George Fischer, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Switzerland's Georg Fisher, celebrated the parent company's 200th anniversary with an elegant ceremony attended by numerous dignitaries last October in Pasadena, Calif.

Founded in 1802 as a modest copper melting plant, Georg Fischer has grown to 15,000 employees worldwide, with 160 corporate subsidiaries maintaining a presence in more than 100 countries. Core businesses include piping systems for industry, water and gas supply and sanitary engineering.

George Fischer, Inc. was established in Tustin, Calif., in 1976 to support the growing piping products business in North America. Today, the Tustin location employs some 90 people and offers a large product offering that includes a full range of plastic PVF and other products.

George Fischer is using its bicentenary to launch the Clean Water project, in close cooperation with humanitarian aid organizations, to build installations for providing a reliable supply of clean drinking water throughout the world.