The little wine-growing town of Bodenheim, Rhineland-Palatinate, was the home of the brass founder Peter Hilge. He produced special taps, fittings and threaded connections for winemakers. Hilge was an ingenious inventor, and in 1865, he developed the “Rheinische Circularpumpe” (Rhenish circular pump), the world’s first beverage pump. Today, the former Hilge GmbH & Co. is a part of the GEA Group. Hilge is the first-choice manufacturer of pumps for the food and pharmaceutical industries, where impeccable hygiene standards matter.