Incorporated in 1957 as a private limited company, Grauer & Weil (India) Private Limited (GWL) was converted into a public limited company in February, 1961. The Company is a pioneer in the world that offers the complete coating solutions to customers. The Company not only offers complete package of corrosion and protection solutions, but the Engineering Division manufactures and supply automatic plating lines, phosphating plants, painting plants and filtration systems to meet end-to-end surface finishing requirements of customers.
The Company is engaged in the business of manufacturing and selling of Surface Finishings besides Engineering and Mall business. The Company presently has its manufacturing facilities in Dadra, Vapi (Gujarat), Barotiwala (Himachal Pradesh), Samba (Jammu & Kashmir) besides Engineering division at Khed (Pune District) and Mall at Kandivli (Mumbai).
After the start up of Chemical production in 1957, the Company ventured into manufacturing of engineering equipment in 1964 to provide complete electroplating solutions to its customers. The Company's foray into paints production started with the acquisition of Bombay Paints in 1994 which later was merged with the Company in 2008. Growel ventured into real estate development in 2005 and built a sprawling 4,75,000 sq. ft. shopping centre in the western suburbs of Mumbai. To manufacture electro-chemicals, the Company had entered a technical collaboration with Union Inks and Graphics Pte Singapore.
It had entered into the collaboration with M/s Enthone-OMI Inc. U.S.A. and M/s Aucos of Germany and M/s Kabushiki Kaisha Nippon Dacro Shamrock, Japan. A joint venture agreement has been entered into with M/s Goema GmbH of Germany to manufacture Effluent Treatment Plants and Metal Recovery Systems.
In 1999-2000, the company has set up a new plant at Dadra for the manufacture of chemicals which is expected to offer considerable cost advantage in meeting the demands of customers in the western and southern parts of the country. The company has entered into Technical Collaboration with Manz GmbH of Germany and Surfilco Inc of USA for assistance in design,manufacture and marketing of Plating Plants,Filters,Pumps and other products.
For setting up a Hydel Power Project at Ani in Himachal Pradesh the company conducted a feasibility study and submitted a detailed project report to HIMRUJA which is the state government agency for approving the same. The Himachal government has given permission of Himurja projet and the project has been transferred to Growel Energy company a fully owned subsidiary of the company. The company made a bonus issue in the ratio of 1:2 in 2002-03.
The Hyper Market viz. 'Big Bazaar' opened its store in mid May, 2005. The erstwhile Bombay Paints Ltd (BPL) was amalgamated with Company through Scheme of Rehabilitation-cum-Merger effective from 1st April, 2008, the appointed date during year 2008-09. The Company commissioned commercial production at new 4000 MT manufacturing Jammu plant in Jun' 09. The Phase 1 project of Growel 101 shopping and entertainment mall set up by the Company was christened as 'Growel's Plaza 101' and made operational in 2008.
The Second Phase of the Shopping Mall became operational in August, 2010.
In 2016-17, the Company commissioned a new plant at Dadra which went into production of paints with an installed capacity of 5,000 KL p.a and became operational in January, 2017.