Projects around the globe
We team up with many different people and members of staff to make the world a better place. Find out more about the projects here.
“Protective Umbrella for Children” campaign
If you look at sustainability holistically, it affects every business decision, including the procurement of promotional items.
Therefore, profine GmbH chose the provider FARE for the current purchase of new advertising umbrellas for its Kömmerling brand. Together with the German Child Protection Association (Kinderschutzbund) FARE launched the “Protective Umbrella for Children” campaign. With over 400 local associations throughout Germany, the “Kinderschutzbund” is sustainably committed to children and families.
Via the foundation Kömmerling Better World Stiftung, the donation associated with the 400 new umbrellas went directly to the national “Kinderschutzbund” association.
Each umbrella has an additional hangtag that briefly describes the campaign and thus provides additional support.
The use of environmentally friendly materials and production techniques has been a matter of course for the supplier FARE for many years.
After all, the biggest winners of the campaign are the children: the donations from participating customers enable the association to continue to campaign for their protection and rights nationwide.
Educational cooperation
Education is a valuable asset. Therefore, the promotion of science and research as well as vocational training, including student assistance, are also among the statutory purposes of the foundation Kömmerling Better World Stiftung.
profine GmbH has been associated with the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University in Karlsruhe for decades. Several profine managers began their careers with a dual study program at this university.
This close cooperation and partnership shall not only be maintained, but also strengthened with funding from the foundation Kömmerling Better World Stiftung.
Therefore, the Kömmerling Better World Stiftung joined the support association of the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University in Karlsruhe in 2023.
The support association is involved in the following areas, among others:
• Funding for bachelor theses
• Providing funds to support highly gifted students
• Awards and prizes for achievements that are particularly worthy of support
• Student exchanges and excursions
• Initiatives to internationalize study programs
We look forward to continued good cooperation for the benefit of the education and training of young people.
A playground for climate protection
The new playground in the Ober-Olmer forest near Mainz was created with the active support of 1. FSV Mainz 05 and the "05ER Climate Defender Partners” as part of their commitment as a sponsor of the Bundesliga club in at least two regional projects for climate protection every year. In this case, 70,000 euros went into the forest playground as support.
With the foundation “Kömmerling Better World Stiftung” we are one of the founding members of the "05ER Climate Defender Partners".
The new playground magically attracts children. An excellent place in nature where the youngest can let off steam on sustainable wooden elements. But the themed playground in the Ober-Olmer forest is much more. With its playground equipment, it complements the forest education concept of the Forest Nature Conservation Center, which trains the senses and makes the forest and its habitat for plants and animals tangible for children.
With the "05ER Climate Defender Partners”, 1. FSV Mainz 05 created a network that focuses on sustainable action and management and uses synergies. As part of this project, specific funding amounts are made available for climate protection projects and awarded to at least two projects each year.
We are happy to be part of it!
Mission “Climate Defender”
Environmental awareness: Mainz 05 football club is and remains a role model
Protecting the climate, preserving natural resources and acting in an environmentally conscious manner has been part of our partner 1. FSV Mainz 05 football club's mission for years.
"Professional football and environmental protection are not only compatible with each other, as Mainz 05 proves, for us environmental awareness and sustainability form values in our day-to-day activities that give our decisions important guidelines," says club chairman Stefan Hofmann.
The club has therefore launched various so called value partnerships in order to anchor its mission statement in its sponsorship activities. We are very pleased to be one of the founding members of the “05ER Climate Defender Partners” with the foundation Kömmerling Better World Stiftung and thus to bring environmental protection even a bit more to life as an aspect of our social responsibility.
Restart Troisdorf
At our Troisdorf location, we are again supporting a social institution with the foundation Kömmerling Better World Stiftung this year. The donation of 1,000 euros went to the “Restart” welfare association in Troisdorf again.
The association has set itself the task of helping young people to make a new start through socio-educational work and to support young people and families with direct assistance in building new life structures.
Restart uses the current donation for its open programs, which can now gradually start again, for example the regular mother-child meeting.
More information about Restart Troisdorf can be found here: https://restart-troisdorf.de/
Dual partnership
We donate a load securing truck model to a vocational school.
For decades, we appreciate the cooperation with our dual partners based on close cooperation. So it became a project close to our hearts when we found out last year that we could support the vocational school in Rodalben with a load securing truck model for training in logistics.
The idea quickly turned into a plan, which has been drawn and tinkered with diligently over the past few months. In September 2021 the project came to a more than worthy conclusion when it was handed over to the school.
Living dual partnership
According to Stefan Eichenlaub, the director of the school, the load securing truck fits perfectly into the already established practice camp of the logistics department. He also emphasized our voluntary work, because the construction of the transporter "was certainly associated with some costs".
The teacher of the logistics specialists, Wolfgang Hahn, emphasized the importance of the project for the trainees. Load securing is an important part of the final practical exam, but it cannot always be conveyed in smaller companies. This gap can be closed in the future with the "profine-truck".
“This is a lived dual partnership - something that I perceive very strongly in our region in general and especially in the cooperation with profine. I still remember my conversation with Volker Zimmermann very well. He immediately signaled his support and initiated the project.”
Our trainer Volker Zimmermann himself confirmed the great “hand in hand” collaboration between the dual partners and added with a wink: “If a tire has to be changed, we'd be happy to come back”.
