Economic success is the basis for sustainability

The reason why is easy to explain: If a company relies on the wrong strategies, it increasingly loses ground economically – and in doing so, loses its efficacy and the staying power necessary for long-term innovative, ecological and social projects. As a result, workplace safety is reduced. Secure employment has perhaps the most positive sustainable impact of all. However, secure employment is one of the most positive sustainable effects of all. A company must therefore always stand on stable footing. Successful strategy work, trend analysis, in short: setting the right course for the economic success of the company has been determined as a key sustainable issue for EVVA.

You can also find out more about our strategic guidelines in the "Why Sustainability > Strategy" section.

Economic responsibility

• Since 2015, EVVA hasincreased productivity every year (productivity is a key figure that compares input to output in actual/target working hours in the area of ​​production/manufacturing). Even in 2020, the challenging year of the pandemic. Despite short-time working, large order volumes have again been processed particularly efficiently. In 2021, however, productivity has fallen by around 5%. The reason for this is the relocation of numerous assembly lines and workplaces from the old building to the headquarters annex, which was completed at the end of 2021. Setting up the new work environments and commissioning the machines and processes took a correspondingly longer amount of time in production. This will also remain relevant for the 2022 reporting period, because the new factory planning and further relocations are still being implemented.
   
• Production output increased by 4.3% in 2021 compared to 2020. We were able to increase the demand for our electronic access systems, use modern, high-performance production facilities and realise further digitisation steps.
   
• Revenues increased in the 2021 reporting period compared to 2020: EVVA achieved revenues of € 63.2 million at its headquarters (2020: € 58.4 million). And in the EVVA Group € 85.3 million (2020: € 79 million).
  
  
  EVVA productivity

However, economic sustainability is by no means the sole objective of EVVA Corporate Governance. Responsible Corporate Governance also takes environmental and social impacts into account when making decisions. Sustainability management is anchored in management and thus at the highest decision-making level (for more information, see GRI index under GRI 2-9: Governance structure and composition, 2-12 and 2-14 to 2-18: Responsibilities of the highest governance body with regard to sustainability, impact and stakeholder management).

Strategic decisions and their impact on sustainability (selection)

• Corona prevention concept
  The management invested several hundred thousand euros in a comprehensive information and prevention concept in order to keep the negative health and economic effects of the pandemic as low as possible. With success:
  – The vaccination rate of the employees amounts to 90% and is thus far higher than that of the general population
  – The decline in sales in the first intense pandemic year 2020 was far less than forecast
  – You can find out more about EVVA’s corona measures – such as a specially established Covid-19 test lane at the headquarters – under “Occupational safety & health protection”
   
• Further development and communication of the new EVVA culture
  EVVA has successively reformulated its vision, values, mission statement and Code of Conduct (GRI 2-12). Our corporate culture unites us and is the strong backbone of EVVA. The values, mission statement and Code of Conduct provide the framework for our daily decisions, behaviour and interactions in the organisation. We must take responsibility for our own actions - from an economic, ecological and social perspective. Sustainability and meaningful work form the common thread for the steps taken in organisational development, digitalisation and continuous training. They serve to make the organisation fit for the future. We are convinced that how stakeholders perceive EVVA at all common touchpoints has a major impact. Our relationships with stakeholders are therefore also based on our foundation of values.
  
  Each employee received a handy little culture box containing EVVA's vision, values, mission statement and Code of Conduct. This is an important part of our onboarding process. The employee magazine regularly presents best-practice examples from everyday working life to illustrate the EVVA culture even better. In order to regularly review ourselves as an organisation, the major employee surveys ask about how well the vision and strategy, etc. are perceived, understood and used as guidelines. The finding of the last survey in 2020: They are both clearly understandable and the staff are committed to them (see graphic). Most of the scores are between the very good values 1 and 2:

Vision & Strategy

• Integration of sustainability in all strategies
  Sustainability and future strategies are an integral part of all divisional workshops (more on that see also in the GRI-Index under 2-12 and 2-14 to 2-18).

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  Promoting the combination of mechanical and electronic access systems
  In addition to mechanical access systems, electronic systems are becoming increasingly popular, for example to secure the front door with a card or smartphone. It is therefore commercially vital for a manufacturer of security systems to offer a combination of mechanics and electronics. During 2014, EVVA introduced two in-house developed electronic solutions to the market – and has continuously provided them with enhancements and updates since 2015. They complement the fundamentals of mechanical security due to offering advantages such as quick changes to access authorisations, documentation of accesses or special operating features. The number of trade partners who sell EVVA's electronic access systems internationally in addition to our mechanical solutions increased significantly during the last years: from 384 (2014) to 1848 (2019) and to 2277 (2020). By the end of 2021, there were already 2,496 trade partners who trusted the EVVA brand also for high-quality electronic access solutions.
   
• A secure location
  The family-owned business EVVA is a very reliable employer for around 750 employees across Europe and also guarantees stability for all other stakeholders. Long-term partnerships are more important than short-term profits. This reliability also stands for the sustainability of the location. In 2019, EVVA began to plan the expansion of the headquarters in Vienna and the construction of a new building for its branch in Tišnov, Czech Republic. Both have been completed in autumn 2021.
  
  

  

  
  The headquarters are located in the middle of a large city. A rarity now. Many industrial companies are relocating to greenfield sites on the outskirts or to rural areas in order to save costs. EVVA has remained loyal to its location for 65 years. Employees benefit from excellent public transport connections (EVVA pays 50 % of their travel costs!) and suppliers benefit from outstanding road links. For this reason, the strategic decision to further expand the location was unequivocal.
  
  EVVA managing directors and owners Nicole and Stefan Ehrlich-Adám were awarded the Silver Medal of Honour by the Chamber of Commerce for their special contribution to Vienna as a business location (photo at top)
   
• Impact of the extension in Vienna:
  > Significantly improves material flow and throughput times (among other products, Akura, the newly developed EVVA mechanical access system, which was launched on the market in 2021, is produced on state-of-the-art production lines in the new building)
  > Optimises workplace conditions for production employees (e.g. in terms of space, climate)
  > Substantial investment of around 6 million euros for new infrastructure. Suppliers and construction companies benefit from this
  > contribution to the stability and security of the local economy: over 450 jobs directly at EVVA and many hundreds of workplaces of our trade partners in the city
  > Strengthening and expanding local industry in urban areas
  > further EVVA photovoltaic systems
  
  An underground garage with several e-charging stations, a ground floor, 3 floors and an attic floor were built on an approx. 650 m² footprint area. "We were thus creating new production areas of around 4,000 m² with space to produce our new product innovations and manufacture existing solutions more efficiently," says Michael Kiel, EVVA Group Division Manager Operations & Quality Management.

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  Impact of the new Tišnov building:
  > The old building was dissolved and a state-of-the-art prestigious production facility was built. This is mainly where locking systems for the Czech Republic and Slovakia are
  manufactured
  > The new building is not far from the old location and can be easily reached by employees
  > Total investment of 2 million euros, the contracts are awarded to local construction companies and trades
   
• Focus on innovations, digitalisation strategy and in-house mechanical engineering
  EVVA continuously invests in its own research and development – 8% of turnover in the reporting period 2021. More information on the subject of permanent innovation and digitalisation