YELLOW #1

Because the future only works if viewed as a whole

Sustainability at Klingspor

Klingspor views sustainability as more than just an objective – it is an integral part of the corporate philosophy. It encompasses more than protecting the environment: it is also concerned with social responsibility. “Our intent is to be an employer in whom our employees take pride,” emphasizes Managing Director Robert Rack. With projects such as providing support to employees with health limitations, the promotion of young talent through SchulePlus or the cooperation with the regional water provider 57wasser, Klingspor demonstrates what sustainability looks like. This commitment marries economic action with a positive contribution to society and the region – for a future that is beneficial to everyone.

800 tons of carbon dioxide, 12,000 sheets of paper or 1.3 million KW/h through self-produced electricity via a photovoltaic installation: When the environmental team at Klingspor meets every six weeks, they talk a lot about figures. How much can be saved where and of which raw material to reduce CO₂ emissions? But the team does more than just discuss: they also come up with concrete solutions. For 2024 alone, the team has defined 19 short-term targets and set in motion their implementation.

Sustainable means acting in a socially responsible way

An important facet of sustainability at Klingspor is social commitment, underlines Managing Director Robert Rack: “For us, this means taking responsibility for society, for the region and for our employees all over the world.” Only if economic action can take place in harmony with nature and society can the company be positioned well for the future: “That's why we want to be an employer that draws in employees with an attractive work environment and makes them proud," declares Rack, highlighting the company's commitment.

Getting ahead together

Klingspor has been going down the path of social sustainability for many years – deliberately and with great success. This is also evident in the number 16.3, which marks the employees’ long average length of company service, and in the countless recognitions for 10, 20, 30 or even 45 years at Klingspor that are published in the employee magazine “Abrasive Paper”. But not all employees can physically work in their original capacity until retirement. In a bid to give these employees real prospects in the company regardless, Klingspor designated a special team in 2019: the Internal Service. It is composed of co-workers who have been given responsibilities in new fields that involve such tasks as carrying out renovation or maintenance work on the company premises, organising internal removals, taking over locksmith services, running errands, and much more. The flexible team was also significantly involved in the construction of the new Training Academy and made sure that everything was ready on time.

Finding ways to overcome crisis

For Dietmar Seiler, the Internal Service offered the lifeline during times of serious distress. The 59-year-old fell ill with bone marrow cancer four years ago, resulting in the destruction of a lumbar vertebra: “All of a sudden I was no longer allowed to do anything, not even to go to the bathroom," laments Seiler, describing his situation after coming down with his illness. While his healing process thankfully went well, tasks involving heavy lifting have since become taboo for him: “It became clear that I could not continue working in production at the belt department. The abrasive belts there weigh up to 25 kilos.” The end for him at Klingspor after over 20 years? Retraining in his mid-50s? No – he was made a job offer by the Internal Service instead. This team was the perfect fit for Seiler. They accommodated his limitations with assignments he can comfortably complete, and he sets about his work with fervour: “My current job has purpose. That is important to me”, asserts Seiler.

You can read here how the Internal Service works and what new possibilities it creates.

SchulePlus: Sustainable path to vocational training

At Klingspor, social responsibility also extends to promoting the company’s junior staff. This is why the abrasive manufacturer, as one of the largest training companies in the region, has been specifically committed to young workers for many years. One example is the "Journeyman’s Piece Contest" at Klingspor Haiger. Since 2022, Klingspor has also been a partner of SchulePlus. The award-winning project of the Johann-Textor-Comprehensive-School in Haiger gives students an insight into professional life while still attending school. To this end, they work at the company one day a week. If the chemistry is right, an apprenticeship beckons at the end.

"SchulePlus is a major win – for the young people and for Klingspor", rejoices Klaus Gaumann, Head of HR: “The students can test their skills and become accustomed to professional life at our training workshop. At the same time, the project allows us to establish who has which skills and whether they are a good fit for our Klingspor team.” This intensive introductory phase significantly reduces the risk of trainees dropping out of the training: Four of the participants of SchulePlus have now embarked on an apprenticeship to become industrial mechanics or mechatronics engineers.

Bolstering the region one sip at a time

Sustainability also entails paying attention to details. One minor detail that makes a big difference occurs every time you reach for a water bottle at Klingspor. This is because the mineral water the company supplies is sourced from the regional brand 57wasser. Its unique characteristic: The water supplier donates 57 percent of their profits to social and humanitarian causes. Reason enough for Klingspor to make this specific water available to their employees. “The concept behind 57wasser won us over with ease. Since the donations predominantly benefit associations, initiatives and institutions in southern North Rhine-Westphalia, we can directly support our region and its people,” proclaims Managing Director Robert Rack.With 57wasser, Klingspor is offering regional mineral water that is sporting the Klingspor look

Less water, waste, and energy

Environmental protection concerns us all. That is why the environmental team at Klingspor is staffed with all department heads. Together, the team has already successfully initiated and implemented a multitude of measures. In 2024, for example, two thirds of the lighting at the Haiger site were converted to energy-saving LED lamps, with the remainder following suit in 2025. For the future, the company is planning to use the rainwater from the roof to replace the fresh water from the pipe in their production of coated abrasives – just one of many more single measures in the company's pipeline.

