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Freudenberg Building Systems
As its contribution to the “We all take care” initiative, Freudenberg Building Systems launched a health and wellness project aimed at achieving a substantial cut in the sickness absence rate by improving working conditions. 180 associates from production talked about their working environment in moderated group discussions under the first stage of the project. The greatest potential for improvement was identified in the areas relating to the “behavior of superiors”, the “immediate working environment” and “organization”. The first measures to remedy the critical points have now been initiated. Numerous measures introduced following an occupational safety audit resulted in a 40 percent year-on-year reduction in the number of accidents at work. Finally, the environmental impact was reduced by adapting the cooling water system; as a result, 250,000 m3 of well water are now saved annually with a corresponding cut in water treatment plant throughput.
Freudenberg Building Systems cannot see a glimmer of hope in the German construction industry for the current financial year. Although no growth momentum is expected on some European markets, Freudenberg Building Systems is nevertheless optimistic about prospects for these markets, as well as developments in the USA. High growth is expected to continue in China, while expectations for the remaining Asian markets are somewhat subdued.
With regard to shoe components, Freudenberg Building Systems places its hopes in exports and orthopedic technology products. Overall, the company expects to see a slight improvement compared with 2003.