BERNER Group donates three raised beds and a herb snail to Waldenburg's Kleeblatt kindergarten
Berner Group celebrates its anniversary, starting 60 social projects throughout Europe
Künzelsau/Cologne, March 31, 2017. The Berner Group will turn 60 this year. In celebrating its anniversary, the company will distribute gifts to others – to clubs, schools and kindergartens, for example. Over the course of the year, Berner will support 60 social projects in Europe with more than 500,000 euros. “To own wealth means to have responsibility. We have to do something meaningful with it. That is what my parents taught me. Personally, it is very close to my heart, and therefore, Berner employees in various subsidiaries will receive a two-day special leave for the project work,” said Christian Berner, CEO of the Berner Group. His father, Albert Berner, founded the family business in Künzelsau 60 years ago. Today, the enterprise employs some 9,000 people in more than 25 countries.
“The profound digital transformation that we are experiencing can only be successful if it is based on common values shared by all employees. These values have made the company successful since 1957 and will make it even more successful in the future,” said Christian Berner. For this reason, “taking responsibility” plays an important role in corporate culture at Berner – for management and employees alike.
It quickly became clear that Berner would like to live up to this claim on the occasion of its 60th anniversary. In a first step, clear regulations were defined that can be supported by funds, the product range and the company’s own manpower. In addition, the 60 projects were distributed among the individual regions, analogous to business indicators. In Hohenlohe, twelve projects are being implemented by Berner Deutschland, BTI and the Berner Group’s holding company. To this end, all the employees were asked to make concrete proposals early in the year. After receiving the ideas, it was decided to support the initiative “Der Sack e.V.” in Cologne. The voluntary association supplies 860 people in need and 15 kindergartens with groceries. Berner will not only support the initiative with donations, but also by packing the grocery bags through the support of employees.
The employees called for the renovation of buildings in children’s holiday camps and playgrounds in which new jungle gyms are urgently needed in the region of Hohenlohe, but also projects to support workshops that employ people with disabilities. May will see the start of the initiative in many regions. “We are acting as a full-service donor in the process,” said Christian Berner. For along with cash, the B2B commercial enterprise can also draw on its large product range in the areas of construction, automotive and industry – including tools, consumables and chemical products, for example.
From May to December, numerous employees from Berner, BTI and the Caramba Group will also become involved themselves, repairing playground equipment or renovating buildings, for example. For that reason, various subsidiaries such as Berner Germany, give employees the opportunity to take two days of special leave. Thus, it is possible to take responsibility within the social projects.
In laying the groundwork for this, the Berner Group is offering every employee a two-day special leave in 2017 to “take responsibility” through social projects.
In a similar manner, company founder Albert Berner took responsibility in 1957, when as a 21-year-old, he showed courage and entrepreneurial spirit in establishing his own screw business in Künzelsau. With diligence, enthusiasm and hard work, he transformed the company from a one-man business to an international commercial enterprise. In 2012, he handed over the business to his son, Christian Berner. Some 9,000 employees now work for Berner in 25 countries, generating sales of more than EUR 1 billion last year.
The Berner Group
The Berner Group is a family-run European commercial enterprise. Our vision is: “We keep the world together and moving.” This means we are the central B2B trading partner for all materials in the maintenance, repair, and production segments for our customers in the building, mobility, and industry sectors. With more than four channels we create an integrated omni-channel purchasing experience for our customers. In the steel and C materials as well as chemicals segments we are also an innovative manufacturer. We are represented in over 25 countries for our customers with more than 230,000 items and 9,000 employees.