In the interests of corporate responsibility, the HORNBACH Group has imposed a set of rules governing its entrepreneurial activity [ Internet: www.hornbach-group.com/CSR-Guidelines ].
These ensure that the company meets its responsibilities towards the environment, its employees, and society as a whole.
Responsibility for the environment Timber only from responsible forestry
We are committed to attracting customers' attention to tim-bers bearing the quality seal of the Forest Stewardship Coun-cil® (FSC®). Back in 1996, our company already provided the WWF and Greenpeace with a voluntary undertaking not to import any uncertified tropical timber. HORNBACH guarantees that all of the timber products it offers come from certified sources. One focus of the activities of our quality manage-ment and environmanage-mental departmanage-ment involves working to protect rainforests and promote responsible forestry that also meets social and work safety standards. Given this focus, HORNBACH was well prepared for the European Timber Regu-lation (995/2010) that took effect in 2013. Among other re-quirements, this regulation includes a duty of care for all timbers and timber products imported from outside the Euro-pean Union and also bans the import of illegally felled timbers.
Most extensive FSC-certified product range
Many consumers see DIY stores as having a particular obliga-tion to ensure that only products from responsible forestry are on offer. To meet our customers’ expectations in this area while also doing justice to our own commitment to sustaina-bility, in 2007 HORNBACH became the first international DIY chain to be awarded the FSC Chain of Custody certificate GFA-COC-002007. This enables the timber supply chain to be checked from the place of origin through to the end product.
The company's entitlement to this certificate is reviewed in annual audits performed by an independent testing institute.
At all HORNBACH stores, trade companies and DIY enthusi-asts can choose from a range of several thousand timber products bearing the FSC seal.
As part of our commitment to protecting the forests, HORN-BACH participated in developing an information platform
showing how forests can be put to responsible use. Here, HORNBACH is cooperating with the Swiss company Papiliora-ma and the FSC Switzerland.
Against hand-hewn natural stone
Stone is often hewn by hand in inhumane conditions. HORN-BACH rejects this practice. By consistently delisting these products, HORNBACH-Baumarkt-AG is pursuing the objective of only offering stone from responsible sources. All direct import suppliers and their manufacturing sites are audited by accredited, certified audit institutes at regular intervals, and at least every twelve months. We have based the audit scope and contents on the accepted BSCI, ISA 9001ff, ILO, ISO 14001, and SA 8000 standards and adapted these to our requirements. Upstream suppliers of our own suppliers – in this case quarries – have been directly instructed by our suppliers to comply with our guidelines.
HORNBACH relies on “Healthy Living” quality seal
Consumers' sensitiveness towards contaminants in the air and in products has increased sharply. DIY enthusiasts and construction clients are paying increasing attention to the composition of the materials used. In terms of housing con-struction and renovation, energy efficiency became the top priority at the latest upon the introduction of the Energy Sav-ings Ordinance. The problem here is that insulation and suitably built windows mean that rooms are now virtually air-tight. The climate in the room remains constant, but it is difficult for harmful substances in the air to escape. The
“Healthy Living” project aims to help consumers avoid con-taminant substances when building and designing their interiors. To enable our customers to recognize at first glance which products are especially low in pollutants, HORNBACH has introduced its own seal of approval. The quality of the articles thereby certified is checked in detailed tests per-formed by independent institutes, such as the Sentinel-Haus Institut in Freiburg and the eco-Institut in Cologne, and sub-sequently awarded the “Healthy Living” seal of approval.
These products stand for less polluted ambient air and per-manently better quality of living. A separate website provides detailed information and answers frequently asked questions
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CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY(www.hornbach.de/gesundeswohnen). We will be continually expanding our “Healthy Living” product range in the coming years.
