It is often the small things that make a big difference. In 2022, employees in Benelux were made aware of what they can contribute to the ecological footprint. This starts with the separation of waste, goes through the conscious handling of packaging material to the use of the specially set up E-charging stations for electric cars.

To reduce travel distances, everyone works from home one day a week and more and more meetings are taking place online. The heating in the office premises stays off on weekends and light sensors automatically switch off the lighting when no-one is in the office.

In 2020, we strengthened our network of offices and teams in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Not only in sales and product development, but also in logistics. Customers are now supplied directly from Zelhem/Netherlands, and this saves time and CO2 , as long transport routes from Austria are no longer necessary.

Energy efficiency and environmental compatibility were the focus of the construction of the company building of our German subsidiary HAUTAU, which opened in 2010. Triple glazed windows, more than 4,000 m² of solar panels integrated into the façade and roof area, the use of geothermal energy to heat or cool the building and the reuse of grey water make this building a true “lighthouse” for the region.

For years, we have been taking measures to reduce our energy consumption – in production processes, in the factories, in everyday work. Here are just a few examples:

• LED lighting: The previously used neon or metal vapour lamps, which develop their full luminosity only after a start-up time of several minutes, have been replaced in the warehouses by LED lamps. According to calculations, around 20 percent of the total annual electricity consumption can be reduced.
• Air conditioning of the buildings: Groundwater is an ideal heat transfer medium because it has an almost constant temperature of approx. 10° Celsius all year round. At the company headquarters in Italy, we use this to cool the server room and the buildings. Automatically controlled blinds are used for cooling in summer and for insulation in winter.
• Switching off lights: At night and during the day, by means of motion detectors, the light switches off when employees leave the office.
• Heating: The heating control also works with motion detectors. If the office is not occupied, the room temperature remains on standby (night lowering). If the window is opened for ventilation, the heating valve closes during the ventilation phase.

From 2023 on, the insulation material EPS (expanded polystyrene) will be used for our Libra window mounting frame with a recycling share of 15 percent. Thus, the product line corresponds to the "Criteri ambientali minimi (CAM)"6 which we prove to our customers by means of an environmental certificate. A successful upgrade of the mounting frame, which has already been successfully on the market for 10 years!

Our Italian subsidiary MAICO has been using a particularly environmentally friendly material for packaging small orders since autumn 2022. This is a reusable and recyclable bubble wrap, which already consists of 30 percent recycled material. This saves valuable resources with around 220,000 running metres of film needed per year.

The packaging material used for the delivery from Austria to Italy is also given a second life – as a filling material in the packaging boxes which results in hardly any rubbish.

Helping to shape corporate development and growth, always keeping an eye on responsibility towards our planet and general wellbeing. With these goals in mind, we want to sensitise our managers to sustainable development in this leadership course.

For 5 months, 11 people regularly take themselves out of everyday office life and work in teams on tasks, address grievances and develop new ideas in the "Safe Zone". Here, team building and individual personal development are fully covered.

In our subsidiary in South Tyrol, a monthly "Maico Hall" has been taking place since the summer. This half-hour event serves the purpose of providing information and personal exchange where the entire team is invited.

Three topics are dealt with in each case – from new products, occupational safety and ISO certifications to new marketing tools and organisational matters. All employees, with field staff being connected online, receive practical information for their everyday work. A special highlight is the question box, into which all topic suggestions for the upcoming "Maico Hall" can be placed

Informing all employees, even if they are scattered all over Italy. The newly set up intranet for the region of Southern and Western Europe makes this possible. In addition to company news & information on all employees, useful templates and working documents, photos and videos, restaurant tips near the company headquarters and a birthday calendar provide the fun factor, and thereby ensure a high acceptance of the platform.

In our Italian and Polish branch, we will also rely on self-generated electricity in the future.

In St. Leonhard in Italy, for example, a photovoltaic system with 200 kWp is under construction. This means that around a third of the electricity required at the Italian company headquarters can be covered. Overproduction (e.g. weekends, company holidays) will be fed into the public network.

In Poland, we currently generate 50,000 kWh of electricity, and the expansion of the PV plant by 150 kWp is planned for 2023.

Our sales team in the UK has been driving 100 % hybrid cars since 2022. In addition, four E-charging stations were built, which can be used by all employees. This is how we want to motivate as many colleagues as possible to switch to E-mobility.