Digital event to mark the opening of the new headquarters with over 1,500 guests from business and politics invited

Dortmund. On 4 February 2021, the Wilo Group invited to celebrate the opening of its new headquarters in Dortmund, the Wilopark. Over 1,500 high-ranking international guests from the world of business and politics as well as Wilo employees took part in the digital (due to coronavirus pandemic) event. Special guests, who sent a video message for the occasion, included Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel, Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia Armin Laschet, North Rhine-Westphalian Ministers Prof. Andreas Pinkwart and Karl-Josef Laumann as well as Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Roman Sklyar.

An award for companies that drive change despite times of crisis

WILO SE has been awarded the renowned German Sustainability Award (Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis, DNP) in the “Climate” transformation field. The German Sustainability Award honours companies for which sustainability is part of their business model. “We are proud that an industrial company has been recognised as a climate protection pioneer. This is a strong signal and is proof that we are a climate protection company”, says Oliver Hermes, President & CEO of the Wilo Group.

The Wilo Group has been selected this year to participate together with 49 other worldwide operating companies in the global sustainability and climate protection initiative called "50 Sustainability & Climate Leaders" of the United Nations and Bloomberg.

From 20th – 30th January Wilo East Africa colleagues from Kenya, Sudan and Ethiopia came together in Nairobi for a kickoff meeting led by Mr. Fortin Jean- Olivier the Vice President Sales Area Africa, Sales Area Middle & Southern Africa and Mr. Belete Matebe the Managing Director Wilo East Africa.

Wilo East Africa participated in the International Fair of Khartoum in Sudan from 20th to 28th January 2020. This is a general trade fair that attracts exhibitors from the agricultural, industrial and building material sectors among many others.

The Dortmund-based technology specialist WILO SE has been awarded the renowned German Sustainability Award (Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis, DNP) in the “Climate” transformation field. The German Sustainability Award honours companies for which sustainability is part of their business model. “We are proud that an industrial company has been recognised as a climate protection pioneer. This is a strong signal and is proof that we are a climate protection company”, says Oliver Hermes, President & CEO of the Wilo Group.

Sustainability is an integral part of the Wilo Group’s corporate strategy. By 2025, for example, 100 million people are to have better access to clean water. “Our products, systems and solutions contribute to supplying people all over the world with water in an intelligent, efficient and climate-friendly way,” emphasises Oliver Hermes.

Wilo was already selected as one of the worldwide “50 Sustainability & Climate Leaders” in August this year. The global sustainability and climate protection initiative involves companies that act on the basis of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The crisis as an opportunity for transformation

The committee of the German Sustainability Award sees 2020 as a year of change. More than ever before, entrepreneurial role models are needed who can drive change forward and use the crisis as an opportunity for real transformation.

“The world climate needs pioneers. At Wilo, we claim to not only promote the topic of energy efficiency, but also to be a climate protection and digital pioneer. We do this in the firm belief that the most digital, smart and energy-efficient products are always the most intelligent choice. This means that digital transformation, energy efficiency and climate protection are firmly correlated,” explains Oliver Hermes.

Climate protection continues to be one of the key challenges of our time, even though the coronavirus crisis has temporarily pushed socio-political discourse on global environmental and climate policy into the background over the last few months.

Accelerating the transformation to greater sustainability

“While global challenges such as climate change and species extinction have intensified over the last few years, the competencies of the sustainable economy have grown at the same time,” says Stefan Schulze-Hausmann, initiator of the German Sustainability Award. “We are looking for companies that use these competencies boldly and effectively to accelerate the transformation to greater sustainability.” With its sustainability strategy, which is based on the corporate strategy, Wilo focuses on seven of the 17 SDGs of the United Nations which correspond to the values and objectives of the Group.

Everyone at Wilo is a climate protection pioneer

“I would like to thank all those at Wilo who hold the issue of sustainability in high regard. That is all of our 8,000 employees worldwide. They are all climate protection pioneers and have contributed to Wilo winning this award. Climate protection has been part of our DNA since the company was founded in 1872, in other words for around 150 years,” emphasises Oliver Hermes.

The prize is awarded by the German Sustainability Award Foundation (Stiftung Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis) in cooperation with the German government, the Association of German Cities, business associations, civil society organisations and research institutes. The prize was awarded on 4 December during an online gala.

Wilo East Africa's team in Kenya participated in the Standard Chartered Marathon 2019 that seeks to raise funds towards the "Futuremakers’ initiative" a new global campaign by Standard Chartered Bank to open opportunities for the next generation to learn, earn and grow.

Wilo East Africa held a full day seminar on building services on Friday 24th October at Villa Rosa Kempinski. This seminar is lined up with the actuality that the economic use of buildings increasingly requires innovative and energy-saving systems composed of optimally aligned and configured components.

Wilo East Africa held a full day training on building services, which is one of Wilo's key market segments. The building services segment involves; firefighting pumps, drainage and sewage pumps, hot and cold water supply pumps as well as HVAC.

From 24th to 27th September Wilo participated in the Ethio-Con exhibition showcasing water pump technologies and solutions in the building services sector. The exhibition was held at the Millenium Hall in Addis Ababa Ethiopia

Wilo East Africa once again participated in the annual Naivasha Horticultural Fair that took place from 20th to 21st September in Naivasha.The two day fair is one of the largest in the country, bringing together a number of key stakeholders in the horticultural and agricultural sector.

Wilo East Africa (WEA) for the first time participated in one of the largest building and construction exhibitions in the region dubbed the BUILD EXPO at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) from 4th to 6th July. This year marked the 22nd edition of the annual event in Nairobi, bringing together exhibitors from 40 countries around the world and attracting hundreds of participants from the Eastern African region to the forum.

Wilo East Africa hosted the first water management seminar in Nairobi, inviting consultants, water service providers and practitioners at Villa Rosa Kempinski on 12th July 2019. The event was spearheaded with presentations by the Director for emerging markets -water management market segment, Mr. Kulkarni Umesh and the Managing Director Wilo East Africa Mr. Belete Matebe.

In the month of July from 8th to 10th, Wilo East Africa organized an internal training amongst the key sales managers and application engineers from Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan, also joined by Country Managers, Managing Director WEA and the Regional Manager water management for emerging market segment. This training was grounded on the company‘s eminent tagline, Pioneering for You, for an enhanced capacity training will be able serve you, our customers and stakeholders better!

Overview

Wilo Participated in The East Africa Water Summit 2018 held on 22nd and 23nd November.The summit had been organized with the aim of addressing the issue of access to sustainable water for social-economic development. This was done by bringing together key stakeholders in the water sector.

WILO participated in the 16th Edition of Naivasha Horticultural Fair, Africa's biggest Horticultural Fair. The event was held on 21st - 22nd of September 2018 and attracted audience from accross the continent and Europe. Stakeholders in the horticultural industry showcased their products and services.