140 141 STIEBEL ELTRON STIEBEL ELTRON MAKE IT RIGHT, KEEP MAKING IT BETTER S tiebel Eltronwas founded byDr.Theodor Stiebel in 1924 tomanufacture his revo- lutionary immersionwater heaters.More than 90 years later,the family-owned com- pany is a household name in Europe,known for the engineering andmanufacturing excellence of prod- ucts such as tankless electricwater heaters,solar thermal equipment,and heat pumpwater heaters. The companyhas epitomized its philosophy“make it right,then keepmaking it better”for almost a century–thosewho have dealt,and continue to deal,with the companyon a global scale describe Stiebel Eltron as“simply the best.” The companyemploys approximately3,000 peo- pleworldwide,withmanufacturing plants in Holzminden,Germany; Eschwege,Germany; Slovakia,Thailand,and China.WesternHemi- sphere operations are based inWest Hatfield, Massachusetts,where Stiebel Eltronmain- tains a sales,service,distribution,and spare parts facility.The companyhas been inNorth America since 1980. President and co-owner,FrankStiebel, shares the background on his long-serving familybusiness: “Mybrother Ulrich and I own thewhole group as partners,and I’malso in charge of North and SouthAmerica.The companywas started in Berlin,Germany in