At the Haiger site, two thirds of the lighting fixtures have now been switched out for LED lamps

2025 is the “Year of Zero Waste”

In an effort to place further emphasis on sustainability, the year 2025 will be transfigured into the "Year of Zero Waste" for the Haiger site. To this end, the environmental team is planning a wide range of initiatives aimed at reducing waste. One starting point is the changeover to paper-free production. This switch involves the replacement of previously used order accompanying documents with accompanying information in digital form: “This will save around 50 sheets of paper a day, 1,000 sheets a month, and 12,000 a year in one production department alone," declares Robert Rack, calculating the savings. Equally important to him is another aspect: “This shift is also to the benefit of our employees in production: They no longer have to carry papers back and forth, lessening their workload and adding greater speed and transparency to their work.”

Exemplary dedication in all areas

Naturally, Klingspor is also committed to the cause of environmental protection and CO₂ reduction. The photovoltaic system installed on the roof of the Haiger site easily rivals the installations on large football stadiums and allows the company to generate half of the electricity needed themselves. Klingspor also saves energy and thus CO₂by means of heat recovery. Warm exhaust air flowing from the production facility is fed into the heating network, substantially reduce the volume of heating energy the company needs to purchase. Klingspor’s efforts to reduce CO₂emissions is accompanied by a new approach to exhaust air purification: Instead of burning pollutants in the air at great energy expenditure, they are split up with the help of plasma and UV-C light and thereby rendered harmless. Extensive tests with this innovative technology have already been conducted with great success.

This combined heat and power plant generates heating power from the waste heat of production

A sustainable and reliable partner

The third pillar of sustainability – aside from social commitment and environmental protection measures – is corporate policy. This is another area where we act in a sustainable and responsible manner with the intention to make our company economically successful and strong for lasting success in the future," emphasizes Robert Rack. The policies we pursue in this context include the creation and maintenance of a stable economic environment, an innovation-friendly climate and cooperation, as partners, with customers and suppliers. All activities are also geared towards the well-being of the generations to come. “One key aspect is the sustainability report in accordance with the official EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which we have been submitting as of 2024,” discloses Robert Rack. With these measures, Klingspor has charted the course to an even more sustainable future.

Internal Service creates new perspectives – interview with Thorsten Dieck

Thorsten Dieck is Head of Industrial Engineering. In this capacity, he is responsible for mechanical maintenance, building management and infrastructure at the Klingspor plant in Haiger. His area of responsibility also extends to the eight employees who currently make up the team of the “Internal Service”.

Mr. Dieck, what does the internal service do?

Our internal service is a flexible, quick-acting intervention force that takes care of many different tasks throughout the company. Their assignments comprise minor repairs and renovations or types of jobs, for which we generally had to commission third-party contractors in the past.

Why was the Internal Service Group founded?

As in any manufacturing company, there are employees who at this stage in their professional lives can no longer fulfil their original responsibilities to the full extent. Instead of pushing them aside, we wanted to give them a new, positive outlook within the company.

How did you proceed in establishing this service?

We started off mulling over which employees in which departments should be eligible. At the same time, we looked at the work tasks we commonly encounter and which would be suitable for the team. We then compared both lists and found that there was a lot to do.

How do employees benefit from the Internal Service?

One obvious benefit lies in their realisation that they are important to the company and are needed each and every day. They come to see that they make important contributions to our success despite their limitations and that their work is appreciated by everyone.

Can you name a concrete example?

Yes. Our Internal Service was instrumental in the construction of the new Training Academy In this project, we were able to tap the skills of our employees and utilise them as plasterers and painters. Other jobs they took on included coating the floor and performing minor individual jobs for which we would otherwise have had to hire external contractors.

What advantages does this mean for Klingspor?

We can live up to the high standards we set for our responsibility towards our employees. At work, we benefit from the flexibility of having a team that we can quickly deploy anywhere as needed. As this is something you cannot do with external contractors, projects such as the construction of the Training Academy would have experienced delays without our Internal Service.

What are your wishes for the future of the Internal Service?

I hope that we can continue writing this success story together and that other companies also recognise the advantages it holds for everyone and follow its example.