Culture and values
Our culture of trust and open communication is the foundation for a passionate and performance-driven workforce that makes us a top employer.
Our success is based on a shared commitment to core values and principles. These values are not only the basis of our joint cooperation, but also decisive success factors. They define our standards and benchmarks for our actions. They are binding for everyone in our company, regardless of the location in Germany or anywhere else in the world where UZIN UTZ is present. Our identity is expressed in our sense of direction our core values and the principles, by which we operate.
Our common purpose
The North Star symbolizes our common sense of direction. It guides us not only to PASSION 2025, but also beyond to new heights. We have jointly defined how we want to face the comprehensive economic and social challenges.
For us working environments are living environments in which people can develop further, realize their potential and thus actively write our shared history.
Our declared aim is to achieve an even better, more sustainable approach to our entrusted planet and its resources for future generations.
Our shared core values
These core values are the central factors for our success that makes us strong and on which we base our actions and decisions.
For us, challenges are an opportunity to learn and achieve new things. We are proud of our employees' and customers' successes and are driven by them.
We communicate clearly, act responsibly and honestly.
This creates the basis for reliable relationships.
We act professionally and make decisions with a willingness for self-reflection and prudence.
Our common principles
To make it easier to implement the core values in day-to-day business, we have supplemented them with principles. The principles are the compass for our behavior and our cooperation. This is how we live community.
Employees
Our employees are the foundation of our success. At UZIN UTZ we place great value on a culture of appreciation and the continuous development of our teams. These elements are crucial for a dynamic and motivating working environment. One indicator of this is the average length of service of our employees. In the reporting year this was 9.5 (9.2) years. We want to act as a reliable employer and offer our employees fair remuneration and job security. We therefore hire as many employees as possible with permanent employment contracts. In 2023, 89 % (92 %) of all employees at UZIN UTZ were on permanent contracts.
To ensure that we can also offer long-term security, we plan our personnel requirements with foresight so that we do not have to make any compulsory redundancies, even in periods of economic weakness. We also invest in the next generation by offering a wide range of training and dual study programs. We are constantly updating our training programs to adapt them to the changing requirements of the market. In the reporting year we guided 44 (47) young talents into their professional future. With this strategy, we are proactively addressing challenges such as the shortage of skilled workers and demographic change.
Celebrate successes!
Every success that we celebrate together shows us that commitment and teamwork lead to the goal. These successes are not only a reason to celebrate, but also a motivation to constantly improve and strive for new goals. They remind us that significant progress is possible with joint efforts and continuous work.
Pajarito celebrates 100th anniversary
In 2023 Pajarito, a manufacturer of high-quality painting, plastering and drywall construction tools, celebrated its 100th anniversary. A variety of events were organized throughout the year to celebrate this outstanding milestone together with customers, business partners and employees.
Highlights included the joint appearance of UZIN UTZ at the BAU 2023 trade fair, a PR day at the company headquarters in Mettmann, a family day and extensive social media campaigns that put Pajarito in the spotlight in this special year.
Discover more about the campaigns carried out and take a look at the history of Pajarito on the special anniversary website at https://de.pajarito-tools.com/100-jahre-pajarito.
UZIN UTZ is market leader in Austria
According to the evaluations of the industry radar for flooring and parquet adhesives, UZIN UTZ was able to significantly expand its market share in Austria in 2023 and even took over the market leadership. To mark this success, our CEO Philipp Utz and Sales Manager UZIN Austria, Claus Ebetsberger, traveled to the land of mountains and lakes to celebrate this achievement together with our customers.
Remuneration
The remuneration of employees at Uzin Utz SE is based on the collective agreement of the chemical industry. In addition to these collectively agreed salaries, the company also offers variable remuneration components that go beyond the collectively agreed payments. In addition, Uzin Utz SE has salary structures that are not covered by the collective agreement.
| Employees, Uzin Utz SE | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||
| Number of employees (as of 12/31) | 524 | 515 | 493 | |||
| Proportion of women at the company (as of 12/31) | 33.7 % | 30.5 % | 32.1 % | |||
| Permanent contracts (as of 12/31) | 85.9 % | 90.3 % | 95.9 % | |||
| Proportion of new recruits | 9.5 % | 8.0 % | 7.1 % | |||
| Staff costs (EUR million) | 41.0 | 40.8 | 37.5 | |||
| Average age of our employees (as of 12/31) | 41 | 38 | 40 | |||
| Proportion of people with severe disabilities (as of 12/31) | 1.59 % | 1.14 % | 1.6 % |
Occupational safety and health
Safeguarding the health of our employees in the workplace is our top priority. To this end we have implemented a range of protection and safety measures. These range from occupational health and safety assessments of workplaces to the creation of operating instructions for hazardous substances as well as for machinery and equipment. A central aspect of our commitment to occupational health and safety is regular, comprehensive training. This training covers basic areas such as occupational safety, fire protection and waste disposal and is supplemented by further instruction tailored to specific needs or areas.
| Occupational safety and health at Uzin Utz SE | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||
| Average number of days of absence per employee per year | 9.9 | 6.8 | 3.2 | |||
| Number of accidents at work or while commuting to work | 17 | 7 | 7 | |||
| Number of first-aiders | 68 | 70 | 36 |
CPR training at Uzin Utz Nederland bv
In 2023 Uzin Utz Nederland bv organized CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training as part of its vitality program. The employees were taught how to recognize a cardiac arrest and how to perform first aid measures. The training enabled the participants to refresh their knowledge and learn how to behave correctly in such an exceptional situation. They can now contribute to greater safety in both their private and professional lives.
