Social Engagement

Sustainability also includes social responsibility. As a corporate citizen, Linde MH wants to support the positive and sustainable development of society—especially where its customers, employees, and their families live and work. The company focuses on social and humanitarian issues, but also aims to promote education, science, and environmental protection. The CSR approach focuses on the local level. After all, local teams know best when it comes to deciding which local projects to support. Linde MH employees demonstrate a great deal of commitment in this area and always get actively involved.

Linde MH is guided by the KION Group’s donation and sponsorship policy, which governs social engagement, responsibilities, and the relevant decision-making processes. In 2020, the guidelines were revised and optimized Group-wide. They cover both financial donations and charitable voluntary work, meaning decisions can be made quickly and pragmatically on the spot and help can be provided quickly in an emergency, for example in the event of a natural disaster.

The KION Group Code of Compliance also contains relevant information and provides legal certainty for local managers. All donations and sponsorship activities are reviewed and approved in advance by the Compliance department. Donations must always be transparent, follow set principles, and comply with the KION Group’s values and rules as well as with relevant legislation.

The KION Group always draws a clear line between donations and sponsorship activities in social engagement. Donations are voluntary monetary or in-kind contributions to a charitable organization, made without the expectation of anything in return. Sponsorship, on the other hand, is linked to receiving something in return, for example advertising or marketing opportunities. It is therefore also vital that the recipients’ intended use aligns with the KION Group’s values or principles.

Linde actively supports the social and humanitarian sector with a number of initiatives such as “Linde Solidaria,” “Les Restaurants du Cœur,” and “StaplerCup hilft e.V.” Funding is also available for educational, scientific and environmental projects.

Linde Solidaria

The Linde Solidaria program was launched in 2006 and is based on two main pillars: the voluntary work of Linde Material Handling Ibérica employees and annual donations. These activities are carried out in cooperation with recognized institutions wherever Linde MH has branches. The program supports people with special needs and those who are at risk of social exclusion.

Linde Material Handling Ibérica and its dealer network support initiatives of all kinds through donations and volunteer days. The Linde Solidaria program also supports specific projects, for example by lending trucks to organizations such as food banks or the Red Cross.

Every year, dozens of employees from the branches, together with their families and friends, help to organize charity events for institutions that play an important role in society and have a big influence on the community where they live. In honor of these events, Linde Material Handling Ibérica makes a donation that is then used throughout the year to purchase materials and upgrade the equipment and facilities at the centers. This helps to improve the quality of life of the people who visit these centers.

Stacking for a Good Cause

Every year, StaplerCup hilft e.V. supports charitable organizations and institutions from the Aschaffenburg region with monetary donations. In 2022, the association raised 8000 euros, 3000 euros of which went to Kinderschutzbund Aschaffenburg e.V. (Aschaffenburg child protection association) and 5000 euros to Förderkreis für die Kinderklinik Aschaffenburg e.V. (Aschaffenburg children’s hospital fundraising association). The sum will be invested in the construction of a new hospice center on Schweinheimer Strasse, which will give critically ill people dignified support and care and provide relatives with a safe space.

In 2023, the entire proceeds from the entry fees for the StaplerCup are once again supporting a social institution in the region: Essener Elterninitiative zur Unterstützung krebskranker Kinder e.V. (Essen parents’ initiative to support children with cancer), which was founded in 1983 and is funded mainly by donations, received a check for 1000 euros in the run-up to the StaplerCup. Parents often lack the strength to tackle everyday things when their child is ill, so the association’s aim is to help them and to be there to tackle everything, no matter how big or small, together. Thanks to the many forklift drivers who took part in the StaplerCup this year, Linde Material Handling Rhein-Ruhr was also able to make a small donation to the charitable association’s “Elternhaus für Betroffene” (parents’ house for affected families) project.

Disaster Relief

The devastating earthquake of February 6, 2023, left millions of people in the Turkish-Syrian border region grappling with the consequences of the disaster of the century. Thousands of people have died and hundreds of thousands of people are still unable to return to their homes because they are at risk of collapsing or have already been destroyed. One way in which employees could show solidarity with those affected in the region was by making a donation to the German Red Cross by donating their chosen number of credit hours via the HR department. The German Red Cross was actively involved in rescuing those trapped following the earthquake and in providing care and accommodation for those affected. The amount donated to the KION Group Earthquake Relief campaign has now exceeded the considerable sum of a quarter of a million euros—the continuing solidarity shown by employees from around the world has been extremely impressive.

Given the great hardship immediately following the disastrous flooding in Western and Central Europe in 2021, financial assistance was the fastest and most effective way to help. For that reason, the KION Group donated one million euros to the German Red Cross. Emergency aid was provided in the form of rescue, treatment, and accommodation for those in need. One important aspect of the action taken was the practical support provided in the form of suitable equipment. Forklifts and other industrial trucks from Linde MH were provided to help clear up the debris, load aid supplies, and keep the supply processes going. For example, a heavy-duty forklift truck from Linde MH was used to transport bulky items such as generators at the German Red Cross in Koblenz. One particularly delicate assignment came at a medium-sized enterprise, which had hazardous materials stored in a warehouse and production facilities which had been completely destroyed by the flood water. Linde MH swiftly sent a suitable explosion protection truck to the site, which was then used to help with the clean-up work.

Most recently, colleagues from Linde MH and KION Group IT have also demonstrated their willingness to help by donating a substantial amount of time credit. By converting overtime hours into donations, they were able to raise more than 280,000 euros for the German Red Cross.

Ukraine War

The invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops and the resulting human suffering caused to the Ukrainian population has quite literally hit close to home for Polish colleagues—Ukraine is their neighbor and their languages are closely related. This made Poland the main destination for those fleeing the country, with more than four million people crossing the border to safety. Linde MH’s Polish companies did not think twice about helping their neighbors during this difficult time. The most important thing for those fleeing Ukraine was and remains finding a place to live, and so the Polish national subsidiary is supporting the Lena Grochowska Foundation, which does precisely that: organize accommodation. For six months, the foundation received 50,000 złoty a month, which is roughly equivalent to 10,500 euros. But money is just one aspect: Many colleagues also took it upon themselves to open their homes to the refugees, and some are still living with them today.