The core business of this ThyssenKrupp AG subsidiary is the production of semi-finished products in nickel alloys, titanium and zirconium, and the development of material-based problem solutions. These developments have found their way into a wide variety of products, technologies and organizational processes.

ThyssenKrupp VDM ranks among the global leaders in the manufacture of high-performance metallic materials, with production sites in Altena, Essen, Siegen, Unna and Werdohl in Germany and also in Reno und Florham Park (NJ) in the USA. Our worldwide sales organization serves customers from the chemical process industry, electrical engineering, oil and gas, the aerospace sector and the automotive industry.

Our employees' endeavours are constantly aimed at ensuring top quality standards and customer satisfaction. The success of our high-tech enterprise is firmly rooted in more than 80 years' experience and expertise, as well as in its innovations. Its 1,800 or so employees are know-how carriers and thus a central factor in our success.

Michael Baar, from the HR & Social Affairs division, puts it like this: "We attach great importance every day to human resources, and so having our Company Health Management scrutinized was the obvious thing to do. Such audits are conducted by TÜV NORD, an institution which our company has known for decades. From there, participation in the HAWARD Quality Initiative was then really only the logical next step."

Corporate culture and governance

Our corporate culture and interactions are shaped by market and customer demands, by high quality standards, and also of course by our employees and executives themselves. The company demands of its employees not only consistent customer and quality orientation but also a commitment to continuous learning, open-mindedness and mutual trust, entrepreneurial thinking, and a real willingness to work hard. In return, they are offered a secure job, fair, performance-linked pay, and a working environment that fosters cooperation and team spirit. Involvement and participation are very important. So is the cooperative partnership between the company and the works council, which plays an active role in the context of Company Health Management.

Stepping up participation in Company Health Management initiatives Numerous measures for personnel and skills development, a profit sharing scheme for employees, and many governance guidelines are enhanced by a broad commitment to long-term employee health promotion. ThyssenKrupp VDM recognized a long time ago that an investment in the employees' health is an investment in the future. There were numerous somewhat spontaneous activities for workplace health which were, however, not integrated into a holistic system. In 2006, however, ThyssenKrupp VDM concluded a company-wide "Healthy Working" agreement and established the position of health officer.

Ever since, health management has been implemented systematically and holistically in the processes and the organization as a whole (executive workshops, reintegration management, employee surveys and health circles). The objective is to motivate the employees, including especially the executives, to health- and safety-oriented behaviour and thus involve them actively in the development process.

Parallel to this, every opportunity to optimize working conditions is exploited to the full. The Company Health Management concept threw up the question:

How can employees be motivated to take part in the health promotion activities offered by the company?

In response, a complex health promotion system has been developed to cover the following categories:

• Introduction and organization of free preventive measures (dental check-ups, skin cancer screening, allergy consultation, bowel cancer screening, thyroid gland sonography)
• Promotion of event attendance (incentive models, information campaigns)
• Fitness and movement (cooperation with fitness centres, massage in the workplace, BSV ThyssenKrupp VDM sports club)
• Ergonomic groups, establishment of health centres at all locations, exchange of experience between executives
• Health network: What's Where?

All these measures are rounded off by the Health Bonus Booklet.

The formation of the BSV ThyssenKrupp VDM sports club, which meantime offers 25 different sports and has more than 380 registered members, has contributed towards employee health improvement as has the early detection of skin cancer under the preventive screening scheme. In all, ThyssenKrupp VDM invests more than EUR 250.000 every year in the health of its employees. A permanent and comprehensive (holistic) Company Health Management programme has been developed and integrated into the corporate policy.

Many health promotion measures which had already proven themselves in Company practice have now been merged and institutionalized.

ThyssenKrupp VDM is the first company in Germany with a Company Health Management system already audited and certificated by TÜV NORD.

Contact:

ThyssenKrupp VDM GmbH

Plettenberger Str. 2

58791 Werdohl

Matthias Schmoll

Health Officer

Phone:+49 2392 55-2773

E-mail: matthias.schmoll@thyssenkrupp.com