From trainees for trainees
But how did the “profine-truck” come about? As is so often the case, we have given our trainees responsibility for and implementation of the project. With Sarah, Dennis, Hamid, Benjamin and Andreas, five of our trainees played a key role in the creation. As a technical product designer, Sarah was primarily responsible for the planning and drawing of the truck. Our four process and tool mechanics in turn built the truck - to a large extent from our own PVC-U sheets. There was definitely some fine work to be done, such as milling the license plates. “Once again, a great job by our trainees who made the whole thing possible in the first place,” concludes Volker Zimmermann with praise.
Flood donation
With the foundation Kömmerling Better World Stiftung, we support the German “Aktion Deutschland hilft“ campaign and the Rhineland Palatinate donation campaign for the flood emergency aid with EUR 20,000.
We are happy to help in the face of the flood disaster in our region, because we want to be a responsible and solidarity partner.
You can find options for your donations here:
WWF
We were pleased to support the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) with a donation from our foundation for the worldwide projects to combat the causes of plastic waste in the oceans.
For several years we have been working consistently on avoiding pellet loss in our factories and we were the first company in the German profile industry to be awarded the certificate of the pro-K initiative "Zero pellet loss".
Heinrich Kimmle Foundation
With the foundation Kömmerling Better World Stiftung we are again supporting social institutions at our German sites this year. So, we were very happy and proud to present a donation to the Heinrich Kimmle Foundation in Pirmasens in July. They use the funds for their new educational project "Bees Plus". A forest classroom will be built for inclusive educational projects for children, adolescents and adults with and without disabilities.
3,000 euros for four non-profit organisations
Before the pandemic, when Bundesliga club 1. FSV Mainz 05 was still holding matches in packed stadiums with main sponsor Kömmerling's staff and guests cheering on the team from the sponsor's box, the one thing that everyone wanted to know after the game was which “expert” had won the sweepstake by correctly guessing the score.
And the best thing about the sweepstake was that all bets were placed for a good cause because the winner got to choose the non-profit organisation receiving the EUR 100 donation from the Kömmerling Better World Stiftung foundation. The three charities designated to benefit from the sweepstake were Mainz 05 hilft e. V., the Heinrich Kimmle Stiftung in Pirmasens, the Berliner Tafel organisation and Restart Jugendhilfe in Troisdorf.
The organisation chosen after each sweepstake received a EUR 100 donation, and the total amount donated to each organisation was indicated by a glass column with red balls inside. The EUR 2,500 raised through the sweepstakes was topped up by the Kömmerling Better World Stiftung foundation to EUR 3,000. Mainz 05 hilft e.V. and Restart Jugendhilfe Troisdorf each received EUR 1,000, while the Heinrich Kimmle Stiftung Pirmasens and the Berliner Tafel organisation each received EUR 500.
profine marketing director Marc Habermeyer handed over the cheque to Marco Dobrani from the Heinrich Kimmle Stiftung Pirmasens. Marc Habermeyer: “The foundation Heinrich Kimmle Stiftung runs a large-scale competitive sport community that is entirely donation-funded. Our donation was used to provide training to talented athletes and to make it possible for them to compete at the Special Olympics. We’re delighted to have been able to help them!"
Here are brief profiles of each organisation and links to their websites in case you would like to make a donation.
RESTART Troisdorf
RESTART Troisdorf helps families, children and young adults in Troisdorf and the surrounding region. It is a multi-denominational, non-profit association providing regular weekly events such as meeting groups for mums and toddlers, and a café for kids and young adults. As an accredited institution RESTART Troisdorf is also involved in voluntary youth and family support activities.
https://restart-troisdorf.de
Heinrich Kimmle Stiftung Pirmasens
The foundation Heinrich Kimmle Stiftung is an independent public law foundation founded in 1965 by prelate Heinrich Kimmle. As a regional disabled services provider the foundation supports people with handicaps at work, in the home, and in pre-school and school education with the objective of helping them to lead the most independent life possible.
http://www.hk-stiftung.de
Berliner Tafel e. V.
What began as a vision in 1993 is now an indispensable element of Berlin's social landscape and hundreds of other Tafel organisations have been established throughout Germany since. Many people in our society are dependent on food donations in addition to their state benefits. Berliner Tafel e.V. transports over 6,600 tonnes of food to more than 300 social organisations, has 45 hand-out points and supports 125,000 Berliners every month.
https://www.berliner-tafel.de/berliner-tafel/
Mainz 05 hilft e. V.
The calls from many quarters for sports associations to take on greater responsibility for their local communities were nothing new when the initiators of Mainz 05 hilft e. V. decided to listen to them and act on them in 2010. They set up a framework that allowed them to link community involvement and requests for help to the club and called it Mainz 05 hilft e. V. The objective of the association is to provide fast and uncomplicated assistance to people in need in the region – and it has been doing just that for many years.
https://www.mainz05.de/engagement/mainz05-hilft/ueber-uns/
Football is an attitude
The youngsters give one-hundred percent as they run up and down the pitch – until they are completely exhausted. Their dream is to become professional footballers. But it takes more than being an exceptional player to achieve that dream. It takes a special attitude to life. How does it feel? What does a day in the young players’ lives involve? Read all about it in the book.
Jürgen Klopp said: “It’s a fantastic initiative of my former club.”
The unique book project was realised with the support and collaboration of the foundation KÖMMERLING BETTER WORLD STIFTUNG, the NELE NEUHAUS FOUNDATION and MAINZ 05 football club: “Fußball findet auch im Kopf statt“ (Football is an attitude) – eleven young players and their dream of playing professional football.
