Our Story
We work to address your needs and solve your challenges.
The Haws Story
Historical Timeline
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1906
Luther Haws patents the first drinking fountain and Haws Sanitary Drinking Faucet Company is established.
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1911
Receives patent in the U.S. for the world's first drinking faucet.
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1917
California passes a law prohibiting the common drinking cup.
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1933
Drops "Sanitary" from company name; becomes Haws Drinking Faucet Company.
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1938
Introduces the self-contained electric water cooler.
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1950
Introduces emergency drench showers and eyewashes into the product line.
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1964
Begins warehousing products nationwide.
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1972
Designs and develops the first "barrier-free" electric water cooler.
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1972
Opens Haws International for export sales.
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1977
Starts manufacturing in Northern Nevada.
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1984
Opens Haws AG in Switzerland to supply European market.
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1995
Achieves ISO 9001 certification to better serve our global customers.
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1996
Opens new 210,000 sq. ft. production facility in Sparks, Nevada.
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1997
Designs and delivers first Polar Systems Product.
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1998
Changes name to Haws Corporation to allow the company to be easily identified with multiple product lines.
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1999
Opens Haws Manufacturing Pte. Ltd. in Singapore to supply Asia Pacific market.
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2001
Avlis-Haws is established to serve the Latin American markets.
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2006
Haws Corporation has its first Centennial Celebration.
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2006
A formal family governance program is established to reflect best practice among multigenerational, family-owned businesses.
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 1950’s and launched into tempering equipment in the 1990’s. To this day, Luther Haws' innovative style still drives this third and fourth-generation family-owned company.
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.
