Service for the future. Creating sustainable value.

Our strength is decades of experience in the area of chemical elemental analysis and personal protection. Drawing on this knowledge, we are able not only to sell products but also to offer targeted sustainable and long-lasting solutions. One example out of many: our TOX-100 analyser. This line of equipment was sold by us from 1997 to 2013. Even today, 85% of these analysers are still in use – and are being repaired, maintained, and supplied with spare parts. The successor line, TOX-300, is expected to have a similar lifespan and quality of support. This is what we mean by: Creating sustainable value.

Our values

Creating sustainable value. We’re working on it.

This is the goal towards which we strive to improve ourselves. Our achievements are measured in KPIs. Setting goals helps us to stay focused and to achieve them successfully.

Our workforce is decentralised and spread around Europe. Despite the geographical distance and cultural differences, we share the same values that define our actions:

Respect, readiness for continuous improvement, and responsibility for ourselves and others.

We show respect in everything we do – towards our colleagues, customers, suppliers, and our environment. We promote and practise a safe and integrative culture.

Our readiness for continuous improvement is shown by our strong customer focus and our drive to question and change old ways of doing things and so to improve ourselves.

Responsibility. We are experts. We work in detail and strive to provide sustainable service and performance standards.

We apply our principles of action in five core areas that are of importance to us:

Staff

Staff development

We know: our staff are the key to our success. Therefore, our managers support our colleagues’ learning and development. We set common goals, provide structured, clear and regular feedback, and so offer opportunities for learning new skills. Skill, suitability and motivation are the deciding factors in our support for our colleagues.

Communication

We value the commitment of our staff and are aware of the importance of good communication in promoting good working relationships. During the pandemic years, we showed how important it was to communicate with colleagues. It was a matter of reviewing and setting new safety standards, making allowance for working from home and still keeping up our service. We mastered this challenge.

Survey

Every year, we conduct a comprehensive anonymous staff survey. As a result, an “Engagement Index” is developed, indicating potential for improvement. The measures taken and their effects will be assessed after the next staff survey in the coming year. We look forward to the results.

Promoting health

We promote the health of our colleagues and offer individual sport programmes in which every one of our colleagues can take part – spread across the various sites and even during business trips.

Health and safety at work

The health of all our staff is important to us and is supported by our strong health and safety culture.

Risk assessments

Periodic risk assessments help us identify, assess, and avoid risks. In ensuring an accident-free and healthy working environment, we are supported by the health and safety committee, which includes our company doctor, our occupational safety specialist, and our safety officer.

Duty assignment

Our managers take their duties regarding occupational health and safety seriously. In this way, we achieve effective feedback and communication in the area of health and safety.

Training

Online training in occupational safety and health is delivered and examined individually, depending on the area of work. In this way, we achieve a consistently high level or preparedness and attention.

Diversity, equal opportunities, and inclusion

Diversity and integration

Our employment policy is based on equal opportunities and non-discrimination. We want to reflect the diversity of our society in our group. We promote equality and integration. This helps us in recruiting and involving staff and in supporting them on a long-term basis, now and in future.

Supply Chain Management

Ethically sound supply chains help us in creating sustainable value. Managing our supply chains is an integral part of our company strategy. With our code of conduct, we ensure that our suppliers respect human rights and employment rights.

Protecting the environment and the climate

Despite the growth of our company, we strive to reduce our ecological footprint to net zero in the long term. We focus on the following areas:

Packaging waste

We identify environmental risks resulting from our business activity. We analyse and assess our waste management and strive to avoid waste.

Recycling

Most of our packaging material is recycled and reused: cardboard packaging from our sub-suppliers is shredded, folded and reused as filling material. For our own packaging, we use recycled materials as a matter of principle.

Greenhouse gases

Our greenhouse gas emissions are measured. We distinguish between direct emissions (heating, fuel) and indirect emissions (electricity). As an indicator, we draw on the ratio of CO2 emissions to revenue. Our aim is to reduce our CO2 emissions.

Positive Impact Revenue. Revenue with a sustainable impact

We want to assess, understand, and reduce our ecological footprint. In addition, we operate in markets making a positive contribution to protecting the environment, to sustainability and to promoting occupational safety. For us, revenue with a sustainable impact is the right way to go: creating sustainable value. Today already, 84.9% of our revenue is generated with a sustainable impact – whether by our monitoring systems for determining and avoiding halocarbon or mercury compounds or by using protective equipment that significantly increases safety in laboratories. We are proud of that.

History

2001

a1-technologies GmbH established, with 3 staff, as an exclusive sales partner of Mitsubishi Chemical for laboratory analysers for determining halogen, sulfur, nitrogen and water.

2001

2005

Addition of our a1-safetech division: weighing cabinets as personal protection solutions for the safe handling of hazardous substances in the laboratory.

2005

2007

Relocation within Dusseldorf with now 15 staff.

2007

2009

Start of production of weighing cabinets in an extended workbench model.

2009

2010

a1-technologies GmbH changes its name to a1-envirosciences GmbH.

2010

2012

Our sales territory is extended towards Europe with now 38 staff.

2012

2019

yourfirm award as “Top medium-sized employer in 2019”.

2019

2021

20th anniversary of the company, with 65 staff.

2021

2022

In September, Dr. Olaf Wolf-Kunz retires after 21 years as Managing Director at a1 and Andree Behrens becomes the new Managing Director.