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In this edition of the Groz-Beckert Online Newsletter you can find out more about the topics receiving a special focus at the ITMA ASIA in Shanghai. Our company's success is driven by a tradition of market-ready innovations and first-class products – all of them backed up by 7,500 employees worldwide, without whose expertise and commitment none of this would be possible. This is why we are investing in their future by building a large Social Center, including a health department, at our headquarters in Albstadt. Discover the world of Groz-Beckert – there's no better time to do so!

Being able to combine your family life and your work life in a world of demographic change: with sustainability firmly in mind, Groz-Beckert assumes responsibility not only for the environment but also for society and its employees. To further improve the work conditions at our headquarters in Albstadt we are currently building a Social Center. It will house not only an education center on three levels – comprising a day nursery, a kindergarten and an elementary school – but also a department specially devoted to the health of our employees. Construction work began in the spring of this year and the education center is due to be completed in time for the start of the 2013 school year. We are investing more than 18 million Euros in the new Social Center.

A center of progressive education

As early as 2008, we set up a care center for our employees' children during the school summer vacation, and the great amount of interest shown in this program led to it being extended. There are now two different programs available – depending on age group.

Thanks to the new Social Center the employees can rest assured that their children are very close by – and not just during the summer vacation but on every working day of the year. This is a motivation to employees to end parental leave earlier, and to give the company the benefit of their knowledge and skills without having to take a long break from work. It strengthens employee satisfaction as well as the feeling of being part of a family - their own as well as the company. After all, Groz-Beckert is traditionally family-run.

The task of the education center inside the new Social Center is to promote understanding of technology and the natural sciences, and to awaken interest in creativity, art and research and development. The children come into contact with technical subjects very early on. A bilingual education in German and English provides them with further benefits for professional life later on. And of course, in view of demographic change, our company benefits from this too.

The education center will be open all day, 48 weeks a year, and specially adapted to Groz-Beckert corporate vacation times. The day nursery has capacity for up to 40 kids, and so does the kindergarten. For the elementary school we are planning around 80 places.

The health department

The health department at the new Social Center will house the company's health insurance fund 'BKK Groz-Beckert', the company physician and also the company medics. There will also be a fitness and prevention center for our employees together with a physiotherapy department.

The healthcare services provided will be just as beneficial to the company as to the employees: a good state of health means not only keeps people working but also improves the motivation of every individual. Additionally, this makes Groz-Beckert more attractive to potential job applicants.

Good growth requires the right soil

There are many facets to sustainability at Groz-Beckert: nature, society – and also the employees and their families.

With our new Social Center, as with our products and services, we place great importance on a continuously high level of quality. In the day-to-day operations of both areas, we will be receiving targeted support from external experts. At this stage I would already like to express my gratitude to the town of Albstadt and the other institutions for their excellent cooperation in this project – and of course, last but not least, to the Groz-Beckert employees involved in it.

Together, we will successfully counter demographic change, and ensure that our employees have all the good health and fitness they need to tackle the challenges of the textile world!