You can rely on these: The KOSTAL values

What does that mean? Being down-to-earth means, to us, knowing our roots, retaining and extending our knowledge. To us, being down-to-earth means knowing where we have come from, who we are, what we can achieve and where we want to go.

KOSTAL is the workplace of a large number of people, a part of their local roots and the center of their existence. Being down-to-earth means the respectful, appreciative conduct towards one another. Honesty, a sense of responsibility and fairness are the foundations of sustainable, cooperative development. Being down-to-earth means diligently and carefully using resources.

Being down-to-earth means, to us, purposefully doing the best we can, and at the same time the willingness to learn how we can do it better. Being down-to-earth means knowing one’s origins and where one is now, to learn to be prepared to discover, enter and cultivate new ground.

Being down-to-earth means to be competent in what we do and how we do it. Being down-to-earth means knowing and constantly extending our capabilities. Being down-to-earth also means having the right to and being able to be proud of what we have achieved and achieve and to stand by what we want to achieve.

Integrity: a word which is an indispensable part of the KOSTAL DNA, and which we are very hesitant to express. Why? Because integrity should be a matter of course, and we do not like to emphasize things that are self-evident.

It is important to us, however, to express and address the things that we expect from all KOSTAL employees, and that which all employees and all customers, suppliers, authorities and institutions who have a relationship with KOSTAL can rely on: Honesty, reliability, clarity, respect, dependability and commitment.

We are also convinced that a sincere and honest approach is enduring and the foundation of dependable and successful relationships.

As easy as that sounds, “We make it simple” is not very easy. “We make it simple” does not just mean that we simply begin and do something for the sake of something to do.

“We make it simple” for us means that what we do, we do as simply as possible. “We make it simple” means that we make it clear why we do something, how we want to do it and, ultimately, how we can do it as simply as possible.

In particular with complex problems and questions, we develop solutions that are no more complicated than they need to be. In internal projects and processes, it is more important to find the simplest, most appropriate and meaningful solutions possible. The same applies to a greater extent for our customers and their projects.

One saying is “Simple is difficult”. One of the most important qualities of our company is to think differently, in an unfamiliar way, in order to be able to change the vantage point and perspective, not just to accept apparently clear issues and practices, but to question them.

“We make it simple” therefore means on the one hand that we try to make things simpler. On the other hand, it means that we accept challenges and do what is necessary.

KOSTAL is a technology company with global operations. And feeling is required for exactly this reason: A feeling for the wishes and needs of the customer, a feeling for the expectations, concerns and problems of the employees, feeling and respect for the different cultures and mentalities, a feel for the markets.

Thus, technology is not an end in itself for KOSTAL, more importantly it serves the needs and the well-being of people. The well-being of people is derived from feelings.

Whether in meetings with customers or during employee discussions: it is then, when we get down to the point, that empathy is of decisive importance, it is important that the participants treat each other fairly and talk openly with each other in order that an atmosphere of trust can develop in the discussions.

What is sensible or successful for one person does not also have to be so for others. Finding and speaking a common language with our customers, employees and suppliers is the basis for mutual success. Therefore we do it with feeling.

But what is necessary? Everything that contributes to the constant success of the company is necessary. This has several meanings within the company and for this reason will only be explained using examples:

• It is necessary for everyone in our company to take on responsibility for the tasks assigned and to take responsibility for what they do.
• It is necessary for everyone in our company to show a willingness to make decisions and to take responsibility for those decisions.
• It is necessary to avoid mistakes and minimize their consequences. This includes being able to and actually pointing out mistakes in order to learn from them. The willingness to make decisions and a feeling of responsibility can only thrive if an open approach to mistakes or incorrect decisions is assured. Those who make a mistake must have the chance to correct it and to receive the support necessary for this.
• It is necessary to have clear, explicit and respectful communications between supervisor and employee. Employees must be able to understand what they do.
• It is necessary to have respectful, friendly engagement with everybody involved with the company, both internally and externally.
• It is necessary for everyone to be motivated and for performance promises both within and without the company to be fulfilled.

