25 years of quality management and environmental management

Questions on the anniversary to Dirk Theurer (Managing Director Sommer GmbH)

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the first certification of the environmental and quality management system at Sommer GmbH.
Do you remember how it all began back then?

Dirk Theurer: "I still remember it well. Back then, we basically had nothing in this respect, not even an organisation chart or work instructions. I realised that we had to change this quickly. If you want to take on a pioneering role, you have to be innovative and break new ground. That's why it was very important to me to introduce a quality AND environmental management system."

You say pioneering role, was that really the case back then?

Dirk Theurer: "Well, the environmental standard was first introduced in 1996 and we were right at the forefront - as one of the first companies in Baden Württemberg."

Why do you think an integrated quality and environmental management system is important for companies?

Dirk Theurer: "You should always consider both aspects; quality and environmental goals are directly related. The idea is quite simply this: With a high level of process reliability in production, you also promote environmental awareness. Less waste saves 1:1 resources such as water, electricity and materials. A good example of this is the efficient rinsing technology that we introduced in the anodising area. This new technology has improved the quality of the anodised surface and thus reduced waste, while at the same time saving us 15,000 (!) litres of water per day or a whopping 4 million litres of fresh and waste water per year, which is a huge relief for the environment."

How has your management system evolved?

Dirk Theurer: "A few years ago, we moved up into the top class of quality with certification in accordance with IATF 16949, one of the highest quality standards in the world. We at Sommer are really proud of the fact that we have been living the idea of quality and the environment every day in Freiberg for 25 years and have continued to develop our processes accordingly."