Messrs. J. Schmalz GmbH in Glatten in the Black Forest, one of the world's leading manufacturers of vacuum and handling technology, was recently rewarded for it efforts in environmental protection with two internationally renowned awards. The official ceremony for the award of the Environmental Prize of the BDI (Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie e. V.) was recently held in the Palast der Republik in Berlin, while the Green Week Award in the sector "Management Award for Sustainable Development" was presented to the company by EU Commissar Margot Wallström at the beginning of June 2004 in Brussels. A total of 100 German companies participated in five groups in the BDI competition and the winners in each group were automatically qualified to participate in the European Green Week competition.

The worldwide reserves of fossile fuels are being consumed at a breathtaking rate. Under the motto "Ecology and economy supplement each other", Schmalz decided to integrate protection of the environment into its company strategy and to generate all energy needed in the production from regenerative sources. With two wind turbines, several solar systems, a heating system fired with biomass and a water turbine which has been in use for several decades, the company has succeeded in becoming a "positive-energy company".

The day-to-day operations of the company also include the separation of recyclable materials from garbage, the use of rainwater for cleaning and for flushing the toilets, the retention of heavy rainfalls in a catchment basin, the cultivation of plants on the roofs, the recovery of heat from the air leaving the factory with the aid of a heat exchanger and the use of the heat generated by the compressed-air generator for heating other rooms. The staff of the company are also integrated into this environmental-protection scheme. The company training centre "Schmalz Academy", whose primary aim is to improve the qualifications of the staff, also offers courses on the subject of environmental protection.

The wide range of measures implemented in the company and the related benefits for both the company and private persons was the reason for the creation of the so-called Schmalz Environmental Guided Tour. The objective of this tour, which is available free of charge, is to present the environmental activities of Schmalz to other companies, to trade associations and to the general public, and to encourage them to follow suit.

The two latest awards supplement a proud history of such environmental achievements. As long ago as 1994, the company was certified in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9001 (quality management). This was followed in 1997 by certification in accordance with DIN EN ISO 14001 (environmental management) and the validation on the basis of an ecological audit was also achieved in the same year. The first awards, the "Environmental Recognition of the State of Baden-Württemberg" in 1998 and the "Environmental Prize for Companies in the State of Baden-Württemberg" in the sector of industry in 2000, were the just rewards for years of practical environmental protection and generation of power from renewable sources. These are now followed by the BDI Environmental Prize and the Green Week Award from the ICEO. The range of ecological awards was completed by the excellent position of Schmalz in the competition "Germany's best employee 2004" held by the economics magazine Capital.

These prizes will encourage the management and staff of Schmalz to continue the overall ecological efforts of the company in the future.