Haws Corporation

Our Story

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We work to address your needs and solve your challenges.

Every day we work to address your needs and solve your challenges by applying imagination and initiative to make your job easier. Haws invents, manufactures and builds drinking fountains and standardized and customized emergency response products. With more than 8,000 distribution locations and 250 employees worldwide, we continually focus on quality, service, reliability and complete solution support. With the patent of the drinking fountain in 1906 by Luther Haws, the Haws Sanitary Drinking Faucet Company formed in 1909 in Berkeley, California. During the 1950's, Haws introduced emergency drench showers and safety eyewashes into its manufacturing line. Establishing headquarters in Northern Nevada in 1996, Haws continued expanding, opening global locations Haws AG (Switzerland) in 1985, Haws Manufacturing Pte, Ltd (Singapore) in 1999, and Haws-Avlis (Brazil) in 2001. To this day, Haws Corporation's innovative spirit is driven by third, fourth and fifth generations of the Haws family.

The Haws Story

Historical Timeline

  • 1906

    Luther Haws patents the first drinking fountain and Haws Sanitary Drinking Faucet Company is established.

    1906_LutherHaws
  • 1911

    Receives patent in the U.S. for the world's first drinking faucet.

    1911_Patent
  • 1917

    California passes a law prohibiting the common drinking cup.

    1917_DF
  • 1933

    Drops "Sanitary" from company name; becomes Haws Drinking Faucet Company.

    1933_Fountain
  • 1938

    Introduces the self-contained electric water cooler.

    Haws Vintage Electric Water Cooler 1938
  • 1950

    Introduces emergency drench showers and eyewashes into the product line.

    1950s_eyewashPhoto
  • 1964

    Begins warehousing products nationwide.

    1964_ProductsNationwide
  • 1972

    Designs and develops the first "barrier-free" electric water cooler.

    1972_EWC_CatalogPage
  • 1972

    Opens Haws International for export sales.

    1972_FedEx_DFs
  • 1977

    Starts manufacturing in Northern Nevada.

    1972_1001s_Office
  • 1984

    Opens Haws AG in Switzerland to supply European market.

    Haws AG in Switzerland
  • 1995

    Achieves ISO 9001 certification to better serve our global customers.

    1995_ISO
  • 1996

    Opens new 210,000 sq. ft. production facility in Sparks, Nevada.

    Haws production facility in Sparks, Nevada.
  • 1997

    Designs and delivers first Polar Systems Product.

    1993_PolarSystems
  • 1998

    Changes name to Haws Corporation to allow the company to be easily identified with multiple product lines.

    1998_HawsCorp
  • 1999

    Opens Haws Manufacturing Pte. Ltd. in Singapore to supply Asia Pacific market.

    Haws Manufacturing Pte. Ltd. in Singapore
  • 2001

    Avlis-Haws is established to serve the Latin American markets.

    Avlis-Haws do Brasil
  • 2006

    Haws Corporation has its first Centennial Celebration.

    2006_100thCelebration
  • 2006

    A formal family governance program is established to reflect best practice among multigenerational, family-owned businesses.

    Haws Traynor Multigenerational

Company History

Luther Haws was a self-employed master plumber and sheet metal contractor, as well as a sanitation inspector, for the city of Berkeley, California. In 1906, while on his rounds at a public school, Luther noticed children drinking from a shared tin cup. This unsanitary though typical arrangement inspired the inventor in him. Using available parts, Luther Haws assembled the world's first drinking faucet.

The Berkeley School Department loved the idea and installed the first models. In 1906 Luther formed the Haws Sanitary Drinking Faucet Company, located in Berkeley, and obtained several patents. Thirsty Californians soon discovered Luther's label on his fountains: "Haws Sanitary Drinking Faucet Company, Berkeley, California, Patent 1911." Haws introduced the emergency equipment offering in the 1950โ€™s and launched into tempering equipment in the 1990โ€™s. To this day, Luther Haws' innovative style still drives this third and fourth-generation family-owned company.

Luther-Haws-unrestored

Haws Today

Every day we work to address customer needs and solve their challenges by applying imagination and initiative to make their job easier. Haws invents, manufactures and builds hydration equipment as well as standardized and customized emergency response products. With more than 8,000 distribution locations, we continually focus on quality, service, reliability and complete solution support.

In 1996, Haws Corporation completed construction and moved into a new 210,000 square foot facility in Sparks, Nevada. Our products are shipped worldwide with sales and manufacturing sites in Switzerland, Dubai, Singapore, China, India and Brazil.

All Haws drinking fountain and electric water cooler models are designed to be lead-free, environmentally safe and meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements. In addition, Haws Corporation has a registered ISO 9001 Management System. Every product that leaves the Haws plant is of the highest quality and craftsmanship and is built for years of service.

Haws Today Production Floor

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