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Sustainability includes staying competitive

To ensure the longevity of our business and secure our employees’ jobs, we must maintain our competitiveness in the long term. Meeting the needs of our customers is thus essential. With this in mind, we have set three core objectives in the economic sector:

 

1. Long-term competitiveness

Even as a family business with over 60 years of experience, staying ahead of the curve is essential for us to continue offering high-quality products at competitive prices. This is achieved through a modern fleet of machinery, ongoing automation of our production processes, and the digitalisation of our operations. As an agile medium-sized enterprise, we place particular emphasis on streamlined structures and efficient workflows, strategic purchasing, and close collaboration with our customers. Most crucially, our success depends on our skilled and motivated employees, supported by a company strategy that is committed to long-term sustainability.

2. High level of customer satisfaction

Our high standards for product and service quality are maintained through our longstanding ISO 9001 certification. We continuously monitor these standards through regular customer feedback, evaluations, and satisfaction surveys. Critical metrics such as delivery times and on-time delivery are equally prioritised. Over recent years, we’ve consistently achieved an average customer rating of nearly 95% in supplier evaluations.

3. Regional cooperation and commitment

We see ourselves as a regionally rooted company with international operations, and are dedicated to supporting the local economy. Wherever possible, we collaborate with regional businesses and craftspeople. We actively engage in local working groups and participate in the industrial committee and the energy efficiency and climate network of the Koblenz Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK, Industrie- und Handelskammer Koblenz), but we also act nationally through the Specialist Association Foamed Plastics and Polyurethanes (FSK, Fachverband Schaumkunststoffe und Polyurethane e.V.), as well as the German Federal Association for Sustainable Economy (BNW, Bundesverband Nachhaltige Wirtschaft).

 

Measures to achieve goals

Automation

Automation is a key focus, helping us stay competitive and address the growing shortage of skilled labour. This includes fully automating workflow integration on our new cutting line and using industrial robots to take over manual tasks in our assembly department.

Digitalisation

Digitalisation is a central part of our strategy. When we implemented our ERP system, we incorporated a product configurator to support digital processes for both sales and production. With the help of external partners and our in-house application developer, we are continually advancing the digitalisation of our processes.

Efficient structures & processes

With over 60 years of experience as a private label manufacturer meeting individual customer demands, from small series to large-scale production, we place a high priority on flexibility, short decision-making paths, and close collaboration across teams.

Qualified & motivated employees

Structures and processes are important, but ultimately it’s all about people. Alongside numerous initiatives to enhance the skills and engagement of our team, we are also committed to developing young talent as future industrial clerks and plastics technologists.

Strategic purchasing

The supplier landscape for PUR foam materials has been undergoing major changes in recent years. Our strategic purchasing ensures that we have constant access to the best materials and suppliers, focusing not only on cost and risk reduction but also on sustainability considerations.

State-of-the-art machinery

Technological progress is a given, and we keep pace by continuously investing in the modernisation of our machinery. Our primary focus is on streamlining processes and expanding our production capabilities to meet the specific needs of our customers.

Customer communication & marketing

In today’s world, transparent communication and modern marketing are essential. Whether offline at major industry trade fairs, or online through newsletters, social media channels, search engine optimisation, and advertising, we ensure you’re always informed and up to date.

Long-term business focus

As a second-generation family-owned, medium-sized company, we’re not focused on stock market trends or short-term profit maximisation. Instead, we prioritise sustainable, long-term growth, focusing on profitable and healthy business development. We remain flexible and adaptable, with a clear eye on future opportunities, risks, and evolving market demands.

Product quality

You can always count on the quality of our products. This is assured by our certified quality management system in accordance with ISO 9001:2015 and is consistently reaffirmed by customer feedback from satisfaction surveys and supplier evaluations. In 2023, we achieved an impressive average rating of around 95% in those surveys and evaluations.

Service quality

Service quality is just as important as product quality—especially since we deliver customised solutions tailored to individual client needs, not off-the-shelf products. We were particularly delighted to receive top ratings for customer service and expertise in our 2023 customer satisfaction survey.

Delivery time

In today’s fast-moving world with its ever-shorter product and order cycles, delivery time is becoming a critical factor alongside quality and price. Thanks to our medium-sized company structure and flexible processes, we can quickly respond to enquiries and orders, enabling swift production and delivery.

Delivery reliability

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of dependable supply chains and put ours to the test. As a result, our entire team—from order processing to production planning and manufacturing—works seamlessly together to ensure you can rely on the delivery dates we confirm.

Cooperation with regional companies

We operate as part of a larger regional economic network, not in isolation. While we collaborate with partners across Germany and Europe, we prioritise working with local businesses and craftspeople. This not only strengthens the regional economy but also ensures shorter supply chains, greater reliability, and consistently high quality.

Memberships & engagement

We are deeply connected both regionally and nationally. Our memberships span various organisations, including the Specialist Association Foamed Plastics and Polyurethanes (FSK, Fachverband Schaumkunststoffe und Polyurethane), the German Federal Association for Sustainable Economy (BNW, Bundesverband Nachhaltige Wirtschaft), and Entrepreneurs for Future. Additionally, we actively participate in the energy efficiency and climate protection network and the industrial committee of the Koblenz Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK, Industrie- und Handelskammer Koblenz), and the school/business working group in Asbach.

Entrepreneurs For Future

Pahlke Schaumstoffe is one of more than 4,000 companies that have now signed the declaration drawn up by Entrepreneurs for Future. This business initiative is made up of dedicated entrepreneurs from a wide range of sectors who are committed to protecting the climate and actively supporting the Fridays for Future movement.

Find out more about the Entrepreneurs for Future initiative here.

German Federal Association for Sustainable Economy

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Pahlke is also a member of the German Federal Association for Sustainable Economy (BNW, Bundesverband Nachhaltige Wirtschaft). Since its founding in 1992, BNW has been a cross-industry network of entrepreneurs advocating for environmentally responsible policies in areas such as funding, taxation, procurement, and investment, as well as promoting a socially sustainable economic policy.

Find out more about the entrepreneurs’ association here.