We have a particular corporate responsibility toward our employees. Therefore, one of our strategic goals is to secure our global manufacturing sites in the long term by ensuring competitiveness and sustainable growth are forward-looking.

We follow a binding Code of Conduct which includes ethical behavior, respect for human rights and socially acceptable working conditions. It is based on the United Nations Global Compact. It not only applies to us but also our suppliers, with whom we maintain long-term relationships. Loyalty to business partners has always been an integral part of our corporate philosophy.

Occupational health and safety are of significant importance to us and are firmly anchored in corporate processes worldwide. In addition to occupational safety training, we place particular importance on taking breaks and wearing the correct safety clothing in production. Furthermore, we encourage all our employees to suggest improvements to their working environment. We also offer measures to promote good health such as flu vaccinations or free courses on avoiding back pain. 

We are also committed to a sustainable energy supply. As the fourth-generation owner, Heinrich Winkelmann assumed responsibility for the group of companies in 2010 and made it a management priority. He drove the development of innovative energy solutions at our global locations. These include numerous projects such as photovoltaic plants and wind turbines at our production sites.

Disconnected from the public grid

At our headquarters in Ahlen, we have completed a unique energy project – a milestone in our company's history. Since 2019, we have been producing our own electricity at the Schmalbachstrasse production site, partly using renewable energy sources.

That means that our corporate headquarters and, above all, our automotive plant, Winkelmann Powertrain Components, are self-sufficient in terms of power. For a manufacturing company of our size, the fact that we are completely disconnected from the public electricity grid is unique in Germany. 

At the heart of our microgrid are six combined heat and power plants that generate electricity from natural gas – with the option to use biogas in the future. They are extremely effective and achieve an efficiency rate of up to 90 percent. And waste heat is also put to good use, either as part of the thermally-operated washing systems for metal parts or for machine cooling when converted into coolant. Intelligent storage technology ensures a stable power supply. Since 2014, we have also been generating solar energy from photovoltaic systems position on the roof, saving 17 metric tons of CO2 per year.

• 6 combined heat and power plants each with 1,554 kW of electrical and 1,600 kW of thermal power 

• 2  flywheel energy storage systems for frequency and voltage stability in the network 

• Lithium battery storage with a capacity of 1,000 kW for off-peak periods 

• 3 Reflex buffer tanks with a volume of 44,000 liters each 

• Reflex system solution consisting of 4 Variomat pump control-led pressurization modules 

Environmentally-friendly solar energy

At the Gersteinstrasse site on the outskirts of Ahlen, we have also been using photovoltaic systems on the roof since 2012, thereby saving 65 metric tons of CO2 every year. The site hosts the Winkelmann MSR Technology, Reflex Winkelman, and Winkelmann Powertrain Components plants. Further PV plants and a wind turbine with a total output of 19.6 MW are planned for Winkelmann Group’s agricultural land close to the city. They will be built in stages, starting in 2022. We estimate that up to 82 percent of the Gersteinstrasse site’s entire electricity demand could, in the future, come from renewable energy sources.

We are conducting numerous other production-related projects to protect the climate. For example, many forming processes need lubricated cooling water. Instead of disposing of it, the water will be recycled and used in our evaporative cooling towers. 

Meadow orchards and bee-friendly planting

The Winkelmann Group is also committed to protecting the environment away from our production facilities. Close to Ahlen, you will find fields owned by Winkelmann Land & Forst. The subsidiary plants meadow orchards to provide a valuable habitat to animals, and flowers to offer nourishment to bees. These ecological measures represent a personal matter close to the heart of our nature-loving Advisory Board Chairman, Heinrich Winkelmann. His credo is as follows: “We think in terms of generations, not annual financial statements.”