4 - Refresco.de

Business review 2009
Our suppliers
Refresco aims at robust longterm
relationships with its
strategic suppliers based on respect,
trust, mutual benefit and product
development. Our customers expect
Refresco to maintain high quality standards
and to be cost competitive at the same time.
We expect the same from our suppliers. Refresco
and its strategic suppliers have seen substantial growth over
the past few years, which is expected to continue in the coming
years. Refresco needs its strong partners to support the Buy &
Build strategy for mutual benefit.
Environment
We acknowledge that our manufacturing operations have an
impact on the environment. In our decentralized business model
each business unit carries its own responsibility regarding
its regional performance, which includes environmental
considerations. As a central Holding in the decentralized
organization model, we aim at stimulating the regional business
units to take on the responsibility of protecting the environment
whenever the possibility or need arises.
Refresco’s business strategy gives priority to our customers’
needs. It is our goal to establish and retain good partnerships
with customers and we align our activities with our customers’
requirements regarding environmental issues. We strive to help
them achieve their targets by investigating and implementing
different materials and manufacturing processes. We have
to take into consideration that we operate in a low-margin
business where the cost factor is crucial to maintaining
our cost-leadership position. In the mean time we have a
continuous search for opportunities to manage and reduce
the environmental impact and as a result of our direct control,
we take appropriate action. In addition, we also seek to
minimize other possibly indirect impacts (e.g., that of our
suppliers and customers).
Our efforts have
already resulted in recognition
from our suppliers. On 24 August
2009, Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE)
handed the Corporate Responsibility and
Sustainability Supplier of the year Award
to supplier Refresco France, who in 2008
provided CCE with exceptional service
in line with their corporate
responsibility and sustainability
criteria.
From a cultural point of view,
we feel that our deep conviction
and attitude of doing things
first time right not only benefits
cost efficiency, but also has a
positive effect on the surrounding
environment.
In 2008 Refresco formulated and formalized
a sustainability strategy in a number of concrete steps -
each going above and beyond current legal and contractual
requirements.
In 2009 we have accomplished the following:
We have completed the ISO 14001 certification for the
majority of our production sites, and have slated two
remaining production sites for completion by the end of 2010.
We are engaging our major partners in discussions about
the Refresco Sustainability Strategy.
We have initiated a major project every year related to
sustainability. In 2009 this concerned a major solar energy
project in France. In 2010 we plan to start a similar solar
energy project in Germany as well as a waste water project
in France.
We undertake environmentally friendly product
development with packaging suppliers.
Whenever financially possible we keep smaller plants at
geographically dispersed locations open to reduce the
negative environmental impact of related logistics.
We actively communicate our choices to achieve our
goal of having our approach requested by customers and
followed by competitors.