It is particularly important to do what is necessary in the relationships with our customers. This means, among other things:

• The wishes, questions and requirements of our customers have priority.
• Friendliness, commitment and reliability are standard without exception.
• Our customers have a right to receive up-to-date information on their projects and we have the obligation to inform them proactively.

For constant and long-term success, it is not only necessary for each employee to complete the tasks assigned diligently, but for them to also have a hand in addressing any possible improvements and problems.

It is necessary to engage flexibly with changed circumstances and to react to these appropriately. It is necessary to think and act from a corporate perspective, to carefully weigh decisions and to adopt a results-oriented approach to work. It is also necessary to always be ready to do more than just what is necessary.

KOSTAL does not just achieve perfect connections with its products: we nurture and cherish our connections with our customers, employees and suppliers. We connect internal expertise and we connect internal with external expertise. We combine the best knowledge from many disciplines in order to inspire our customers.

All of this is only possible if the commitment of all parties involved is assured. Commitment breeds trust and trust is the foundation of good long-term customer, employee and supplier relationships.

We know full well that we can only demand and expect from our employees those things they can actually achieve. Therefore KOSTAL is committed to providing framework conditions which enable our employees to develop further and meet the requirements of the company.

Our understanding as an employer is not just to give our employees work, but to provide the conditions in which it is possible for the employees to fulfil their tasks in the best possible way, with conviction and enjoyment. At the same time, we expect our employees to take on responsibility for their working environment and to take an active part in using the resources of the company to best effect.

The employees make the difference. It is they who ensure the success of our company.

It is they who make the KOSTAL company valuable through their work. It is they who add value for our customers and KOSTAL.

We therefore support our employees and at the same time demand their readiness to play an active role and to work collectively for the success of the company.

Change is a fundamental principle of life. The history of the KOSTAL company has been forged by economical, technological and social change. We want to take an active role in these change processes. We adapt to changes, customer wishes and market situations and take an active role in shaping these at the same time.

This dictates that we think and act flexibly, that we perceive changes and respond to them, that we initiate change proactively, responsibly and wisely at the same time. This applies to internal structures and processes, in particular to the technologies and products and to the relationships with our customers.

For KOSTAL, change is inseparably linked with the requirement for improvement. Change is only expedient when the goal is improvement.

The prerequisite for innovations in technologies, processes and products is flexibility and the will to set something in motion. We are moved by what we do and want to move with what we do and how we do it. We are moved by the goal of wanting to be market leaders and to move through top quality services.

“All or nothing”: This applies to everything we do. We know what we can do and we know our limits. We know where we can extend our limits and want to expand. If we have decided upon something, we stand firmly behind our decision. We carefully and diligently weigh the pros and cons and follow goals with dedication and with our whole heart.

“All or nothing” means that everything we do, we do with passion and enthusiasm. “All or nothing” means, for us, that we always question and review what we do. “All or nothing” means, for us, to do the right thing at the right time.

We want to be convinced of what we do. We are convinced and want to convince.

We like to do what we do, because we can only do what we like to do well and better. This does not mean that everything we do is always easy. All the more, our common goals awaken in us the willingness to gladly do what is necessary.

The future begins now – today, at the start of each new day. In the past, the future of the company depended on how we nurtured our values and our substance and how and what we invested for the future. Our daily activity is nurturing the prosperity of the KOSTAL company and safeguarding the jobs of our employees.

Shaping the future is a job for today. Our standard is to learn daily and to improve ourselves daily in order to add more value for our customers and our company.

The future: These are the goals that we set today and that we follow consistently every single day.

Shaping the future for us means to exploit our potential and to act in a way that we constantly expand our opportunities.

We can only shape the future if we know our values and roots. If we know where we stand, and where we want to go. We can only shape

the future meaningfully if we do what is necessary today with empathy, vision and clear-sightedness.

The future is not a dream if we continually work on achieving this dream.

The future is what inspires us, and that with which we can inspire – today and each new day.

The future starts now.