When tree sponsorships make the difference

Sustainability and - as a result - the environmental compatibility of internal processes have long been a top priority at Hartmann International GmbH from Paderborn. "We obtained DIN ISO 14001 certification very early on, making us one of the first four medium-sized companies in Germany to be awarded this environmental certificate," says Uwe Lachmann, Managing Director of the international logistics service provider. Among other things, the installation of more than 10,000 square meters of photovoltaic modules at the company's sites and regular driver training to reduce fuel consumption stand for the group's green logistics concept.

Environmental bonus "provided the final impetus"

When the time came to expand the existing forklift fleet and replace old trucks, the haulage company got in touch with the Still branch in Hanover. "We held very intensive negotiations with the Hartmann managers. After all, we were talking about a potential new customer and an order volume of 57 vehicles in total," recalls Sales Manager Sven Budelmann, adding: "When we added ten tree sponsorships as an environmental bonus towards the end of the negotiations, the deal was sealed. This provided the decisive impetus for the company, which has sustainability in its genes just like us."

Uwe Lachmann is similarly positive about the new business partnership: "As an international company, we are aware of the global impact of climate change and therefore want to actively contribute to the preservation of the earth. The trees from the 'Plant-my-tree' campaign will make their contribution to this. Sharing these common values is the ideal foundation for a trusting collaboration between Still and Hartmann International."

Hartmann International has to meet strict environmental requirements for many national and international customers and tenders and therefore also attaches great importance to the sustainability efforts of its service providers. These must contribute to compliance with the desired environmental goals. Lachmann: "When selecting suppliers, we therefore naturally also pay attention to the sustainable and future-oriented technologies of the providers - such as the purely electrically powered industrial trucks from Still."

Internal combustion trucks were replaced with electric forklifts

Industrial truck models in different variants and sizes were delivered to the Hartmann Group and will be used at all of the Group's sites in future. These include an individually painted hand pallet truck, whose design once again underlines the partnership between the two companies. "We have replaced many existing forklift trucks with combustion engines with modern, electrically powered trucks," says Sven Budelmann happily. Uwe Lachmann sums up: "Our expectations have therefore been met in full, so we are already exchanging ideas for follow-up projects - such as the planned logistics parks in Paderborn and Ibbenbüren".

Background

Hamburg-based Still GmbH is actively participating in the Plant-my-tree project with a total of 1,000 trees, which contributes to_{CO2 compensation} with nationwide reforestation campaigns (we reported). In particular, customers who order new electric forklift trucks from the Hanover Still branch and decommission their IC engine-powered forklifts in return will receive personalized tree certificates as an incentive. They can display these certificates in their company premises to show that they think and act in an environmentally conscious manner.