Sustainablity

Our corporate philosophy at Sedus is based on 150 years of traditional values, which apply now more than ever before. People can only be productive and successful, if they feel good. And what is good for individuals is also good for businesses. This conviction is the guiding principle for everything we do and how we do it.

Value-based corporate culture

To flourish in the long term, things must be deeply rooted. At Sedus this applies to the efforts the company makes towards people’s well-being.

Anyone who spends most of their worktime in a seated position should at least sit as healthily as possible, since this is the only way for people to work productively. This principle was the focus of activities at Sedus from a very early stage. Even in the days when little regard was given to employees working in offices, Albert Stoll, the company founder’s son, was concerned with the principles of good sitting. Today, we would refer to this as the issue of seating ergonomics. The initial result was Europe’s first sprung office swivel chair.

The company continued in this vein with the successful development of the next generation. Out of personal conviction, Christof Stoll and his wife Emma, were also deeply committed to healthy eating, ecological animal and plant breeding, health research and protection of the environment.

And so a tradition grew which places us under an obligation and shows us the way to the future: to make untiring efforts in the interest of people’s well-being. We apply this to the customers who use our products as well as to the employees who produce them and the people in the locations in which we operate.

Ecology and economy are not contradictory concepts but essential parts of the whole.

Christof Stoll, 1993

Sustainable corporate governance

Sustainability needs binding rules, clear structures – and a sense of responsibility on the part of each and every one of us.

Today, sustainability is taken to mean protecting the essential foundations of human life now and for future generations, so that all can live in a world that is ecologically, socially and economically intact. This holistic concept determines the thoughts and actions of the people at Sedus. We have set it down as a voluntary commitment in our corporate principles and we implement it systematically in our day-to-day work. And we define responsibilities and organisational structures to ensure that we can reach our goals.

 

Sedus Stoll AG’s corporate principles: (include environmental policy)

 

THE GOAL IS MOVEMENT.
CREATING PROXIMITY TO THE CUSTOMER.
INNOVATION THROUGH MOTIVATION.
QUALITY IN EVERY DETAIL.
ACTING SUSTAINABLY.
NETWORKING SUCCESSFULLY.
ENSURING INDEPENDENCE.
CREATING TRUST THROUGH RELIABILITY.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.
PLAYING OUR PART IN SOCIETY.
 

It’s good when a company’s profits can be used to benefit society.

At Sedus we are naturally pleased when our business is successful. Above all, because many people stand to profit from our success.

Besides this, we channel much of the profit we generate into two nonprofit foundations, which fund sustainable social and ecological projects in and outside Germany. In 1985 Emma and Christof Stoll established the Stoll VITA Foundation to resolve company succession and to ensure that their lifelong commitment to the environment continues. The Foundation supports numerous educational, research and practical projects. In 2002, the merger with Gesika Büromöbelwerk GmbH resulted in the addition of the Karl Bröcker Foundation. It focuses first and foremost on funding educational and “experience” projects for children and young people with and without disabilities.

Pioneer in sustainability

It is not only because of comfort and ergonomics that Sedus products create a sense of well-being. The environmental principles that have always characterised the company's activities and the manufacturing of its products are also of great importance. As early as the 1950s, when the term "environmental protection" did not even exist, Sedus was already committed to the careful management of resources.

Already in 2010, Sedus was the first office furniture manufacturer in the world to receive EMAS III (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) certification. Participation in this European environmental management system is voluntary for companies, which clearly demonstrates the determination to pursue and achieve environmental objectives. The transparent life cycle assessment also illustrates this – as does the fact that recycled materials are used in the manufacturing of Sedus products.

Sedus plays a pioneering role in the area of environmental protection – and intends to continue to do so in the future through continuous optimisation. Recent examples include the conversion of the electroplating process from chromium (VI) to chromium (III) and improved powder coating with a collection system so that excess powder can be reused. Speaking of reuse: When recycling Sedus products, it goes without saying that all materials can be separated according to their type.

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