19 December 2023
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A book with grip
It is a journey started by former CEO Gé Moonen in 2011. So they have been on the road for several years. "It's about knowing what you're doing. That you have a common business goal, so you can continuously take steps in the right direction," says CEO Hans Houtappels.
"So every year, like many entrepreneurs, we make a business plan consisting of the plans of the various departments. We record the departmental plans in a nicely illustrated book for internal use. That book describes our objectives, the way we want to achieve them and what we need from each other in order to achieve them. So it is not just a list of financial ratios. The book gives us guidance and clarity throughout the year. Thanks to our collective input, each edition will be better than the last.
.Beautiful certifications
We also give our customers insight into the footprint of our products using the Pickler tool, so they can see where they can make them more sustainable and what the impact is. As a result, together we choose the solution that is best for them right now and good for the planet.
Furthermore, since last year we are officially a B Corp organization. That means we are part of a global movement of people who use business to do good. The beauty of this certification is its holistic nature. B Corp not only looks at the sustainable steps you have taken as a business owner, but also includes the entire supply chain, human resources, your impact on your environment and your use of resources in its assessment.
And recently we achieved the fourth Lean & Green star. This is the leading CO2 reduction program for carriers and shippers in the logistics service industry based on the climate agreement.
Focus is important
Certifications and legislation are there to keep you on your toes. After all, banks, investors, customers and the new generation demand good business practices that steer not only on the financial health and growth of the company, but also on social and environmental aspects. Together with our customers, suppliers and employees, we are constantly working to make our operations more sustainable," Houtappels emphasizes.
The real gain is therefore in the continuous focus on all business processes that enable you to eventually achieve such certification. That is what we are most proud of. We experience every day that we are doing the right things: "Business for good is good business!"
"Jacklien Quirijnen is our sustainable innovation manager and booster. Making things sustainable can't go fast enough for her. This interaction keeps everyone on their toes. She therefore works closely together in the sustainability core team and with all employees involved.
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It is important to bring all employees into the world of sustainability. We therefore participated together in an introductory course on sustainability. This gives everyone an insight into why, how and what role you can play in this. From that basis, commitment is created and employees who wanted to take an extra step volunteered to work on the impact statements.
These statements and the so-called impact statement teams form the core of our objectives. Objectives that focus on sharing knowledge, encouraging our suppliers, improving the assortment and working towards a CO2 neutral organization in 2026. The result is a strategy to which everyone wants to contribute. If you want to know more about this way of working, visit our CSR page."
We are not there yet
According to Houtappels, we all still have quite a journey to make. But as often mentioned, even small steps make a difference on the way to an ecosystem (of which we are part) in balance. Frankly, he still sees many challenges: ensuring a better CO2 balance, restoring biodiversity and a fairer economic system in which, for example, the "burden" on the planet is also taken into account.