The demands placed on manufacturers, suppliers and dealers of office furniture have increased enormously. Production and delivery processes need to be organised in an even more flexible, decentralised and interconnected way, without compromising on efficiency and quality. At the same time, it is important to recognise future trends at an early stage so that appropriate measures can be introduced. This is a major challenge that Karla Aßmann, who represents the fourth generation of her family to manage the company, is tackling together with her team: “As one of the leading office furniture manufacturers in Europe, our aim is to keep on finding innovative solutions and establishing them on the market. This is the only way we can build on our previous successes. Take ASSMANN 4ROOMS, for example: with our services, we support our customers from their initial idea right through to the realisation of future-oriented working environments in which people enjoy working and feel comfortable. In this way, we are helping to create attractive working environments for numerous employees.” The businesswoman knows what she is talking about. After all, ASSMANN itself went through a comprehensive change process in the recent past. “Step by step, we have gone from being a traditional office furniture manufacturer to a full-range supplier that is already putting in the work for the next generation. The fact that we are succeeding in this transformation is an achievement that is thanks in no small part to our partners.”
Direct communication, fast solutions
These include Gohs GmbH, a company based in Ribnitz-Damgarten that has also undergone a period of change in recent years. Under the management of Andreas Gohs, who runs the company together with his wife after taking over from the generation that originally founded it, the specialist retailer has evolved into an all-round provider of office equipment. “From pencils to complete furnishings, we offer the entire product range and a variety of services from a single source. Quality is a high priority for us. Our consultants are trained as Quality Office Consultants and provide our customers with expert advice,” says Andreas Gohs, explaining the company's portfolio. When it comes to what his company has in common with ASSMANN, however, expert advice is just the tip of the iceberg. “We value the collaboration with our colleagues from Melle, as we always treat each other as equals and take into account the interests of both sides. That was how Dirk Aßmann worked, and Karla has picked up where he left off,” says Andreas Gohs, who particularly appreciates the direct contact and quick response times, including subsequent process optimisation. “For example, by jointly analysing our delivery processes, we were able to optimise them – and we can now save around two lorry journeys per week. This not only benefits us as partners, but also the environment.”
Buy-in required from public clients
Sustainability is a topic that is close to the hearts of both Managing Directors. “In his time as Managing Director, my father laid down some important milestones for our company. I want to build on his work and maintain our pioneering role in the important field of sustainability. However, we can only do this if our network partners also buy into it, as they have a decisive role to play,” says Karla Aßmann, whose reliance on the interaction between the various players comes with a the market here, which we in the office furniture industry must take into account. We do this by taking care of the disposal ourselves and breaking down furniture that is no longer usable into its component parts so that it can then be sorted and recycled. But there is still room for improvement, of course.” As such, it is important for property planners to constantly scrutinise their processes and procedures in order to turn this important issue from theory into tangible results. The constructive partnership with ASSMANN will continue to be crucial for Andreas Gohs in the future: “Measures like these are always most effective when all those involved work together. With that in mind, I’m glad we have a partner like ASSMANN at our side – a company that favours cooperation and collaboration. This is a huge help when it comes to creating concrete, sustainable and future-proof solutions.”
Corporate conduct – our results in detail
Value creation
In 2023, ASSMANN generated sales of 150 million euros, thus recording a slight increase in sales compared to the previous year (+1.6 per cent). Value creation and the equity ratio were at a comparable level to 2022. At 7.7 million euros, the investment sum has increased significantly due to the construction of a logistics centre at the Melle-Westerhausen site, but the equity ratio is still at a high level of over 75 per cent. In 2023, ASSMANN received small amounts of government grants, such as those for climate efficiency projects.
