Active environmental protection has been firmly enshrined on the Gutekunst Formfedern GmbH agenda for many years. The precision parts manufacturer achieved ISO 14001 environmental management certification back in 2004. At the same time, the position of environmental officer was created, and has been documenting all environmental activities in an annual report since then. While it was initially mainly about measuring and reducing emissions, today the subject covers so much more.
Power, water, thermal energy and waste – wherever smart savings can be made to the benefit of the environment and health, Hagen Gutekunst and his team adjust themselves. Binding targets structure the process, ideas from our employees inspire ambition. For example, what started five years ago with using rain water has now spawned a cornucopia of ideas and actions some of which, typical of Gutekunst, are the result of a culture of innovation that has no blinkers.
„Acting responsibly also means being credible in terms of environmental protection and fulfilling our own position as a role model.”
Example: Waste heat utilisation. As one of the first providers in the sector, Gutekunst consistently explored new avenues here: Instead of simply allowing waste heat to escape into the environment, it was used to heat the production halls. Today, it's a common form of energy conversion that involved some truly pioneering work on the part of the springs specialist – including financially: the new process was the company's biggest investment in the factory to-date.
Another module: energy savings through modern production technology. Key words: Energy efficiency. A sharp rise in orders and a growing fleet of machines may have pushed absolute consumption upwards in previous years. Yet the team in Pfalzgrafenweiler at the same time made considerable energy savings – of around 30 per cent! New laser machines purchased two years ago made this possible. At the same time, the company connected to the geothermal energy network – a welcome opportunity for the entrepreneur Gutekunst to use renewable energy to gain greater independence from the major energy suppliers.
Example of waste prevention:The springs specialist is also stepping up to the plate when it comes to waste avoidance: wherever feasible, packaging is now made from recyclable material. With the exception of industries where special requirements permit only certain packaging solutions, opportunities are being maximised across the entire order book.
Den Impuls dieses Erfolgs nimmt Hagen Gutekunst gleich für sein nächstes Vorhaben mit: Schon für das kommende Jahr hat er – als bisher größtes Umweltprojekt – die Installierung einer Photovoltaikanlage ausgerufen: „Unser Ziel ist es, zu zeigen, dass sich die gesamte Produktion mit regenerativen Energien bestreiten lässt“, erklärt der umweltbewusste Unternehmer, der als Motiv eher ideelle als betriebswirtschaftliche Gründe geltend macht.
„Die Investitionen für den Umweltschutz sind im Industriesektor besonders hoch. Davor schrecken viele Unternehmen zurück“, sagt Gutekunst. „Darum muss tatsächlich jeder selbst entscheiden, wie viel ihm die Verantwortung für Mensch und Umwelt wirklich wert ist. Glaubwürdig zu handeln und der eigenen Vorbildfunktion gerecht zu werden, ist für uns der Schlüssel zum Erfolg. Dass diese Überzeugung auch von unseren Kunden geteilt wird, bestärkt uns auf unserem Weg.“