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LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER GMBH & CO. KG established two bee colonies on the company premises last year. The first honey production was completed this summer. During an on-site visit, Dr. Gunther Wobser, President & CEO of the world market leader for precise temperature control, and the company's two hobby beekeepers were impressed by the beehives and the quality and taste of the first honey harvested.

“With the bee colonies, we want to make a contribution to local biodiversity and at the same time raise awareness of the importance of bees,” explains Dr. Wobser of the project. “It is a concrete step in our efforts to assume social responsibility.”

The two bee colonies, tended by LAUDA employees Stephen Bauer and Manuel Faulhaber, produced a total of 20 kilograms of honey in their first season. The mixture of rapeseed and late harvest is offered for sale to the company's employees. The proceeds will be used to cover costs and to purchase another colony in 2025.

Hobby beekeeper Stephen Bauer sees remarkable parallels between temperature regulation in the beehive and LAUDA's core business: “Bees keep the temperature in their hive constant between 34 and 35 degrees Celsius. They achieve this through behaviors such as fanning their wings to cool down or muscle tremors to generate heat. This natural precision is impressive, even if it is fundamentally different from our technical solutions.”

Stephen Bauer gave an overview of the challenges to date. In particular, the phenomenon of premature crystallization of honey in the combs has been a major difficulty in the harvesting process. The natural population dynamics of the bee colonies, especially the process of swarming, was also a new and instructive experience.

LAUDA plans to further expand the bee project in the coming years and establish it as an integral part of the company's commitment to the environment and sustainability. If the harvest is successful, the honey will be used as a delicious gift for LAUDA guests.

LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER GMBH & CO. KG has taken an important step towards sustainability. The global market leader for precise temperature control has doubled the number of its parking spaces on the company premises to 180 and covered over half of them with a modern photovoltaic system. This measure underlines the family company's commitment to climate neutrality and sustainable energy generation.

Dr. Marc Stricker, Managing Director of LAUDA, who played a key role in planning and supporting the project, explains the background: »For us, sustainability is an attitude. By expanding our parking spaces and installing the photovoltaic system, we are pursuing several goals at once: We are improving the parking situation for our employees, using the space to generate energy and taking a big step closer to our goal of climate neutrality by 2030.«

With the new system, LAUDA can generate over 30 percent of its annual electricity needs itself. The company covers the remaining needs with green electricity from regional sources. »We are guided by the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and have already fulfilled the so-called Scope 1 and 2. By 2030, we also want to reach Scope 3, which includes the entire supply chain, transport, product use and disposal,« explains Dr. Stricker.

The company estimates that the investment of 1.2 million euros in expanding the parking spaces with roofing and a photovoltaic system will pay for itself in eight to ten years. The roofing not only serves to generate electricity, but also offers staff vehicles protection from the weather.

LAUDA is going one step further in its commitment to sustainability: The company is converting its fleet entirely to electric vehicles and has expanded the publicly accessible charging infrastructure. Ten of the 20 charging points are available to the public. LAUDA also offers a car sharing model for company cars and promotes environmentally friendly mobility for employees through job bike leasing. To make cycling even more attractive, the family business has set up numerous bicycle parking spaces for employees as well as free charging options for e-bikes. These are located both on the company premises and – publicly accessible – under the new car park and are already well received and widely used.

»Although we have our own bus stop and encourage the purchase of bicycles, many employees drive to work. Investing in solar not only provides shade for bicycles and cars, but also generates electricity exactly when we need it during the day,« adds Dr. Gunther Wobser, LAUDA President & CEO.

Dr. Stricker concludes: »We are convinced that change does not come about through one big lever, but through the sum of important contributions.«

With this pioneering project, LAUDA is underlining its pioneering role in sustainability and is sending a clear signal for innovative climate protection in industry.

LAUDA DR. R. WOBSER GMBH & CO. KG recently celebrated an event that is rare in the modern working world: Rudolf Gräff's 50th anniversary with the company. At a ceremony attended by 35 guests, President & CEO Dr. Gunther Wobser acknowledged the anniversary celebrant's decades of commitment and loyalty to the family business.

Rudolf Gräff began his long, impressive career at LAUDA on August 26, 1974 with an apprenticeship as a power electronics technician. After successfully completing his training, he was hired into the electronics department, where he still works today. Over the course of his 50 years with the company, Gräff has distinguished himself through his versatile commitment, e.g. in plant engineering, and his meticulous working methods.

In his laudation, Dr. Gunther Wobser acknowledged the anniversary celebrant's special achievements: »With his reliability and adaptability, Rudolf Gräff stands for important values that have made LAUDA a global market leader. His willingness to face new challenges and technical developments and always deliver outstanding quality is remarkable.«

In recognition of his many years of service, Rudolf Gräff received the LAUDA certificate of honor and, as a special honor, the Dr.-Rudolf-Wobser-Medal in gold – an award from the family company that has only been given to 20 people to date. The honor was complemented by representatives from politics and business: The deputy general manager of the Heilbronn-Franken Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Christof Geiger, presented the Chamber of Industry and Commerce certificate of honor and recognized the services of LAUDA and Gräff to the local economy. Dr. Lukas Braun, Mayor of Lauda-Königshofen, conveyed the city's congratulations and awarded the state's certificate of honor on behalf of the Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg.

In his acceptance speech, Rudolf Gräff emphasized his deep connection with the company and expressed his pride in being part of the LAUDA success story. Gräff's career at LAUDA is also a reflection of the company's history: He personally experienced all three generations of managing directors of the Wobser family and began his career in the era of the company's founder, Dr. Rudolf Wobser.

Rudolf Gräff's extraordinary anniversary underlines the role of LAUDA as a responsible family business. It impressively shows how valuable many years of experience and loyal employees are for sustainable success in a constantly changing working world.