Annual Report 2010 - Frauenthal Holding AG

72 Annual Report 2010
Operating Review
Sustainability and
corporate social responsibility
Acting responsibly and conducting our business in a sustainable
manner are just as important to the Frauenthal
Group as the profit principle. Besides the common values
shared by all of us working for the Group, many areas of
our activities call for particular care in our treatment of
people and resources. Frauenthal sees success as more
than a matter of positive short-term financial results, but
of sustainable business development, based on a responsible
approach to employees, customers, society and the
environment. This is achieved by management decisions
which take the big picture into account, and by actively
involving many of our people in a wide range of decisions
affecting the Group’s divisions.
Increased production efficiency is directly linked to our
business and environmental aims. Best practice and lean
management make a considerable contribution to this,
and support our efforts to conserve natural resources.
We attach particular importance to reducing energy consumption
and rejects in our production processes. In all divisions,
the development of the product mix is also driven
by environmental concerns. For example, the Industrial
Honeycombs Division has long helped reduce greenhouse
gas emissions by manufacturing diesel and power station
catalysts. Our R&D effort in the Automotive Components
Division is leading the way in developing ever lighter and
longer lasting leaf springs. Weight reduction and a longer
useful life – preventing the frequent replacement of
components – play a part in the production of more en-
“i have seized the opportunities offered to me, accepted challenges, and
always tried to grow by shouldering new responsibilities and learning as
i went along. good team spirit, Sht’s progress, and staff development
are the things that are closest to my heart.“
Beatrix Pollak, member of the SHT Executive Board
“on our own, we are just words, together we are a poem. Managers should
remember that what they are thinking will be the atmosphere they create.“
Karin Many, Head of Human Resources Management
vironmentally friendly commercial vehicles. Last but not
least, the Wholesale Plumbing Supplies Division focuses
on renewable energy technologies such as photovoltaics,
heat pumps and thermal solar collectors in its energy
consultancy activities and sales of renovation products.
The development of sustainable technologies and systematic
improvements along the value chain depend on
our people’s expertise and experience. For this reason,
training and personality development have are a top
priority at Frauenthal, as shown by our wide-ranging
training programme. This includes specific not only occupational
training and lean management courses, but
is also promoting the adoption of English as the Group
language. In addition, safety at work is a central concern,
and we also attach importance to ergonomics and
preventive medicine.
Regular the shop floor inspections and lean management
workshops offer good opportunities to identify and
implement potential improvements.