“There has never been another football book like it,” said publisher Matthias Knöß. “The Nele Neuhaus Foundation helps children and adolescents to improve their reading, writing and speaking skills. We are always asking ourselves what topics we can use to engage and inspire these youngsters. And football’s a great choice! That’s how we came up with the idea. So we teamed up with MAINZ 05 and the club’s main sponsor Kömmerling, two very committed cooperation partners from the very outset of the project.“
We achieved some impressive results. Eleven young footballers between the ages of 14 and 22 wrote down their very personal stories for us. They’re authentic, uncensored and direct, providing deep insights into the daily routines and emotions of ambitious young players. Strength of will, sacrifices, testing out limits and celebrating achievements are all part of these youngsters’ daily routine, because they are all growing up at the Bundesliga club’s Youth Training Centre. They live far away from family and friends, and often from their home country. Their only goal is to realise their dream of being a professional footballer. The narrative is honest and provides brand new insights into professional football.
Interaction is a special aspect of the book, which includes QR codes for each story with links to short videos about the boys.
Available at book stores, web shops and the Mainz 05 fan shop from 14 September 2020, or click the following link to order a copy: https://www.ullstein-buchverlage.de/nc/buch/details/fussball-findet-auch-im-kopf-statt-9783430210478.html
Together in the fight against cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic metabolic disorder. In Germany up to 8,000 children, teenagers and adults are affected by this incurable disease. Patients with cystic fibrosis have varying symptoms. It mainly affects the lungs and pancreas but can also affect other organs. Many with this illness suffer from breathing difficulties and severe problems with the digestive system. Patients with cystic fibrosis are among the high risk group for whom the Corona pandemic can be life-threatening.
When our colleague Manuela Richter found out that her two-year-old neighbour Henri had this terrible disease, it was clear to her that she had to do something to help him.
“Every donation helps to support research into cystic fibrosis and to improve the life-expectancy of children and babies. The fight against cystic fibrosis is long and expensive,” Manuela explains.
She asked our company for support and Ralf Wagner our accessories manager did not hesitate to make a contribution with the foundation “Kömmerling Better World Stiftung”.
He also took some committed suppliers on board. Together with Innoperform, Regel-air Becks and Hoffner a group donation was made. All three companies produce ventilation solutions for a healthy indoor climate. Fresh air is vital for patients with cystic fibrosis.
Ralf Wagner: “I immediately thought of our partners when I heard about this and they were really keen to help. Together we were able to donate a total of 5,000 EUR to cystic fibrosis research. This may be a small contribution compared to the great suffering of the patients but certainly a signal of hope for Henri.”
The German association Mukoviszidose e.V. networks cystic fibrosis patients and their families as well as doctors, therapists, carers and researchers. The association bundles different experiences, competences and perspectives with the goal to enable all those affected by cystic fibrosis to live their lives as independently as possible.
If you would like to help little Henri, you can do this via his mother’s donation website: https://www.altruja.de/henri-will-aufatmen/page/2#spenden
USA: Kömmerling “essential” in the fight against Corona
Our colleagues from Huntsville based Kömmerling USA had been quick to support their network of distribution partners across the USA and through their regional supply hubs. The business was declared ‘essential’ following the ‘stay at home’ order from Alabama Governor Kay Ivey on the 3rd April 2020.
As an essential business, Kömmerling USA has been able to manufacture and supply large PVC sheets to its distribution partners that have been required by companies working with the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the US Department of Homeland Security - Federal Emergency Management Agency, to construct various COVID-19 related projects. These include field hospitals, drive thru testing units, hospital bed areas, barrier walls, shields and other easy clean applications.
PVC sheets offer chemical resistance, an easy clean surface, are durable yet lightweight, and with a USA manufacturing operation, it has been critical that there has been the facility to manufacture in volume and with a quick turnaround time.
Products have been used in applications in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Milwaukee and New York, along with other areas in the USA where the Coronavirus has been particularly prevalent.
Marcy Menoni, Vice President of Sales – Sheet Division for Kömmerling USA commented: ‘Not only do we have to thank our wonderful staff here in Huntsville, but also to our network of distribution partners across the USA who helped declare us an essential business. Normally our PVC sheet is used in the graphics sector, but we’ve adapted our manufacturing so that we can support the country in the fight against COVID-19.`
She continued: ‘We’ve been keeping our employees safe and within the strict guidelines set by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and feel honoured to be able to support those that have needed our products most. We wish everyone to stay safe and keep well during this unprecedented pandemic.’
Pilot project: Window profiles made of 100% recycled PVC-U
Sustainability, innovation and quality are key elements within the profine Group. For years, profine has been involved in the industry-wide recycling of old PVC-U windows. With its own profine recycling programme profine makes sure materials can be re-used for profine profiles, often in a mix with new material. However, now for the first time in profine history, window main profiles have been made out of completely recycled material.
From idea to reality
Two years ago, our Dutch partner window manufacturer Schipper Kozijnen went to Berlin with their client and a firm of architects for a factory tour and to view the proCoverTec production facility. Then they were informed about profine’s views on sustainability and its recycling program. A number of profiles already contain a recycled core and with the recycling program a step to a circular business model has been made. Architects then asked whether it would also be possible to make a profile entirely from recycled material. We told them we would look into it and started an innovation process.
Innovation and quality
Part of the PVC-U profiles already consists of part recycled material combined with virgin material. By using fully recycled PVC-U materials, the composition changes. After extensive testing during extrusion and finishing, we succeeded in creating a profile consisting of 100% recycled PVC-U material with high-quality properties. To guarantee the UV resistance of recycled profiles and to give them a luxurious look, the profiles for the project are finished with the innovative colour system proCoverTec. On the outside gray and on the inside white.
