SPARKS — Haws Drinking Faucet Company has been serving communities with quality hydration and emergency response equipment since before a world filled with internet, TV and even flight.
Haws Drinking Faucet Company started in 1906 in Berkeley, California when a local plumber, Luther Haws, was servicing the Berkeley School District and noticed that school children had limited sanitary drinking water options.
He invented the first drinking fountain bubbler using a simple bed stand post ball.
During the 1950s, it was brought to the company’s attention that a Chevron plant was purchasing multiple drinking fountain bubbler heads to create their own eye flushing systems, which prompted Haws to create the eyewash station.
Today, Haws, with headquarters in West Sparks, is locally owned and operated by the fourth generation of Haws family member.
It offers an expanded product line that includes drinking fountains, bottle fillers, large-scale tempering water systems, and portable emergency equipment.
Haws has more than 8,000 distribution locations and 250 employees worldwide. Headquartered in Sparks, Haws is globally represented with locations in Switzerland, Singapore, China, India, and Brazil.
The local ownership, as well as local and international team members, is celebrating the organization’s super-centennial with a series of events throughout the year including the recent WCSD STEM drinking fountain design project at Veterans Elementary School and an employee event earlier today.
