How is bilstein group driving sustainability?

In the second part of our interview with Linda Evans, bilstein group’s UK head of product, we focus on a single question, as Linda provides an in-depth look at the company’s sustainability initiatives. We asked her to explain how the company’s efforts align with the rising demand for environmentally friendly parts:

Sustainability at the bilstein group is made up of three key components:

Economy: The bilstein group produces high-quality and durable products that take equal account of environmental protection and affordable mobility.

Ecology: In the production and distribution of our products and services, we rely on products, processes and structures that conserve resources as much as possible.

Social aspects: In the production of our products, we pay attention to appropriate wages and working conditions – also along the supply chain – and, as a multi-generational company, we have always operated in harmony with our stakeholders.

Sustainable products are, therefore, not only limited to producing the smallest CO2 footprint, but also to creating long-term jobs with good working conditions and living wages.

As we work towards becoming an even more sustainable company, we cover all three pillars of sustainability:

Environmental protection is a major concern for us, which is why we focus on processes and structures that can reduce our carbon footprint and conserve natural resources as much as possible. In 2022, 77% of our electricity consumption worldwide was generated from renewable sources. Here are some more examples of how we’ve been protecting the environment:

Since 2013 we’ve been using CHP (combined heat and power) in our logistic centre in Ennepetal, which helps us to produce energy in a more efficient way, as it is powered by natural gas, meaning that electricity is not generated from renewable sources, but is far more efficient than other power generation facilities. It requires less fuel, and the heat generated as a by-product of power generation is used to supply thermal energy.

In our logistics centres, we mainly rely on automated systems. The automated warehouse systems in Ennepetal and Gelsenkirchen, for example, allow us to save around 75% of the space required by a fully manual warehouse.

We have a fleet policy, which regulates CO2 emissions for our passenger cars, and we already have electric and hybrid cars in our fleet. By 2027, all locations owned by the bilstein group will have charging stations for EVs.

All our oils, offered within the febi brand, are carbon neutral. We rely on suppliers that have reduced, avoided, or compensated 100% of their CO2 emissions, which originated from the production of the fluids.

Social… The sector has, historically, been a male-dominated industry, but in recent years, there has been a noticeable shift towards greater gender diversity. Nevertheless, especially in logistics and production, the percentage of male staff is still significantly higher. One reason might be the handling of heavy parts and components, which the bilstein group addresses through ergonomic workstations. This diversity results in fresh perspectives and skills contributing to innovation and growth.

War has been raging in Ukraine since February 2022. Thanks to support from the bilstein group headquarters and from the subsidiaries in Poland and Hungary, five families of employees – as well as the family of a customer – were able to flee to Ennepetal, including a baby who was only a few months old. At the company’s headquarters, 19 people were able to find accommodation in private flats, organised by committed employees. The board quickly decided to make about €250,000 available as Ukraine aid.

In the spring of 2022, about €15,000 was donated to a shelter in Cologne, where a Ukrainian women’s football team had been accommodated. Another large donation followed in September: €100,000 was donated to The Power of Motion, a non-profit Ukrainian organisation founded by a long-standing customer of the bilstein group.

Governance… Customer satisfaction is our top priority. As one of the market-leading companies in our industry, our aim is to assess the needs, motives, and problems of our customers to be able to develop best solutions that work for everyone. We are using different mechanisms to reach our customers and receive their feedback on our products and services so that we can constantly improve.