GRUNDFOS NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Helen Mubarak
Aug. 5, 2013 Public Affairs Coordinator
Grundfos North America
Mobile: 913.302.3702
Grundfos to Speak at National Talent Management Conference
Event addresses national issue of talent management in areas of science, technology, engineering, mathematics
Downers Grove, Ill. — At the Talent Management Alliance’s 2013 STEM Summit, Grundfos’ director of Human Resources, Bob Parks, will speak on two panels about sourcing a workforce with technology skills and using creative university partnerships to fill talent pipelines.
The summit, which addresses the deficit in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills in the U.S., takes place Aug. 5 and 6 in San Francisco. Access to a talent pool with such knowledge is crucial to Grundfos, a global water pump manufacturer whose North American research and development team is based in the Kansas City area.
“As a leader in advanced pump solutions and a trendsetter in water technology, we have a heavy demand for STEM talent,” Parks said. “Our success as a company is contingent upon the quality of our people, and so we are committed to developing potential recruits.”
In order to foster STEM skills, Grundfos engages in a number of partnerships with universities across the U.S. The company most recently began collaborating with the University of Central Missouri and Metropolitan Community College in a program that provides local high school students with accelerated training for high-demand jobs in engineering technology.
“We look at our university partnerships as an investment not just in the future of our company, but also in the future of our society,” said Dennis Wierzbicki, president of Grundfos USA. “STEM educational outreach is absolutely critical to producing the innovative talent our nation was once known for.”
Last year, Grundfos donated $20,000 to the University of Kansas’ School of Engineering to support senior design projects that concentrate on environmental and sustainability issues in commercial buildings. The company also sponsored the University of Kansas’ Ecohawks battery-powered car project, which gave students the opportunity to build a hybrid vehicle.
Grundfos is represented on advisory boards at the University of Kansas and Fresno State University, and is thus able to influence curriculum, ensuring that students graduate with the skills they need to compete for high-demand jobs. At the University of Texas and Virginia Tech, the company sponsored Engineers without Boarders, a non-profit humanitarian organization dedicated to partnering with developing communities around the world.
In addition to involvement on the local level, Grundfos also sponsors programs for university-level students worldwide. The Grundfos Challenge, for example, is a global case competition in which students from top educational institutions test their ability to handle real-life, high-pressure situations in either business or engineering.
The Grundfos Graduate Program is another career-development opportunity. The two-year internal, hands-on program is offered to graduates with the intellectual strength, global mindset and innovative ability to lead high-priority, international projects for the company. Through the program, the participants receive professional coaching and access to a large, multicultural network.
Grundfos’ commitment to providing STEM opportunities to students does not stop with universities, however. The company also sponsors the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics teams to inspire high school students in Shawnee, Kan., and Fresno, Calif., to become science and technology leaders.
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ABOUT GRUNDFOS:
With an annual production of more than 16 million pumps, Grundfos is the global leader in advanced pump solutions and a trendsetter 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 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, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
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