Partner in the Netherlands
Window manufacturer Schipper Kozijnen from Opmeer in the north of the Netherlands has skillfully processed these profiles into frames for a renovation project on Osdorpplein in Amsterdam. It is a renovation project of 84 apartments in which more than 500 windows are replaced by these "full cycle" PVC-U windows of our Dutch K-VISION brand. The project has started in February this year on site in Amsterdam.
Note: The photo of the project managers was taken at the renovation building site before the corona crisis.
Exemplary sustainability – our projects are EU-funded
“Our customers make a major contribution to reducing the carbon footprint and protecting the climate with modern, high-performance insulated windows. Rather than just focusing on the window’s period of use , we aim to achieve the optimum environmental profile throughout its entire life cycle. Even at the beginning of that life cycle, in the production phase, we attach high importance to sustainability and energy conservation. We’re immensely proud that our projects perform a model function and, because of that, they are eligible for EU and state funding”, says Dr. Peter Mrosik, owner and CEO.
The projects are subsidised by the European Regional Development Fund and the German state of Rhineland Palatinate . Our production facility in Pirmasens is currently receiving funding for two projects to make PVC-U profile manufacturing more energy efficient and climate friendly.
The first project involves two new co-extruders which we use to improve energy efficiency, conserve resources and considerably reduce carbon emissions. Co-extruders are the machines that turn the PVC-U pellets into window profiles. In the past we used two conventional co-extruders. The new machines allow us to substantially reduce the amount of energy we need to make new window profiles out of recycled material. Through this project we have achieved a 30% saving in electricity and the two new extruders have reduced our carbon emissions by a total of around 724 tonnes of CO₂ per year.
Our second project involves a new air compressor. Compressed air is necessary in many of our production processes. Unlike the old system, the new air compressor has a heat recovery unit. We use that heat to reduce our district heating requirements and, as a result, our electricity consumption has declined by 10% and our carbon emissions by 271 tonnes of CO₂ per annum.
These are just two examples of how we are making our production operations more sustainable. There are more sustainability projects in the application phase and we’ll be implementing them as soon as they have been approved.
Our company fleet makes a contribution to climate protection
Since autumn 2019, all of our company cars throughout Germany have been making their own contribution to climate protection. Why? Because as a customer of the DKV fleet service, we invest an additional amount in certified climate protection projects via the DKV service for every litre of fuel filled up. For this purpose, the DKV service offers a special fuel card with its DKV CARD CLIMATE - an offer that we were very happy to actively accept!
CEO Dr. Peter Mrosik says: “As a pioneer in the commitment to sustainability, it goes without saying that we want to drive as climate-friendly as possible. That's why we didn't hesitate for a second with the changeover. Because that is active climate protection that promotes valuable international projects.”
How it works? We invest an additional amount per litre of fuel in certified climate protection projects from "myclimate", one of the leading providers in this area, via the DKV service. Investments are made, for example, in projects in the areas of biogas, biomass, energy efficiency, hydropower, land use and forestry, solar, waste management and compost, water (cleaning and saving) and wind energy. Further information on "myclimate" and the type of projects can be found at www.myclimate.org
Overall, our company car fleet in Germany thus contributes to saving 270 tons of CO2 per year.
Acting more responsibly – how does a manufacturer do this? Our partner academy provides the answers.
Continuing as before will no longer work for many companies in the future. The success of a company depends not only on its qualifications, reliability and quality, but also on its corporate social responsibility and sustainability. The customers inform themselves via new media and this is an important factor for their decision.
This applies not only to global companies, but also to small businesses. With our profine partner academy, the training institute for our window manufacturers, we recognised this issue five years ago and included it in our training programme.
The high demand and large numbers of participants show that our business simulation game "Understanding sustainability in a playful way" precisely meets the requirements of our partner companies and offers the right solutions.
The business game raises awareness of operational interrelationships and clarifies the interplay of economy, ecology and social issues in a special way. Kerstin Lotter, responsible for the partner academy: "We give our partners the opportunity to feel the effects of their entrepreneurial decisions. They can reap the rewards of their work, but they also have to "pay the price" for the consequences of any wrong decisions. With these new experiences, they reflect on their own actions, recognize interactions and draw conclusions about their strategy. Only sustainably managed companies will be able to survive on the market in the long term."
In the meantime, numerous decision-makers from our partner companies have participated. The winners of the last business simulation game were Vanessa Lauber from Fensterbau Lauber in Überlingen near Singen and Benjamin Hochrein from Schreinerei Hochrein & Hantschel in Bergrheinfeld near Schweinfurt. Both companies have been particularly committed to sustainability for years and are now making even stronger inroads.
Fensterbau Lauber, for example, has installed an ecological heating system that is fed with waste chips from the wood production. A photovoltaic system is planned for the roof of the new production halls for windows. And for the employees, the production processes will be set up ergonomically - with physical relief. Hochrein & Hantschel has introduced the JobRad®. This allows employees to switch to bicycles and e-bikes and thus relieve the burden on the environment. The two examples show: Sustainability and social commitment are not future projects for our partner companies, but are already actively implemented and lived.
How our Russian production site is committed to local people
We see ourselves not only as a high-tech company that produces state-of-the-art windows systems, but also as a socially responsible company. Our Russian subsidiary in Voskresensk, profine RUS, has founded an honorary team that develops, supports and implements numerous initiatives and aid projects for the people of the city.
