Seeing and acting

In the 1960s, the early years of Grünbeck's company history, charity initiatives accompanied by copious publicity were not common, and the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to describe a company's social commitment had not yet been invented.

However, even then, for company founder Josef Grünbeck and his wife Loni, it went without saying that the company would take an interest in other people, the social environment and living environment, and would be committed to this as far as possible. Simply out of conviction, directly, and without making a big fuss. Today, however, transparent communication about company activity is a necessity, and at Grünbeck this also includes its long-practised social commitment.

Targeted funding or assistance is not possible without the corresponding financial means, without the ability to put oneself in somebody else's shoes and to develop the right solutions for social tasks. Nor is it possible without open eyes and ears, without a big heart and hands that are ready to get down to work. However, for any assistance projects to be successful, it is necessary to engage the brain. You can only be sure that assistance ends up where planned, and in the scope desired by all those involved, if you carry out meticulous checks, make circumspect choices and have continuous controls in place.

At Grünbeck, social commitment is essentially based on an awareness of responsibility to society and the living environment, solidarity with employees and the location, and expertise in relation to all aspects of water. Grünbeck Wasseraufbereitung GmbH itself forms the strong financial foundation for the company's social activities. It provides the required funds, and is also involved in the selection of measures, projects and partners deserving of support.

In large aid projects centred around water, funding is not given to partners until requirements profiles have been evaluated; prospective recipients must fill these out, and meet their criteria if a joint project comes to fruition. In addition, Grünbeck first looks at potential aid projects and partners in situ. A cooperation agreement, as well as the control and communication of project progress contained therein, then forms the stable basis for a successful partnership. Third parties that want to support a longer-term Grünbeck drinking water aid project through donations or voluntary work can therefore rest assured that their support really will have the desired effect.

Grünbeck's corporate culture is value-oriented and clear. Our social commitment bears these same characteristics. And it underlines the affinity of the company managers of today with the ideals of company founders Josef and Loni Grünbeck. Continuing and constantly developing this tradition, the company promotes social projects in four areas, which form the building blocks of Grünbeck's overall social commitment:

Helping with water, the charity organisation Sozialwerk, the foundation, and the employee participation model.

“Successful economic management does not take place in a vacuum” - this is not just the opinion of economic experts, it is also the maxim for company activity at Grünbeck, because without mindfulness and respect towards everything that surrounds the company's activities or makes them possible in the first place, a company cannot survive. A professional attitude to the vital element “water” - our core competence - also calls for the mindfulness and respect of all employees. In the area of social commitment, this attitude is reflected in the content of the projects we support, in our collaboration with partners, and the work we do.