E-learning
E-learning is changing the way in which learning content is made accessible by making it possible to access this content at any time and from anywhere. This flexibility is a key advantage of the format. Users can select learning materials according to their personal needs and work through them at their own pace. We have been using a digital training tool for years to provide our employees with comprehensive and legally compliant training in the areas of occupational health and safety. The training content is illustrated using presentations and short videos and comprehension questions are used to reinforce what has been learned. Managers have the opportunity to monitor the progress of the training and identify any gaps. We have also introduced a digital training program for all German companies in collaboration with PINKTUM, an innovative and award-winning e-learning provider. The focus is on the didactic development and high-quality production of video-based, interactive training media. This program expands the existing training opportunities of our Horizonte program, particularly in the area of soft skills. It makes it possible to supplement traditional face-to-face events with digital learning content thus promoting an integrative learning experience.
Training and cooperation
Our range of apprenticeships and dual study programs provides a strong basis for starting out in the professional world. We attach great importance to support young people in their professional development, as this is important for both their and our future. We want to ensure that we continue to have well-trained employees in the future with programs in company training and dual studies. At the start of training in September we organize induction days to help the new trainees settle in well with us and strengthen team spirit. This includes tours of our production facilities, introductions to the teams, presentations of our products and training on various topics. We want our trainees to gain a lot of experience. That's why we also offer them the opportunity to study abroad for a period of time to expand their knowledge.
| Training at Uzin Utz SE | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||
| Number of trainees | 28 | 28 | 26 | |||
| Trainee rate (as of 12/31) | 5.3 % | 5.4 % | 5.3 % | |||
| Proportion of hires once training was completed | 83 % | 86 % | 83 % |
Uzin Utz SE is also intensively involved in the promotion of future specialists by supporting university scholarships. For years we have been a proud partner of the Deutschlandstipendium, with which we support students at the University of Ulm and the Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences. Our aim is to be perceived as a visionary employer that offers students attractive career prospects. We also cooperate with the universities in Biberach and Neu-Ulm, with which we regularly carry out projects.
We also offer pupils and students the opportunity to gain valuable practical experience through internships, student traineeships or by writing their theses at our company. In 2023 we welcomed a total of 30 interns, working students, master's and bachelor's students, who were able to put their knowledge into practice and gain valuable insights into our working environment.
Training fairs offer another opportunity to strengthen contact with potential, qualified applicants. We are regularly represented at these. We also maintain partnerships with local schools. A current example of this is our school partnership with the Albert-Einstein-Realschule in Ulm.
JuzinIOR
Since its foundation in 1996 JuzinIOR, the "company within the company", has offered our trainees a unique learning experience. In this project the trainees and dual students take on real company tasks in areas such as purchasing, accounting, sales or marketing, regardless of their area of training. The JuzinIOR team manages its company independently, which gives in-depth insights into corporate strategies and the functionality of value chains. Throughout the year participants develop and implement innovative business ideas, activities and offers for employees. They also contribute to various events and represent the company on company tours. This practice-oriented learning method not only promotes professional qualifications and skills but also creativity and team spirit. 50 % of the profits generated by JuzinIOR are donated to charity. The remaining 50 % is reinvested to strengthen team spirit, for example through joint leisure activities.
Personnel development and health management
Professional qualifications and social skills create the best conditions for our employees to be able to drive forward the company's goals independently, responsibly and purposefully. We therefore pursue numerous measures to further develop and promote our employees. In addition the health of our employees is particularly important to us. We strengthen this with a wide range of offers.
Horizonte
The professional skills and personal strengths of our employees are essential to the success of our company. In order to increase productivity and maintain our innovative strength, continuous training is essential. In our in-house academy "Horizonte", we offer a comprehensive training program that enables our employees to expand their skills in a wide range of areas. The focus is on improving personal skills, particularly in areas such as communication, stress and time management, leadership, coaching and digitalization. We offer both digital and face-to-face events to enable employees at other German locations as well as in Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands to participate in virtual training. With a growing range of digital courses we are expanding our location-specific training options to include cross-location training opportunities. A central component of the cross-location offering is "Working efficiently with..." - A training program for handling frequently used software. We offer around 50 expert exchanges at various knowledge levels (bronze, silver, gold) each year.
Occupational health management (OHM)
The health of our employees is our top priority. Our occupational health management (OHM) is designed to actively promote the well-being and health of our workforce. We sensitize our employees to health issues and offer support in various life situations through targeted measures and offerings as part of our occupational health management. We seamlessly integrate health-promoting projects into everydays working life and the company structure and are constantly developing them further. One example are the sports facilities at our locations in Ulm and Würzburg, where employees can use fitness equipment to improve their health.
Since 2021 we have been working with the corporate fitness network EGYM Wellpass, which offers our employees access to over 8,000 high-quality sports, fitness and wellness facilities. In addition over 4,000 online courses are available. This offer is available to all employees our German companies and is financially supported by the employer to provide them with professionally guided fitness opportunities.
In 2023 our occupational health management was specifically dedicated to the topic of sleep. Over the course of the year we offered various presentations on this topic. The highlight was a health day under the motto "Healthy sleep", where employees were able to attend lectures as well as consultations and various health check-ups.
U Work
In recent years our company has experienced significant growth, which has allowed us to welcome many new employees to our team. However, with the increasing number of employees and the creation of new departments, it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep track of the specific areas of responsibility of each department. To counteract this, we introduced the "U Work" concept in 2023. It serves as a platform on which departments can present both their day-to-day tasks and their current projects. The events are held online so that employees from all German-speaking locations can participate. In addition we have set up a special area on our intranet where departments can publish brief profiles of their team members and their areas of responsibility. This also gives colleagues who were unable to attend the digital events the opportunity to find out more about the various departments. In 2023 the Sustainability team and the People & Organization Development (POD) department already used this platform to introduce themselves.