Competent energy-saving partner
Construction clients and homeowners are obliged to imple-ment new requireimple-ments resulting from legally binding energy-saving ordinances. HORNBACH is a competent partner here and has the product range necessary to help customers im-plement their energy-saving projects. New windows and doors offer substantial potential savings, as do façade, roof and basement ceiling insulation. Our product range also offers a broad range of energy-saving items – from efficient lighting systems to standby killers, water saving articles and upgrad-ed insulation, as well as new pellet and high-tech reverse cycle heating systems.
All-round waste concept with customer service
Given the increasing scarcity of resources, a commitment to the environment in today's world would be unthinkable with-out recycling. To minimize the number of journeys required, HORNBACH’s stores use compressors for high-volume waste, such as paper and plastics. An all-round waste concept promotes the separation, and thus recycling, of recyclable fractions as secondary commodities, while also helping to reduce the volume of non-recyclable waste.
Our customers in Germany have the possibility to deposit broken energy-saving light bulbs, LEDs, and luminescent tubes free of charge in suitable containers at the stores. With this voluntary service, HORNBACH is making it easier for consumers to dispose of these items during its usual opening hours, which are significantly more generous than at munici-pal collection points. Since 2013, HORNBACH has played a leading role in the framework negotiated by the BHB DIY sector association and the VKU municipal company associa-tion for the voluntary acceptance of all old electrical appli-ances. This involves voluntarily accepting broken small elec-trical appliances, such as drills, fret saws, and battery-powered drills as previously, as well as non-DIY products such as shavers and toasters. The old appliances accepted are
then collected free of charge by municipal disposal compa-nies. The aim here also involves helping to protect the envi-ronment and avoid such products being illegally disposed of in normal household waste.
Online recycling portal with own resource collection Numerous different types of waste arise at our HORNBACH DIY megastores with garden centers. To simplify the disposal of this waste, HORNBACH has launched its own web-based recycling portal for the first time. This option for ordering and organizing the collection of disposal containers is initially available in the Netherlands and parts of Germany and Aus-tria, but will gradually be rolled out to other regions as well.
Resource collection in the Netherlands and parts of northern Germany has been performed for the first time by HORN-BACH's "Resource Liners". These enable us to collect large volumes of resources at the stores ourselves and then to deliver them to the desired recycling locations, such as paper factories. HORNBACH can thus ensure that further processing of the resources takes place directly – and this way help the environment.
Logistics: fewer miles, less packaging
With its logistics centers, HORNBACH is also making a sus-tainable contribution towards protecting the environment. In its logistics activities, the Group continued to work on reducing its CO2emissions in the year under report as well.
Enhanced tour planning and optimal use of available freight capacities have enabled us to reduce the number of miles traveled, and thus also our truck requirements. The use of specialist equipment to bundle recyclable materials has also saved further freight space upon collection. This has been accompanied by a reduction in the volume of emissions per loading unit. The company also checks whether the haulers have engines corresponding as a minimum to the Eu-ro 5 standard, in which the Emissions Directive governing pollutant emissions has been set out since 2009.
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Having said this, group logistics by no means rely solely on truck-based transport. Heavy goods, such as tiles, are trans-ported across the Alps by rail. Containers from the import hubs of Rotterdam and Hamburg are also returned not by truck, but by inland waterway and rail.
By consistently managing time slots at incoming merchandise gateways at the logistics centers, we have managed to reduce truck waiting times, thus enhancing working conditions for drivers and employees alike.
A further field of action involves freeing the merchandise delivered from unnecessary packaging material. This is achieved, for example, by working with reusable, durable transport containers in circuits between suppliers, our stores and logistics centers.
As the acknowledged industry leader for retail-driven pro-curement logistics, HORNBACH-Baumarkt-AG is taking one innovative step further and establishing a pan-European network for bulk and bulky articles. This offers the benefit of increasing truck capacity utilization while reducing suppliers' distribution journeys, leading to a reduction in the total truck mileage required to supply the stores.
