ENGEL wins Gold in Pegasus Business Award
02.07.2018
"We are very pleased about the award," says Christoph Steger, Chief Sales Officer at ENGEL, who accepted the Gold Pegasus. "This prize clearly belongs to our employees, whose daily great commitment and passion ensure that ENGEL is so successful worldwide." With production plants and branches on three continents, ENGEL is one of the world's leading manufacturers of injection moulding machines and automation solutions for plastics processing. All over the world, plastic products are being manufactured with machines and robots from the Austrian company, from toothbrushes, smartphone housings and automotive components to highly sensitive medical products. The mechanical engineering company has been on a continuous growth course for years.
Investment focus Upper Austria
ENGEL currently employs more than 6,600 people worldwide, more than half of which are based in Austria. To meet the growing demand for injection moulding machines, ENGEL hires additional employees and invests heavily in its locations. The family business is clearly committed to its roots. The largest construction projects are located in Austria. At the headquarters in Schwertberg, for example, a further production hall and a new customer technology centre are currently being built. ENGEL will invest a total of more than 375 million euros in its production facilities alone by 2020. Capacities will be increased and the machinery modernised.
"As a family business, it is particularly important to us that our employees feel at ease in the workplace. This includes a modern working environment, but above all achieving a work/life balance," explains Steger. "Together with our employees, we have implemented numerous measures in recent years that go far beyond the legal requirements." Thanks to crisis prevention, it is possible to build up a time buffer subsidised by the company which can be reduced in economically weak times. The childcare centre at the headquarters in Schwertberg was so well received that ENGEL, in cooperation with local institutions, now also supports its employees in childcare at the St. Valentin and Dietach locations.
An international outlook already during training
As a globally active company, ENGEL emphasises an international outlook already during its training. The apprentices soon work in international teams and the two best graduates of a year are allowed to spend three months in the production plant in Shanghai. In Austria alone, ENGEL trains around 200 young people in eight technical professions, and the company itself provides for the next generation of skilled workers beyond its national borders. In the plants in China, the Czech Republic and Germany, apprentices are trained according to the Austrian model of dual vocational training. The role model is the state-awarded training workshop at the headquarters, one of the most advanced in the country.
Pegasus honours Upper Austria's best companies
For the 25th time, OÖNachrichten and its partners have awarded the Pegasus. Ten companies were nominated in each of four categories - Future Hopes, Innovation Emperors, Success Stories and Lighthouses. These were evaluated by a jury consisting of representatives of Raiffeisenlandesbank, the Province of Upper Austria, KPMG, the Upper Austrian Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Austrian Industry. ENGEL took first place in the lighthouses category. This category is awarded to companies that are successful in Europe and internationally and set an example for domestic companies.