The company was already nominated last year

Last year, the nomination for the German Sustainability Award (DNP) in the category of resource efficiency was already an honor for the Gelsenkirchen-based company Voigt & Schweitzer. On September 14, 2016, the medium-sized company, which operates throughout Europe, was once again nominated for the DNP 2016 – also in the category of resource efficiency.

“We are delighted about the renewed nomination,” says Dr. Thomas Pinger, who is responsible for sustainability at the company. “It once again confirms our sustainability concept for us and our employees.” Managing partner Lars Baumgürtel adds: “Last year’s nomination motivated us to apply again. It allows us to see where we stand, how others see us, and also what we can still improve.”

Both in the metalworking industry and in the nine-year history of the DNP, this nomination is as unusual as it is unique. Who thinks of sustainability in connection with heavy industry?
Voigt & Schweitzer—the first nominated company in the metalworking industry—proves that metal can also be processed sustainably. The basis for the application is the Planet ZINQ® corporate initiative, in which the medium-sized company commits itself to greater sustainability for employees and the environment – a project that is unique in the hot-dip galvanizing industry. This includes the systematic promotion of training and further education as well as increasing resource efficiency in the process and in the product. The Gelsenkirchen-based company is therefore constantly looking for energy-saving potential in the production process and developing new zinc surfaces that offer higher performance on steel with less zinc usage. Last but not least, Voigt & Schweitzer produces in closed cycles, and the complete recyclability of ZINQ® products ultimately combines efficiency and effectiveness. Last but not least, the sum of all performance characteristics shows how clearly the company positions itself as the most sustainable surface technology company in Germany.
So much for its own program. But Voigt & Schweitzer is also in the process of implementing suggestions from the DNP 2015 application process. Voigt & Schweitzer has continued to pursue the area of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in particular. New additions include employee surveys on the topic of sustainability and surveys of external parties to evaluate the external view of the company in the area of sustainable products and strategies. The company is also currently working on its first sustainability report.
With these prerequisites in place, the hot-dip galvanizers were once again able to prevail against some global corporations in a two-stage application process. In addition to Voigt & Schweitzer, the top three now include Procter & Gamble, which sells branded products such as diapers and toothpaste worldwide, and Fliegl Fahrzeugbau, which specializes in commercial vehicles and agricultural technology.
The winner of the DNP will be announced on November 25, 2016, at the Sustainability Gala in Düsseldorf and celebrated among many prominent figures and illustrious names. Who knows, maybe this year the company from the metal industry will be at the top of the podium?