Employees:
A strong, family-oriented team
Our employees are at the heart of our company. Together with them, we have continuously grown as a family-owned business and have now become one of the largest employers in Damme and the surrounding area. Commitment, expertise and loyalty are important values for us. Long-standing employment and opportunities for internal development are not uncommon. We foster a dynamic corporate culture that strengthens team spirit and employee identification with the company, while aiming to retain and inspire our employees for the long term.
Against the backdrop of the shortage of skilled workers, recruitment has become a key focus for us, as we are a rapidly growing company. It is therefore particularly important to us to involve our employees in the company's development and to promote a safe and fair working environment.
Integration and inclusion also play an important role. Our Code of Ethics and Conduct provides for equal opportunities in professional development. We respect the dignity of every individual and reject any form of disadvantage or discrimination.
We are committed to the principle of gender-neutral remuneration. Various employee benefits, work-life balance, as well as employee care and retirement provisions are a matter of course for us as a family-owned company. We have also implemented an occupational health management system (BGM), with a focus on the well-being, fitness and motivation of our employees.
Apprenticeship:
Train, Support, Retain
Attracting young people to our company, building and maintaining in-house expertise, providing employees with opportunities for further training and development, and preparing them for future leadership roles are all of great importance to us and are key elements of our HR and corporate strategy.
Inspiration starts with personal contact. We engage with potential new employees through career and training fairs, partnerships with schools, company tours, internships and, of course, social media. We provide our trainees with close support in both theory and practice, creating a positive and engaging learning environment. In 2020, we became the first company in Damme to receive the IHK “TOP Ausbildung” quality seal. The certification recognizes companies that provide high-quality vocational training. Recertification is planned for 2026.
We aim to retain our employees for the long term. Together, we discuss development opportunities as well as potential training and continuing education within the framework of our internal training and development platform.
Supplier Relations:
New Paths Together
When procuring and purchasing auxiliary and operating materials, equipment and raw materials, we rely on long-standing, reliable and predominantly regional supplier relationships. Our business partners are almost exclusively based in Germany and the EU. We have grown together with many of our suppliers over the years.
We hold annual supplier meetings, conduct internal evaluations and visit our partners on site. As part of this process, we work together to develop solutions for improving defined environmental and social aspects. As requirements relating to environmental criteria, environmental standards, quality, regulations and supply chains continue to increase, environmental, social and quality criteria are becoming increasingly important in our supplier relationships.
With the establishment of a new purchasing department, we have centralized our procurement processes. This centralization is intended to consolidate orders and organize supply processes more efficiently. Our “Supplier Code of Conduct” serves as a guideline and point of reference for our partners. Through this, we aim to improve our production environment and working conditions from an ethical, environmental and social perspective.
In view of the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtgesetz), which entered into force on January 1, 2023, we will increasingly monitor our supply chains for compliance with environmental and social standards. Our goal is to gain a better understanding and assessment of our procurement processes with regard to resilient supply chains, environmental protection and sustainability. As part of this effort, we plan to conduct supplier surveys, including surveys on the carbon footprint of individual upstream products.
