the company has ever made worldwide.
A Commitment to Germany as a Manufacturing Hub
“With this investment, we are committing to Germany as a business location with entrepreneurial courage and confidence. However, we expect politicians and social partners to tackle the necessary changes to the economic framework with the same courage and goal-focused action. Export-oriented companies and the jobs they provide thrive on local competitiveness,” said Dr. Stephan Timmermann, CEO of KSB.
The expansion will transform the Eta facility into the competence centre for the latest generation of electronically controlled pumps in Europe. The project is scheduled for completion by 2030, with 90% of the new factory ready by then.
Modernisation Without Interruption
A key challenge of the project is to carry out the extensive new construction and refurbishment without interrupting ongoing production. Björn Külzer, Head of Production Engineering, emphasised: “Production must continue. Parallel to this, production will be taken to a new organisational and technical level.”
The expansion will create space to restructure machining, assembly, and logistics areas, and to completely refurbish older parts of the production hall. Optimised throughput times will enable faster delivery times while maintaining high product quality.
Energy-Efficient and Sustainable Design
The plans for the energy-efficient redesign include:
- Connecting the drying system of a new paint shop to the local heating network
- Installing photovoltaic systems on the roofs
- Creating green areas on the roofs
Increasing Production Capacity
The Eta plant currently produces around 54,000 pumps annually. With the expansion, KSB aims to increase this to 65,000 pumps per year by 2030. The facility is already manufacturing the new, energy-efficient EtaLine Pro pump generation for building services applications. Modifications are also necessary to adapt further pump type series to future energy efficiency requirements.
Simon Charrier, Head of Standard Production Frankenthal, highlighted the importance of this: “There is a large market for variable speed pumps in Europe. Pumps alone account for between 10 and 15 percent of Europe’s electricity consumption.”
Strengthening Competitiveness
According to Timmermann, competitiveness is not something that can be taken for granted: “We will only be successful if we make new investments. KSB must keep evolving, adapt and embrace change.”
This landmark investment underscores KSB’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and the future of its Frankenthal location as a global centre of excellence for pump technology.
