News from WISCHEMANN Kunststoff GmbH

Instead of giving large Christmas gifts to customers, we at the WISCHEMANN Group traditionally donate to a good cause. This year, we have chosen to support children and young people and are donating €2,500 to terra nova in Ochtrup, for example, whose facilities provide a home and reliable support for 197 children and young people with challenging backgrounds. They are now enjoying a new outdoor ping-pong table and recreational educational activities – and we are delighted to have been able to help. Another €2,500 went to the Haus Patria facilities in Salzbergen, Haddorf and Ohne in the form of bicycles and games.

We wish all residents and staff at the facilities, as well as our business partners and our employees, a wonderful Christmas season!

In the photo, from left: Ulrich Specht (Managing Director of Terra Nova), Franjo Lahrkamp (Technical Director, WISCHEMANN)

WISCHEMANN Kunststoff GmbH has been awarded the Committed badge by EcoVadis, the world's largest provider of sustainability rankings for companies.

Since its foundation in 2007, EcoVadis has assessed more than 150,000 international companies. The provider's goal is to ‘deliver reliable, globally recognised sustainability assessments and insights that enable all companies to reduce risk, drive improvement and accelerate positive impact on our planet and society.’

EcoVadis assesses companies according to 21 corporate social responsibility criteria, which are divided into four thematic areas: environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.

For us, receiving this badge is the best motivation to continue on our path towards a green and sustainable future.

Two fantastic developments from the WISCHEMANN team:

Elias Mondkowsky has successfully completed his training as a plastics and rubber technologist – despite changing training places shortly before his intermediate examination. We are delighted that he has settled in so well with us and will continue to be part of the team!

Ingo Eisfeld has also successfully completed his examination to become an industrial foreman specialising in plastics and rubber technology. His development at WISCHEMANN from temporary worker to process mechanic trainee to his current position in work preparation is impressive – a career that we have been happy to support (also financially).

We congratulate both of you and are proud of you!

In the photo: André Dieck (Head of Inliner Department), Ingo Eisfeld, Elias Mondkowsky, Berthold Janning (Head of Thermoforming Department), Markus Sondermann (Production Manager).

We have upgraded the heating technology at our warehouse and office location across from the main building. The old fossil fuel heating system has been removed and replaced with a modern heat pump – more climate-friendly, more sustainable and simply more in tune with the times. One more step in our strategy to conserve resources and reduce CO₂ emissions.

This year, the WISCHEMANN team once again took part in the ‘City Cycling in Ochtrup’ campaign - with 21 colleagues who cycled a total of 5,069 kilometres together. Whether on the way to work, on excursions or on holiday trips: the car was often left behind and the bike got its well-deserved use.

As always, there was also something to be won internally for full commitment in the saddle:

• 1st place: 75 euro voucher from Restaurant Brinckwirth for Christian Selker (1,105 km)
• 2nd place: 50 Euro Ochtrup voucher for Heinz Focke (830 km)
• 3rd place: a filled cool bag for Berno Wellmann (413 km)

Because our permanent frontrunners left hardly any chance for others to take first places, we decided to award two more third prizes: Marita Flaßkamp (303 km) and Andreas Ludewig (301 km) were also delighted to receive a filled cool bag.

Many thanks to everyone who cycled - we are already looking forward to the next round in 2026!

In the picture from left to right: Berno Wellmann, Marita Flaßkamp, Heinz Focke, Christian Selker, Andreas Ludewig

We have many fit and dedicated employees in the WISCHEMANN team, but one recently stood out with a world record: Matthias Barkling covered a 10-kilometer distance on the Skywalk in Willingen in an impressive 61 minutes and 34 seconds with fellow firefighters in full firefighting gear. This outstanding achievement not only demonstrates exceptional fitness and team spirit, but also social commitment, as it was a local charity project. Congratulations on your great performance and the world record, Matthias!

This week it was time again: the annual apprentice day took place. Every year, the WISCHEMANN Group invites the apprentices from WISCHEMANN Kunststoff and VACU-form to a full-day surprise trip with their trainers. This time, the programme included a very interesting visit to a long-standing WISCHEMANN customer, where they learnt what happens to our products once they leave our company premises. In the afternoon, our trainees and trainers were then put to the test in an escape game in a wild forest. Chained (or velcroed) together, they had to reconstruct what had happened ‘last night’ at the campfire and gradually free themselves from their bonds. Fortunately, they were able to solve the puzzle and arrived safely back in Ochtrup and Salzbergen. To summarise: it was a great day - and there will definitely be another trainee trip next year!

A new training year has begun and two young professionals have joined our team as apprentices on 1 August.

Michelle Wesselmeier has attended the business school in Steinfurt and is now starting her apprenticeship as an industrial clerk at WISCHEMANN. Here she gets to know the various departments and processes of our administration and is already very satisfied with her start in our purchasing department.

Justin Husken is more interested in the practical side of things: he is starting his apprenticeship as a plastics and rubber technologist with us and is thus familiarising himself with the various areas of our production. In his first few days with us, he has already learnt how EPS expands (known as "styrofoam").

We say Welcome to the WISCHEMANN team and wish you both a good start to your careers!

• Left photo: Michelle Wesselmeier and her trainer Frank Kösters
• Right photo: Justin Husken and his trainer Berthold Janning

WISCHEMANN Kunststoff GmbH has been awarded the bronze medal by EcoVadis, the world's largest provider of sustainability ratings for companies. It was the first time that we had worked through the extensive catalogue of questions and we now know even better which screws we can still turn to become even more sustainable and environmentally conscious as a company.

EcoVadis has assessed more than 100,000 international companies since it was founded in 2007. The evaluation is based on 21 corporate social responsibility criteria, which are divided into four areas: environment, labour and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.