Koehler rewards employee suggestions and innovations

Our company has employees who think and contribute ideas. To encourage this, Koehler has an im-plemented company suggestion scheme that motivates employees to develop and submit sugges-tions for improvement. The aim is to support employees in independently and creatively taking the initiative where they see opportunities for improvement.

"We integrate our employees into the company's development and let them help shape Koehler's future, because they are the basis of our success. The employees help us to improve. Thus, together with our employees, we can shape a successful future for the company," says Olaf Strick, Corporate Director HR & Legal Department.

Commitment and dedication to the company

In 2018 alone, 855 suggestions for improvement were submitted; together with several suggestions from previous years, a total of 930 suggestions were reviewed in 2018.

33 percent of all ideas from 2018 relate to the categories procedures/workflows, plant safety/energy and occupational safety and health protection. These include ideas that make it possible, for exam-ple, to reduce electricity consumption, increase production or optimize production time and improve occupational safety in the company.

A total of 69,656 euros was paid out in bonuses to the employees who submitted ideas. This was reason enough to hold a special prize draw again this year and to pay out an additional 10,500 euros. A total of 25 employees of the Koehler Paper Group were honored. The three main prize winners received 2,500 euros (1st place), 1,500 euros (2nd place) and 1,000 euros (3rd place). The other 22 winners each received 250 euros.