Economic responsibility

Our corporate principles provide the foundation of responsible entrepreneurship. We do not only regard the company as a profit generator, but also as a permanent part of society and the environment. Our actions are based on customer satisfaction, staff retention and securing of raw materials as well as innovation and social framework conditions. All together, they are the prerequisites to long-term corporate success.

With respect to the company's sustainable viability, we focus on long-term strategies and therefore we renounce short-term advantages, if necessary. Only a strong enterprise is able to fulfill its responsibility. The yardstick for this is the company´s profitability. An appropriate return on investment is therefore important for us. For this reason and also due to economic responsibility, the economical use of resources is an essential component of our entrepreneurial action.

As a family business, we try to achieve economic goals taking into consideration social and environmental issues. In order to maintain the necessary independence to do this, the required financial means are generated primarily on the basis of our own resources. Our above average equity ratio, continued high levels of shareholder contributions and excellent credit ratings by our creditor banks are a reflection of this.

SCHAEFER KALK is not involved in any speculative financial transactions. We use derivative financial instruments solely for the purpose of hedging interest rate, currency and other price risks in connection with existing underlying transactions. Financing activities are managed centrally. It is thus assured that the aforementioned financing standards are maintained.

In addition to the company's interests, it is vital in a family business to also safeguard the interests of the shareholders to ensure a stable capital structure on the one hand and to avoid disruptions to the company’s management caused by conflicts among the shareholders on the other.

The articles of association constitute the legal basis for this. They define the principal values and agreed conduct of the family members set forth in the shareholder principles. All shareholders are regularly and transparently informed about the company's development. Furthermore, appropriate continuing education programs are offered, designed to help shareholders not actively involved in the business understand and evaluate such information. An external advisory board advises and supervises the management since 1980. In its work, the advisory board - consisting of external consultants and family members - takes into account the shareholder perspective, and, when necessary, mediates conflicts.