These include, for example, the big Christmas party for children from socially disadvantaged families in the Voskresensk Palace of Culture. The cheerful and carefree event with Santa Claus, Snow White, performances and gifts is now considered a permanent institution.
Our vocational orientation program for school graduates is also very popular. Here, our engineers and experts support young people in choosing the right profession or course of study. In addition, we regularly invite visitors to our Open Day, where our production specialists and managers provide first-hand information to visitor families.
Sustainability begins with our employees: We are one of the best employers in Germany
In 2016 a survey carried out by the German business magazine Focus named us as top employer in Germany. Dr. Peter Mrosik, owner and CEO of the profine Group was delighted. “The result makes me proud. For me, sustainability in human resources development and team spirit take top priority. A company can only be as good as its staff. Therefore, I would like to thank all colleagues at profine!”
What is so special about the representative survey is that is was based on answers from 70,000 employees in German companies from all hierarchies and age groups. The survey asked how satisfied they were and whether they would recommend the company. This was the largest German survey of its kind and Focus, together with the online portals Xing and Kununu, identified the 1,000 best employers with over 500 staff from a total of 22 sectors.
The survey also showed that we see sustainability as a holistic task. Ecological, economical and human factors have to be right in order to master the challenges of the future effectively and unitedly. “Your window to a better world” is the sum of all our company services and our committed staff who identify with this goal.
Photovoltaic system: We go green
The 4,583 PV modules generating solar power are an important part of “a window to a better world” as far as the Head of Marketing and Brands Marc Habermeyer is concerned. Dr Peter Mrosik, owner and CEO of profine GmbH, couldn’t agree more: “We are an owner-managed company that is committed to sustainable development, which is why our carbon footprint is extremely important to us.” The gigantic photovoltaic system has been installed across a total of five factory roofs in Pirmasens, which is where the PVC-U profiles for our premium windows are manufactured. The photovoltaic system has a total peak output of 1,214.5 kilowatts and enables profine GmbH to reduce the CO₂ greenhouse gas emissions by 643 tons per year. The biggest challenge in a project of this scale was to get the PV system connected up to the grid without interrupting operations and causing downtime for profine GmbH.
We have Russian ‘Vitality Leaf’ eco-label certification
“We wanted to credibly communicate our ecological commitment to the outside world. That’s why we’re proud to be able to use the Vitality Leaf eco-label on our products. The Vitality Leaf eco-label is the first and only system of voluntary environmental certification of goods in Russia that is recognised by the official Global Ecolabelling Network,” explained Alexander Mareew, Head of Marketing and Product Management at profine RUS, which manufactures our window systems for Russia. The profine Group’s Russian subsidiary, profine RUS, was recertified for its eco-friendly products and production in 2019. Vitality leaf certification is an indicator that a company is committed to promoting a green economy to ensure a healthy environment for future generations. profine RUS has now been certified twice under the Vitality Leaf eco-label programme. Alexander Mareew: “profine RUS is the only manufacturer of PVC profiles in Russia with the Vitality Leaf eco-label.”
Our team in the Netherlands headed towards paperless working
"Our goal is to become a paperless office. We are already half-way to significantly reducing our carbon footprint. And even small steps make a big impact”, says Monisa Javari from our Dutch subsidiary company, not without pride and conviction.
The paperless office will save valuable resources. It’s just one of many eco-friendly concepts that our employees in the Netherlands have introduced to make the world a better place. Others include energy saving measures such as LED lightbulbs, switching off all lights that aren’t needed and the use of digital technologies that replace paper.
For example, by the end of 2019 the entire order process will be digital – i.e. paperless. Changes are also being introduced to internal work processes. Touchscreen monitors have been installed in the conference rooms for use in meetings. Agendas or lists don't have to be printed out any more. The employees record information directly with special software and work on documents together at the same time.
Summing up, the Dutch team is saving both paper and time, because digital working is far more efficient.
KFS supports childrens’ hospice
Seriously ill and alone, dying yet still wanting to have a normal day, being given the chance to experience a few wonderful hours, having a child at home with a life threatening illness, needing a protected place, having lost a mother or father … things that affect everyone. The children and youth hospice service Calluna e.V. supports and accompanies people in these situations.
The good news is: Calluna e.V. in Soltau is not alone but has many supporters. Our partner KFS Fensterbau & Montagetechnik GmbH in Soltau, one of the leading window companies in the region, is one of these. What makes this company so special is not only its success as a business but its great bond with people as well as its social responsibility and commitment.
Entirely in the spirit of the foundation “Kömmerling Better World Stiftung” KFS, a founding member, has committed itself to Calluna e.V. in Soltau since 2015. Calluna gives support in two areas: childrens’ hospice and grieving children.
Petra Schurich from KFS says: “Children and teenagers need special care and support when dealing with illness and death. The grieving process for children and teenagers takes a long time and is not covered by health insurances or social organisations. This work has to be financed from donations. Calluna is the only organisation of this kind in our district, which stretches over 2,000 square kilometres and has 140,000 citizens, which offers this kind of support. We are keen to help and we would be delighted if others were to support this organisation.” KFS also provides rooms for Calluna and informs customers and partners about the charity work of the organisation.
Calluna’s childrens’ hospice supports children, teenagers and young adults who have a life shortening illness. The children, as well as their parents and siblings, can get support from the first diagnosis. Staff at Calluna accompany and support families throughout their day-to-day lives enabling them to gather new strength. There are many different ways to do this, each one is aimed at the individual needs of the children and their families. Calluna e.V. is part of a network of paediatricians, hospitals and paediatric nurses.