Further reduction in car pool CO2statistics
The Group's car pool continues to be structured along ecologi-cal and economic lines. CO2limits for the three vehicle clas-ses listed range between 140 and 170 g/km. In the ongoing process of updating the portfolio, priority is being given to models using the latest, low-consumption engine technolo-gies. For the vehicles ordered in the year under report, average consumption and CO2 emissions were reduced further com-pared with the previous year. The average consumption of the vehicles ordered currently amounts to 4.3 liters per 100 kilo-meters, while average CO2emissions amount to 111.7 g/km.
By accounting for fuel consumption in the calculation of the monthly mobility installment, drivers are incentivized to select lower consumption vehicles.
Energy-saving measures at stores
The company also actively takes account of environmental protection factors when building and operating its stores.
The new lighting technology introduced in 2009 has benefit-ed not only all new stores - further existing stores were up-graded in the year under report, so that 124 stores now have the new technology (2013/2014: 122). The rollout of this new lighting technology was completed in the year under report.
At its core, this sustainable lighting technology involves introducing electronic control gear for the operation of halo-gen metal vapor lamps. Central lighting control now allows the lighting to be dimmed and means that only that volume of light actually required in a given area is used. What's more, the lighting system is tailored to make optimal use of daylight. The installation of large light domes and long light bands in the roofs of new stores also assists in using natural light. The new lighting technology not only increases the operating lifetime of the lighting equipment by around 50 %, but also helps reduce annual energy costs. Not only that, it has also noticeably improved lighting quality in the shelves.
A further contribution towards saving energy is due to the Building Control Technology (BCT) that we included in our new building standards in 2008. This system manages the operat-ing times of energy-consumoperat-ing systems in line with require-ments, thus optimizing energy consumption volumes. The system has so far been installed in 22 new DIY stores and rolled out to 111 existing stores. A total of 133 of our stores are thus equipped with the latest technological standard (2013/2014: 126). The rollout was completed in the year under report.
Efficiency is also the top priority in terms of heating energy.
Here, consistent waste heat recovery in the ventilation system ensures a lower volume of consumption. This technology is used when building new stores, as is enhanced heat insula-tion based on a new façade system. This has benefited the new stores opened in the year under report.
Based on weekly consumption statistics (electricity and heat-ing energy), each HORNBACH store is able to gain a precise
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CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITYpicture of its own energy efficiency. By drawing on various energy-saving technologies, we managed to further reduce the annual CO2emissions of our group-wide store network in the year under report.
Responsibility for our employees
Diversity and equality of opportunity in our workforce The rejection of any kind of discrimination is an absolute priority in our behavior toward our employees. Ethnic origin, gender, age, sexuality, physical restrictions and religious affiliation play no role in the assessment of applicants. The only qualities that count are specialist competence, a willing-ness to learn, and team spirit. By signing the "Diversity Char-ter" in 2008, the company clearly underlined its commitment to a working environment that is free of prejudice. People from a total of 65 countries across four continents work together in the nine countries in which HORNBACH operates.
Commitment on behalf of our trainees
In the year under report, HORNBACH once again supported the CHANCENWERK project, thus underpinning its claim to offer the same training opportunities to young people irrespective of their origins, gender, or religion. The aim of the project is to promote young people from different, in some cases difficult social backgrounds. In cooperation with CHANCENWERK, HORNBACH is supporting school pupils in three towns. Among other measures, our employees offer active job application training, our own trainees report to schools on their day-to-day work, and the DIY stores on location offer work experience and – in the best case – training posts.
HORNBACH took part in the "German-French Training Pro-gram" initiated by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) for the first time in the 2014/2015 year under report.
This initiative offers French trainees the opportunity to learn at a German company while still attending school in France.
The young adults initially complete their training in France.
This was a source of valuable experience for trainees and HORNBACH alike.
