The Challenge of Electrical Installations – An Intriguing Comparison. Chapter 10

Our company GETT North America (founded in 2007, Houston, Texas) is a subsidiary of GETT Group (founded in 1996, Treuen, Germany) and represents its excellent “Made in Germany” quality products across the US and Canada with its vast network of competent representatives and distributors. Learn more.

German specialists came to Houston to guide the electrical installation in our new production facility. 

The entire process has brought some fascinating challenges—some that make to smile, and others that make to think. In the area of electrical installations, we’ve encountered differences between German and American approaches.

One of the first things we noticed was the design of electrical outlets and plugs. Unlike the consistent standards in Germany and Europe, the USA offers an impressive variety of shapes and sizes. Here’s a simple example: in GETT Group’s production hall in Germany, it’s a given that outlet covers are white and uniform in size. This makes purchasing and installation far simpler. In Houston, however, we initially replaced all outlet and network covers to create a more visually cohesive appearance. In doing so, we encountered a colorful array of shades and sizes, with no clear consistency. From light beige to dark gray, anything is possible, but uniformity is rare.

It gets even more interesting when it comes to measurements. Europe is using metric system while the US has a customary system. Switching from millimeters to inches required a bit of mental adjustment every time. Our experience and flexibility helped us manage, but it was a constant reminder of the benefits of global standardization.

Another observation is the mixed state of electrical installations. In Germany, there are clear regulations and guidelines on how electrical systems should be set up. In the U.S., however, we often see highly varied installations. It seems that different electricians over the years have applied their own methods, resulting in a rather heterogeneous overall impression. This inconsistency can complicate coordination and upgrades but also constantly challenges us to develop creative solutions.

At the end of the day, we’ve realized that Germany’s often-ridiculed standards offer a genuine advantage: they save time and money. Everything fits together, and there are fewer surprises. On the other hand, the lack of standardization in the U.S. encourages creativity and flexibility—you have to improvise and often find individualized solutions.

Stay tuned for the next steps—we look forward to sharing more insights into our journey of building of our production facility.