Calluna also wishes to accompany and support children and teenagers who need to find a new way in life after the loss of a loved one. The staff at the organisation help children through this grieving process as is needed by each individual. They take the resources of the children and teenagers themselves and help strengthen these. This means allowing the children to process their grief rather than hold it back and to enable them to grieve naturally.
Your window to a better world – Calluna e.V. and KFS Fensterbau & Montagetechnik GmbH setting an example of how to work together to provide caring support. Representing the whole team on the photo are (from left to right): Eva von Alm (Children’s hospice carer), Petra Schurich (Managing Director KFS), Angela Schreiber (Chairperson Calluna eV).
Running for inclusion
Rubén Ureña is a member of our logistics team at profine Iberia. There are two things that are important to him in life: health through sport and the inclusion of disabled children in society. The fact that he was able to unite both of his passions made Rubén, profine Iberia and the foundation Kömmerling Better World Stiftung very happy.
Rubén Ureña played an instrumental role in ensuring that so many of our employees participated in the ‘Navarrosa Fun Run’ in Azuqueca de Henares near Madrid on 8 March 2020. We were also one of the top sponsors of this 5 and 10-kilometre run for charity.
All of the proceeds, the sponsorship funding and the participant registration fees were donated to Asociación Caminando, an organisation that promotes visibility and inclusion. The donated funds will be used to develop social integration and inclusive education projects.
Take a look at Asociación Caminando Facebook page to find out more about the activities it organises with the donations it receives. The association’s main objectives are to improve the quality of life of children with disabilities and their families, and to include the children in all areas of life.
profine Iberia and the foundation Kömmerling Better World Stiftung welcome and support this initiative.
Painting competition: What does your better world look like?
"The children really surprised and touched us with their view of the world and their creativity," praised Dr. Peter Mrosik, owner and CEO of the profine Group, the painting competition that we had organized together with the KidsClub from the Mainz 05 football Bundesliga club.
The task was to paint "My window to a better world". The children should paint a picture of what they want to see when they look through a window at their very own better world. Because no matter whether pollution, poverty or injustice - surely the children have often asked themselves why some things are not going so well in this world. And surely they have already had an idea at one point or another how to change something about it.
They put all of this on paper and submitted really nice pictures. And there were numerous prizes for that. The main prizes were two VIP tickets for the Kömmerling box for a home game of Mainz 05, a hand-signed shirt of the team from the current season and a football signed by the whole squad.
Dr. Peter Mrosik recognized the winners in a small, personal ceremony. "My big thanks go to Tobias, Ben and Marie-Luise for their very own view through "my window to a better world". It is a great pleasure for me“, said Dr. Mrosik. For the members of the Mainz 05 KidsClub, these prizes were of course the greatest thing. The "little fans" got very big and shiny eyes.
Charity handball game for cancer patient Jayla
Patrick Bohn is a colleague who works at our mixing plant in Pirmasens. In November 2019 the world fell apart for him and his family when his four-year-old daughter Jayla was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive, malignant and inoperable brain tumour (pontine glioma, DIPG). Her only hope of recovery is therapy with a drug called ONC201 which isn’t licensed in Germany yet. As a result, the health insurance fund refused to pay the EUR 20,000 per year cost of the treatment, or EUR 100,000 in total for a five-year treatment period. At the family’s initiative the “Saarländische Krebsliga” cancer support organisation held a fund-raising drive to make the treatment possible.
Dr. Peter Mrosik, owner and CEO of the profine Group: “When we heard the sad news we immediately knew we had to do something to help. Our foundation “Kömmerling Better World Stiftung” made a financial donation and encouraged all members of staff to help little Jayla and her family with their donations and fund-raising ideas. I’m very proud of them for responding so quickly.”
Our colleague Yvonne Di Loreto read the foundation’s donation appeal and immediately came up with a fund-raising idea. She and her family are active members of the TS Rodalben handball club near Pirmasens. Once a year the club organises a 1000+ handball game which is played for at least 1,000 handball fans at the TSR sports hall. At Yvonne’s initiative, this year’s match was turned into a charity match for Jayla. For every TSR goal scored the “Kömmerling Better World Stiftung” donated EUR 50 and, at the end of the game, a total of EUR 6,750 was handed over to our colleague Patrick Bohn for Jayla.
Thanks to this handball match and similar events the entire EUR 100,000 has now been paid into the Saarländische Krebsliga’s donation account and Jayla’s treatment could already begin. ONC201 kills cancer cells without damaging any healthy cells. We hope from the bottom of our hearts that it helps Jayla to recover from her illness.
Bringing people together and providing real help through ideas are two of the strengths and priorities of the foundation “Kömmerling Better World Stiftung”. So thank you very much to Yvonne for a fantastic idea and for helping a good cause!
Other children battling cancer can also benefit from your donations and support. If you would like to make a donation, the Saarländische Krebsliga's donations account "Krebskranke Kinder" is IBAN: DE65 5909 2000 7405 0400 12, BIC: GENODE51SB2 at Vereinigte Volksbank eG.
Solidarity window auction in Spain
With the aim of giving a second life to those windows and doors that have been used in fairs, exhibitions or events; and, in turn, collaborate with a solidarity cause, profine Iberia has carried out a solidarity auction of windows. Thanks to the collaboration of manufacturers, a distributor and employees, 4,000 euros have been raised, which have been delivered to the Iriana Pasito a Pasito Foundation.
