Interview • 14.01.2012
„We make shop systems for life“
Interview with Andreas Berents, Managing Director at decor metall, the specialist for display and shopfitting solutions
Founded in 1963, decor metall is a leading provider of individual shop concepts. From displays to complete shops the company masters all challenges at the point of sale, including design, manufacturing and long-term customer service.
For the Bad Salzflen based company and its 180 employees the commitment to sustainability is not just lip service and the proof has now been certified twice. Following the successful certification according to the international environmental standard ISO 14001, the shopfitting professionals may now also use the European EMAS III logo. EMAS stands for Eco-Management and Audit Scheme and is the world’s most demanding system for sustainable environmental management.
In which way is sustainability a current theme in the shopfitting industry?
Sustainability is one of the most debated topics of our times and the discussion about the implementation of sustainability concepts is the subject of many current publications. Particularly the retail sector reacts to a growing demand of the population for a sustainable lifestyle, the “Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability” (LOHAS). In the first place this demand addresses all sorts of consumer products and then immediately afterwards the presentation of those products at the point-of-sale too. The dlv-Netzwerk Ladenbau (German shopfitting association) carried out a survey in 2010, the results of which pointed out the growing importance of sustainability with regard to shopfitting.
Every retailer and every branded goods manufacturer with the intention of demonstrating a commitment to sustainability will inevitably apply the same standards to the merchandise presentation as he does to the products themselves. A shopfitting company as a partner with an attestable commitment to sustainability is of utmost importance to him.
How do you approach sustainability in the company?
Sustainability covers the aspects of Economy, Ecology, and Society. decor metall is active in all three with an overall commitment and the guidelines of that commitment are communicated on our website. Primarily it is the ecological aspect which needs to be addressed be decor metall. For this reason we attach particular importance to our certifications according to ISO 14001 and EMAS III.
We initiated an intensive process in which decor metall reviewed all activities, products and services the company offers as a specialist for display and shopfitting solutions, in respect of their ecological impact. With the guidance of an independent and officially accredited expert, all the internal processes were ecologically reviewed, potential improvements identified and a binding “eco-road map” was defined – and we have set ourselves ambitious targets. It was a logical step forward for us to not only talk about it, but to “live” green responsibility and to initiate a continuous improvement process.
How do your display and shopfitting products comply with this claim for sustainability?
The ecologic dedication of decor metall starts with product development and spans over the entire value chain. As a manufacturer of system based shopfitting equipment we use predominantly environmentally friendly materials. The main basic material is steel which is entirely recyclable and guarantees a long life of the products. Furthermore all POS solutions are based on a modular system. They can be expanded or adapted to any changing application context. We make shop systems for life, so to speak. And if a customer needs to change its merchandise presentation we can upgrade or facelift his existing equipment or we take it back for recycling.
When purchasing we cooperate preferably with eco certified partners and demand a full attestation of all materials and ingredients used by our suppliers. When manufacturing, many initiatives for the environmentally friendly improvement of processes and for the saving of resources come together. An environmental protection officer supervises the implementation of all targets on a continuous basis. We have also included the delivery of the products to the customer into the eco-analysis. Today optimized route planning, a more fuel efficient vehicle fleet and short distances due to “Manufacturing made in Germany” all contribute to eco-efficient transport.
Ecological thinking and acting is part of an overall sustainability concept at decor metall and it is complemented by the economic and corporate social responsibility. This overall sustainability strategy makes us a partner who lives and breathes sustainability and can show evidence for it in form of certificates.
What do the certificates mean for the environmental management in the company?
The requirements for the certification according to the international ISO 14001 and the special European norm EMAS III are very strict in respect of the quality of the environmental management system, which needs to make sure that the company takes measures for continuous improvement of all ecologically relevant processes. As a holder of the EMAS certificate decor metall is subject to strict monitoring. Every year the company needs to undergo an independent audit and to give an account of the performance of its progress publically.
The EMAS III certificate in particular is not yet very common in our industry and we are delighted to be a frontrunner for sustainability in shopfitting. We find ourselves at the beginning of a long-term development that can’t be ignored by anybody.
Further information: www.decor-metall.com/sustainability
