Economic Responsibility

Economic responsibility and sustainable business practices go hand in hand at the GEDORE Group. We make targeted investments in innovation and the continued development of our sites, optimise processes and use resources efficiently. This benefits not only our balance sheets, but above all our employees, partners and customers: they all rely on the foundation of an economically stable and future-ready company. We take consistent action where necessary while always keeping our long-term goal in sight: sustainable growth throughout the entire value chain.

A good working environment is built through dialogue. That is why we value feedback from our employees: at our Remscheid site, regular discussion groups are held with employees from administration and production. Their feedback feeds directly into our decision-making and helps us become an even better employer. For the same reason, our Brazilian company takes part in the national “Great Place to Work” survey. Our Austrian subsidiary also demonstrates that responsible business has a long tradition at GEDORE: it received a state award in 1981 and has been authorised to use the Austrian national coat of arms in its business activities ever since.

We are actively shaping change and consistently advancing digitalisation in many areas of our business. By digitising invoices and other business documents, we save many tonnes of paper every year; at our sites in Germany, we now receive more than 90% of invoices digitally. We are also consistently aligning our infrastructure with efficiency: in 2023, we merged two production sites located close to one another, thereby reducing unnecessary transport routes and energy consumption. Instead of constructing new buildings, we make targeted investments in renovating and maintaining our existing facilities.

For us, responsibility does not end at the factory gates. We make targeted investments in our production sites in emerging economies such as Brazil and South Africa in order to promote the regional economy and create long-term employment. We also practise equal opportunities within our own company: through our successful workplace reintegration management programme and by providing jobs for many people with disabilities, we are sending a clear signal in favour of inclusion.

We are convinced that business activities and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand, and that ambitious goals are best achieved together. Since 2022, we have been part of the ÖKOPROFIT collaborative project and have actively participated in the HOCH3 Sustainability Future Circle. Our commitment is demonstrable: an environmental management system compliant with DIN EN ISO 14001 has been implemented, complementing our ÖKOPROFIT certification and our energy management system in accordance with DIN EN ISO 50001.

The ÖKOPROFIT collaborative project is supported by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the three major cities in the Bergisches Städtedreieck and their economic development agencies, the Wuppertal–Remscheid–Solingen Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), and the Regional Agency for the Bergisches Städtedreieck. Since its launch in 2001, more than 150 companies from the region have successfully participated in ÖKOPROFIT.

The Sustainability Future Circle HOCH3 (ZN HOCH3) is a working and discussion forum for companies and organisations in the Bergisches Städtedreieck region, comprising Wuppertal, Solingen and Remscheid. Its members provide one another with practical and specialist input, develop sustainable ideas, activities and projects, and share them with other companies. For us, this collaboration puts our convictions into practice: sustainable development is most successful when knowledge is shared and ideas are developed together.