The amount collected will go entirely to the therapy "Therasuit", an intensive treatment of neuro rehabilitation that aims to improve the motor state of the patient. This technique can help improve the quality of life of the small Iriana, who suffers from Foxg1 Syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder.
It is important to carry out this type of action and have the support of employees, manufacturers and distributors, especially in a field such as in rare diseases, in which due to the lack of aid and research each small help can mean a big step.
The delivery ceremony took place in the offices of Camarma de Esteruelas, with the presence of the general directors of the brand in Spain, Javier Bermejo and Roberto Taibo; and with the president of Iriana Pasito a Pasito and mother of the girl who gives her name to the Foundation, Pura García.
If you want to know more about the Iriana Pasito a Pasito Foundation, collaborate with the small Iriana or follow its evolution closely, we invite you to visit their Facebook page.
Solidarity March “Together against cancer”
For the second consecutive year, profine Iberia has run against childhood cancer by participating in the IV Solidarity March “Together against cancer”. A solidarity career that is organized by the municipality in which the brand's offices in Spain are located, and which aims to raise funds for childhood cancer research.
With this donation, profine Iberia wanted to show its commitment to a cause as important as cancer research and, in turn, support the municipalities in the area. In addition, several of its workers have participated actively running in this 4-kilometer race.
The proceeds from both collaborations and registration have been destined to the investigation of childhood cancer through the La Sonrisa de Álex Foundation and the Todos Todos Iván Association, which is currently co-financing a research project for the Oncohematology Foundation Children in the Carlos III Health Institute (Madrid). If you want to know more about these associations you can do it through their websites.
The day has not only been marked by the solidarity and practice of sport, but it has had some complementary activities such as: a snack by the Association of women of Camarma de Esteruelas and various events such as masterclass of Zumba or rhythmic gymnastics exhibition.
Solar project with Kömmerling systems won three awards
The Solar Decathlon Europe 2019 competition has had a clear protagonist, and it is a Spanish team. Azalea, the project of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), has won three awards; including the first prize in the category of architecture, the most important of the contest.
The project, which is about sustainable housing, is a tribute to one of the most traditional buildings in Valencia: la barraca. The UPV team has managed to mix the triangular structure of this type of construction with the most current techniques in terms of efficiency and sustainability. In fact, the essential requirement of Solar Decathlon is that participating projects use only renewable energy sources. This combination of tradition, efficiency and design has also won them the second prize in Energy Efficiency and the third in Engineering and Construction.
The construction of Azalea is based on a modular and prefabricated architecture, which emphasizes the continuity of insulation and the importance of air tightness. In all these aspects the windows play a fundamental role, and more taking into account the size of the different windows.
The project has two large sliding doors, manufactured with the Kömmerling PremiDoor 76 system; and three balconies with the carpentry Kömmerling 76. All this with the advice of the technical team of Hermet10, window manufacturers and members of the Official Network of the brand in Spain.
Azalea is the result of mixing tradition, sustainability, comfort, efficiency and technology. A combination of features that, together with the high performance of the products and materials used, has made them a winning cocktail.
Windows for Moldova
During a stay abroad in Moldova, our colleague Viktor Lampel met a family and was shocked by their difficult living conditions: "The family lived in a confined space in a small clay house, which was much too small for the parents and the four children. Besides, it was drafty and cold. "
It was immediately clear to our colleague that he wanted to help these people. They needed a tight roof over their heads. Back in Germany, he initiated a fundraising campaign in his parish. "I was surprised how great the helpfulness was. There was enough money for construction materials," says Viktor. He also asked for support from our company.
We then contacted our customer, window manufacturer Vefasistem in Moldova. The Moldovan company immediately agreed to provide modern windows and the front door free of charge.
With the donations and the windows Viktor was able to provide tangible help: an annex for the small house. Therefore, he made his way back to Moldova with some friends only a few months later. After 2,200 kilometers and over 30 hours of driving they arrived at their destination. But there was no time to recover from the exhausting journey. Because the team provided on-site help and built the annex of the home with their own hands. Within a week, the building was completed despite the harsh and rainy autumn weather in Moldova.
On site, the technicians of Vefasistem also helped spontaneously and expertly installed the new windows and the door. "That was a fantastic achievement from all of us together," said a delighted Viktor Lampel.
This project shows that you can also help "on a small scale" with ideas, courage and initiative! And now the family in Moldova does not have to freeze anymore!
No child should freeze in winter
Actually, one should assume that in our rich country every child has warm winter clothes. Unfortunately, that is not the case, as our colleague Caroline Ohlinger knows first-hand. She is involved with the „Regenbogen-Kinderhilfe“ („Rainbow Children's Aid“) association for children's aid and gets to know emergency situations up close. "Every year we have a winter clothing campaign because especially at this time of year the financial distress of the childrenand families is drastic“, states Caroline Ohlinger.
In search of support, she approached our company and Head of Marketing Marc Habermeyer did not hesitate to donate 800 Euros. Thus, we make a contribution to the currently 26 children cared for by the association, in order to equip them in time for the cold season with warm, weatherproof clothing.
Caroline Ohlinger presented the check on behalf of our company and was pleased: "Every donation helps to give a child the opportunity to develop well in the social, educational, health, professional and human spheres of life.