Social responsibility as a way of life
As a socially responsible company, we are involved in a large number of social projects and initiatives in our region. For example, we work together with Ledder Werkstätten, a charitable organisation that integrates people with physical, mental or psychological disabilities into a working and living environment worth living in. Their employees primarily assist us with light packaging work. We support other charitable associations and research institutions at both local and national level with financial and in-kind contributions, including the state-recognised workshops for the blind (Blindenwerkstätten), the Oldendorf parish, the German Red Cross, various foundations, and the Melle University of Cooperative Education (Berufsakademie Melle). There is also a special focus on the sport of football. We not only have an active works football team that always donates its prize money to charitable causes, but are also involved as a sponsor and partner of several local football clubs: TSV Westerhausen, SC Melle 03 and VfL Osnabrück. The fulfilment of social and thus sustainable responsibility is just as much our mission here as it is in our commitment to the TERRA WORTMANN OPEN, which takes place in Halle (Westphalia).
ASSMANN compliance
In our dealings with our employees and suppliers, we are committed to fundamental and human rights as codified in the German Constitution (Grundgesetz), the Treaty on European Union and the United Nations Charter, as well as to the ILO core labour standards. We strictly reject discrimination on the grounds of origin, gender, religion, disability, age or sexual identity, as well as discrimination that violates Germany’s General Act on Equal Treatment (AGG). There were no known cases of discrimination at ASSMANN during the reporting period. Our association work is carried out exclusively on a professional and industry-specific level. We neither engage in political lobbying nor do we make donations to political parties or politicians. To date, we have not faced any legal action for anti- competitive behaviour. Our supplier network is limited to companies that, like us, act in accordance with OECD standards and guidelines. We do not pursue any business activities that risk violating human rights or freedom of assembly. In accordance with our sustainability mission statement, we reject all forms of corruption. To date, ASSMANN has not been investigated in any cases of corruption. In order to continue to ensure legal compliance, we will be working on anti-corruption guidelines and a concept for risk identification and training in the future. When preparing our product information and advertising our products, we observe all applicable laws in Germany and the European Union – this is an integral part of ASSMANN's sustainability mission statement and corporate policy. As our products are used in a wide variety of companies and institutions, confidentiality is our top priority. By engaging an external Data Protection Officer, who is also consulted when procuring new software for processing personal data, ASSMANN's corporate organisation is geared towards protecting customer data from loss and misuse. To date, we have not received any complaints regarding breaches or losses of customer data.
In an annual Legal Compliance Audit, an external consultant works with the Sustainability Manager to check whether environmental and occupational health and safety laws and regulations are being complied with. A database of all the legal regulations is regularly updated and compared with the company's circumstances to check for applicability. Deviations are systematically recorded, evaluated and corrected if necessary. The company’s participation in the ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 management systems ensures that these processes are audited and validated again by authorised external experts. During the reporting period, no fines or non-monetary penalties were imposed on ASSMANN in connection with legislation. During the reporting period, no complaints or critical concerns were received from stakeholders with regard to human rights or social aspects, nor with regard to environment-related criteria.
ASSMANN has established a standardised remuneration system for fair pay in line with the market. With the exception of senior employees and some highly specialised skilled workers with particularly relevant areas of responsibility, all employees are covered by collective agreements. This applies to around 75 per cent of employees, whose compensation is based on the company’s collective agreement and the wage and salary groups agreed therein. The collective agreement does not differentiate between employees based on gender or age. Temporary employees are also compensated in accordance with the collective agreement and have the same entitlements to additional company benefits. All employees are entitled to an employer-financed pension scheme after 24 months of service. Non-tariff employees have an individual remuneration scheme that is made up of fixed and variable components. These variable components are linked to our corporate strategy. All employees receive a monthly bonus that is linked to the achievement of strategic company targets. The company wage and salary systems are based on the development of wage levels in the region and are regularly renegotiated and adjusted. As the company’s highest controlling body, the Managing Partner acts as the final authority for approving wages and salaries. We inform employees and their representatives of significant operational changes as quickly as possible, and within the statutory and collectively agreed deadlines at the latest.