IGM Award
Caring, Participating, Inspiring
IGM Aurel for the two managing directors of Siempelkamp Foundry
Krefeld, February 3, 2023
For many years, IG Metall has been awarding prizes to individual actors, committees or working groups who have made a special contribution to their company and its employees. For the first time, the local executive committee of IG Metall union Krefeld has awarded the IGM Aurel, the award for caring, participating, inspiring, to an employer: the two managing directors of the Siempelkamp Foundry in Krefeld, Dirk Howe and Dr. Georg Geier.
Active cooperation, mutual appreciation and social responsibility
In December, the parliament of textile, wood and metal workers decided with a very large majority to honour the commitment and dedication of the managing directors to the company and its employees accordingly. On Friday, February 3rd, 2023, the award was presented to the management in a ceremonial setting.
Since the founding of the Metalworkers' Union, trade union activities have been characterised by a common commitment to a good working environment. This is what the 3Bs stand for: Support, Involve, Inspire. In the current economic environment, these things are often pushed into the background when it comes to difficult decisions such as job cuts, plant closures or wage disputes. All the more reason to highlight the positive examples of commitment, creativity and exemplary behaviour. For this reason, the IGM Krefeld has been awarding prizes for many years to individual actors, committees or working groups who have made a special contribution to the IGM Krefeld. In memory of the well-known Krefeld trade unionist Aurel Billstein, this award was named “3B-Aurel”.
At the delegates' meeting of the IGM’s Krefeld branch on December 8th, 2022, the management of Siempelkamp Foundry was awarded this prize by a large majority. This is the first time that IG Metall Krefeld has awarded an employer in this way. “This is to honour the active collective wage policy, the partnership-based cooperation between the company, the works council and the trade union and the future-oriented strategy of the company and the management for a sustainable location and job security”, explains Ralf Claessen, managing director of IGM Krefeld: “In a difficult industry environment, the management has set the right course and acted together and in time. The company is in a good position today and also has a degree of organisation of over 80%.” The award also emphasised the active cooperation, mutual appreciation and social responsibility established in the company by the two managing directors of Siempelkamp Giesserei, Dirk Howe and Dr. Georg Geier.
The joint development strengthens us to master future challenges
After the award was handed over by the local executive of IG Metall, Dirk Howe was visibly pleased: “The workforce and management have come a long way in a troubled industry. It is all the more pleasing when, after the economic success, the partners who have accompanied us on this path also recognise this success in such a great way. In this context, we would also like to express our sincere thanks for the constructive cooperation with IG Metall.”
Since 2016, the management of what is probably Germany's best-known iron foundry in the media has set out to bring the company sustainable direction. Siempelkamp Giesserei is proud that components from Krefeld are in demand in many future-oriented industries worldwide. Whether for the generation of energy from hydrogen, the extraction of metals such as copper, nickel or rare earths, for the energy transition, electromobility or digitalisation - a piece of Siempelkamp is inside everywhere. “The joint development also strengthens us to successfully master the future challenges climate protection and demographic change,” Dirk Howe is certain. “As a trade union we can only support this and are sure that Germany as a location with exemplary employers, such as Siempelkamp Giesserei, will continue to be attractive and offer good conditions for the employees”, adds Ralf Claessen.
In an open and very interesting discussion round, the two managing directors explained to the members of the local IGM board the measures, strategies and ways to a successful company development. Visibly enthusiastic, the day was rounded off with the participation in a 205 t live casting of a cement grinding bowl.
The two Managing Directors received a bronze sculpture called “Moving things from the inside” by the artist Luise Kött-Gärtner. The expertise states: “If one uses one's powers on the inside in a targeted way, it is possible to get things rolling. Also, in this way one can keep a thing in motion and stabilise its rhythm.”
About Siempelkamp Giesserei
Siempelkamp is a globally active group of companies with the business units Mechanical and Plant Engineering, Casting Technology, and Nuclear Engineering. Nearly 3,000 employees worldwide ensure that the Siempelkamp Group is represented among the world leaders with its technologies.
Siempelkamp Giesserei GmbH in Krefeld specializes in the production of hand-molded large castings of up to 320t made of cast iron with nodular graphite and is one of the largest hand-molding foundries in the world. The comprehensive and customer-oriented service package includes the entire production process from design, calculations, pattern making, molding and casting to mechanical processing as well as packaging and transport.