"The „Regenbogen-Kinderhilfe“ is a private association that has set itself the task of helping disadvantaged children in need as volunteers in the Pirmasens region. As diverse as life itself are the charity activities of the association. They react individually to the respective emergency situations and needs of children, with very different measures and regular campaigns. Further information and opportunities to support the association can be found here: http://www.regenbogen-kinderhilfe.de/
The 12/12/12 Challenge for children with cancer
Our company in the United Kingdom supports the charity Children With Cancer UK. The organization is dedicated to raising money for research and providing care for children with cancer and their families. The aims of their research projects are to understand what causes children to get cancer and to develop improved treatments.
Currently, a very special fundraising campaign has been launched: the 12/12/12 Challenge.
The challenge was to complete 12 miles over 12 days during one month. This is to represent the 12 children diagnosed with cancer every day in the UK.
Five of our colleagues took part and gave their best: Katie Wilson, Amy Moore and Leon Keilloh each ran one mile during their lunch break for 12 days. Jason Scrivens ran a half- marathon and Managing Director Gareth Jones completed two hikes around his hometown to meet the challenge.
This is real personal commitment for a good cause! Respect and many thanks to Katie, Amy, Leon, Jason and Gareth!
What our volunteers do
Volunteer firefighters, blood donors, first-aiders, safety officers ... numerous colleagues at our plants volunteer for people. With huge personal commitment they provide for emergency rescue or prevent accidents by their attentive work.
Many of them have already been volunteering for decades in addition to their professional activities. For Dr. Peter Mrosik, owner and CEO , this is not self-evident . He honoured the long-standing members of the emergency services in Pirmasens who have been volunteering for 25, 30, 35 and even 40 years. "The voluntary commitment of our colleagues is important for the company and deserves the greatest respect," said Dr. Peter Mrosik.
Dr. Mrosik also congratulated on the anniversary of the municipal fire brigade: "The cooperation between our plant fire brigade and the municipal fire brigade of Pirmasens has a long tradition. It was therefore my personal concern to make a small donation to the city's volunteer fire brigade on the occasion of the 150th anniversary celebrations".
For Kömmerling, voluntary work has a future. If you would like to get involved you can find out more about the many possibilities here: https://ehrenamt.bund.de
185 of our runners started for a good cause.
With 185 runners we took part in the company run of the traditional Palatinate Forest Marathon in Pirmasens at the beginning of September 2019. In Mainz 05 shirts with our motto #KÖMMERLINGBETTERWORLD on the back, our colleagues ran for the shared experience, for fun and for the good cause. For each of our runners we donated 10 Euros to the Heinrich Kimmle charity foundation and rounded the amount up to 2,000 Euros. A great event!
Our initiative for children in Russia: New windows for new Generations
The figures are alarming: more than 50 percent of the facilities for children in Russia urgently need to be renovated. These include kindergartens, schools and other educational institutions. In particular, the windows installed decades ago do not protect the rooms from cold, wind and moisture.
For this reason, our Russian subsidiary, profine RUS, founded the social initiative "New windows for new Generations" in 2009. Many companies, partners and customers from the Russian window industry have joined our initiative.
On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the program, the success record is impressive: More than 2,000 new windows were installed in over 100 children's facilities - free of charge.
Our modern PVC-U windows provide significantly improved conditions for the younger generation with high thermal insulation and sound insulation. In the eleventh year of its existence, the initiative continues to grow and wins supporting partners throughout Russia.
Lotto-Team play for Eileen Görtler and Kristina Vogel
Our employee Jannik Nagel thought the idea of a Lotto-Team charity football match to raise money for Eileen Görtler and Kristina Vogel was a fantastic idea and he made a key contribution to the event’s success. Jannik is a player/trainer at amateur club SG Bruchweiler and a true sportsman. He organised the match with the assistance of the club’s players and management. The charity event raised a total of EUR 26,000 to support Olympic champion Kristina Vogel (28), who was left paralysed by a cycling accident, and rheumatism sufferer Eileen Görtler (17) from Nothweiler. KÖMMERLING and its partner Mainz 05 donated additional prizes – including exclusive “window seats” for a Bundesliga home game in the Mainz arena.
Kristina Vogel was amazed that more than 1,300 people came along to watch the game. Famous faces playing for a good cause in the Lotto-Team team included Guido Buchwald, Hans-Peter Briegel, Dariusz Wosz, Wolfgang “Otto“ Kleff and several other international and Bundesliga stars. 87-year-old Horst Eckel (who was on the German team that won the 1954 FIFA World Cup) opened the game, surrounded by a crowd of fans. The entire event was a complete success. It drew tumultuous applause from the spectators, who also made generous donations.
Winning matches with second-hand football boots
Why throw away old but completely intact football boots when there are children and youngsters from socially disadvantaged families or poor countries who need them? This idea prompted the Juvente Mainz Foundation, us and “Mainz 05 hilft e.V.” to launch a project, and many sacksful of football boots were donated after a call-out from in our company. The Juvente Mainz Foundation ensured that the boots were put to good use and they’ve already scored lots of new goals. Joachim Reufels, Marketing Manager Germany, said a few words about the project as he handed over the boots in the Mainz Arena. “The Juvente Mainz Foundation is one of the biggest youth help foundations in Mainz and region. It provides social environment-related support in specific life situations and individual support to children, young people and their families. The foundation also supports children in need by providing them with access to sports, and regularly collaborates in social projects with our partner “Mainz 05 hilft e.V.”."
Our photo shows Joachim Reufels, Marketing Manager Germany, and Klaus Spies, Deputy Director of the Juvente Foundation in Mainz.
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