Key focus on employee satisfaction
The success of the HORNBACH Group is closely linked to the competence and motivation of its employees. Their willing-ness to roll up their sleeves, and thus continually improve the Group's earnings, is honored by our bonus model. To enable our employees to participate even more closely in the compa-ny's success, we also offer the opportunity of acquiring em-ployee shares in HORNBACH-Baumarkt-AG.
For HORNBACH, the commitment of its employees is one of the most important levers to positively influence the company's results. In view of this, HORNBACH organized an employee survey once again in the 2014/2015 financial year. Part of this survey also involved employees appraising their managers. The positive results already seen in the 2012/2013 financial year were confirmed in 2014/2015. HORNBACH's employees work with great dedication and in a motivated team together with their managers. The group-wide findings of the employee survey are stable with a positive tendency. Having said this, the company also pays great attention to missing feedback.
The reasons for any gaps in the feedback are analyzed. On this basis, HORNBACH then draws conclusions in order to initiate improvements.
Even in a positive working environment, the possibility of conflicts arising between employees or with their superiors cannot be excluded. To provide a neutral point of contact, one which may also be initially approached without involving the opponent in the conflict, the company has created the posi-tion of ombudsman. His job is to listen to both sides, moder-ate and if possible solve the problem without this resulting in any disadvantage for the employee. This point of contact is used by employees from across the Group and has met with high acceptance levels.
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Responsibility for society
HORNBACH Foundation: "People in Need"
One particular sign of our social responsibility towards our employees was the establishment in 2002 of the HORNBACH Foundation "People in Need". This has since offered assis-tance in cases of accidents, severe illness, or tragic cases of fatality. Employees across the company document their soli-darity with the Foundation with their "Employees help Employ-ees" campaign, in which HORNBACH-Baumarkt-AG doubles the donations collected. Moreover, the Foundation is also a contact point for people outside the company who are in situations of dire need. All in all, the Foundation supported 100 individuals with a total of more than € 150,000 in the year under report.
Key focus on children and young people
However, our commitment to society is not limited to the work performed by the Foundation. HORNBACH supports the work of many local associations and organizations at and around our locations. When selecting projects, priority is generally ac-corded to projects offering long-term benefits to children and young people. Environmental protection and heritage conser-vation are two other areas in which the company is active to the benefit of society.
Committed to the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region As a member of the Rhine-Neckar European Metropolitan Region Association, our Group is helping promote the region.
The aim is communicate its attractiveness, power of innova-tion, and economic strength to the outside world. Once every two years the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region organizes its
"Volunteers' Day", in which interested parties are invited to get actively involved in projects in their local areas. Just the thing for HORNBACH: The company actively takes part, and that not just by issuing vouchers. Numerous employees also roll up their sleeves and help decorate, saw and, weed. The Personnel Department, for example, issued a group-wide invitation to a team day and helped with two major projects.
Not only that, many other employees also volunteered on this day to support the good cause in their own local communities, towns, and areas.
Compliance with international minimum standards
For more than ten years now, HORNBACH has voluntarily made every effort to ensure that minimum social standards are complied with at factories producing goods for the company.
To this end, HORNBACH commissions independent audit institutes to check and evaluate factories’ compliance with international standards at regular intervals. Among others, the aspects audited and assessed include compliance with local and government environment legislation, no use of forced labor, the existence of a minimum working age, and no use of child labor. Furthermore, compliance with further standards is monitored. These include: no requirement to deposit identity papers with employers, no threatening let alone inflicting of physical or psychological violence, compli-ance with fire protection and occupational safety standards, and the availability of sufficient numbers of easily accessible escape routes. A detailed description can be found in HORN-BACH's CSR Policy [Internet: www.hornbach-group.com/CSR-Guidelines ]
HORNBACH only buys its products from suppliers who acknowledge these basic rules of social responsibility. The conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO) serve as a basis for HORNBACH's own regulations and have
HORNBACH only buys its products from suppliers who acknowledge these basic rules of social responsibility. The conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO) serve as a basis for HORNBACH's own regulations and have