WEPA

Family businesses & startup investments: A success model for the future? 📈 💡    Last week, we at WEPA Ventures had the special opportunity to bring together leading family entrepreneurs, family offices, founders, VCs and business angels in our Düsseldorf office for an inspiring exchange together with the WEPA Foundation and the WHU Institut für Familienunternehmen und Mittelstand. This exchange focused on the topic of “family entrepreneurship”, which is supported by the WEPA Foundation, and provided new insights to promote even more successful cooperation between family businesses as investors and VCs or start-ups in the future. What was on the agenda? An exciting discussion about the increasing importance of startup investments by family businesses and family offices. With a focus on bringing family businesses that invest in start-ups together with VCs, business angels and family offices. The aim was to promote an exchange of knowledge between the various parties and to discuss the topic of venture capital as a valuable investment opportunity for family businesses.   In an inspiring atmosphere characterized by trusting conversations and honest exchanges, we discussed innovation potential and investment strategies together. Here are three key findings from the event: 💼 Diverse investment strategies: Many participants pursue multiple approaches to startup investments. This shows that the VC ecosystem in family businesses is evolving and becoming more professional.    🤝🏼 Family involvement as a key factor: Entrepreneurial families who are directly involved in the investment process create structures that are attractive to both founders and co-investors.  📖 Research meets practice: The keynote on Till Rösnick's doctoral thesis met with great interest and positive feedback. Stepping back from the role of interviewer made it possible to share research findings that fell on fertile ground with the participants.  A big thank you to all participants for making these discussions so valuable! 🙌 The conclusion: Start-up investments by family businesses are already a model for success if they are implemented correctly.  We look forward to continuing this exchange and hearing more perspectives. Are you interested? Get in touch with Till Rösnick! We look forward to the dialog! 💬

WEPA teams in France are committed to sustainability at their sites 🌱 As part of the European Sustainable Development Week, our WEPA teams in France have energetically organized numerous great initiatives. Each location has made its own contribution and implemented individual projects to raise awareness of sustainable behavior and responsibility: 🌍 Lille: Here, we not only rolled up our sleeves but also made donations! We donated three pallets of sustainably produced toilet paper to the organization Les Restos du Coeur to support those in need. Additionally, a "Clean Up Day" was held, during which the environment at our locations was cleared of waste. Workshops on repairing everyday items and engaging quizzes about waste management rounded out the program and promoted awareness of recycling and reuse. 🐝 Troyes: Bees are at the heart of a green future – without them, there are no plants, no food. We highlighted the importance of bees for the diversity of our ecosystem during an beekeeping workshop, where participants learned fascinating facts about protecting these vital creatures and were able to take home a jar of honey at the end. We also set up a composter and launched a competition for CO₂-reducing recipes – of course, featuring delicious, regional ingredients. 🤝 Château-Thierry: Here, solidarity was the focus: We donated food and sustainably produced hygiene products to the organization Les Restos du Coeur to provide those in need with access to sustainable products and support them. These initiatives are just a small glimpse into what our WEPA team is doing for a more sustainable future. We are incredibly proud of their commitment – and of making a difference together! 🌱#togetherforabetterlife

⭐️ German Packaging Award 2024 in the Sustainability category goes to Goldeimer, WILDPLASTIC®, Bischof+Klein and WEPA! 🏆   Together with Goldeimer, WILDPLASTIC®, and Bischof+Klein, WEPA, as the manufacturer of hygiene paper, designed the packaging for the well-known "social toilet paper" from Goldeimer 🤝 – packaging made from 50% wild plastic that is both hygienic and high quality. For years, WEPA has been the manufacturer of Goldeimer's toilet paper, producing it from recycled paper, and recently even from recycled cardboard. 📦   "Why wild plastic"? This refers to plastic waste that has so far been outside the recycling loop – for example, in illegal dumps, in nature, or on the streets. WILDPLASTIC® and local partners collect wild plastic in countries like India, Thailand, and Indonesia to give valuable raw materials a new purpose: a meaningful use in products like the new Goldeimer packaging. ♻️   Three years of development, four dedicated partners – and the result speaks for itself: Since February 2024, the Goldeimer packaging has provided a sustainable alternative in supermarkets. 🛒 A great contribution to environmental protection and a true example of a circular economy with social added value!

So proud of our Satino by WEPA team 🤩 for being honoured by the European Cleaning Journal with the European Cleaning & Hygiene Award 🏆 in the category „Sustainability - Best Practice (Manufacturer)“ 🌎📦

TransVORmation: PAPIER MACHT’S VOR In unserer aktuellen Serie stellen wir Ihnen Transformationsprojekte aus der Papierindustrie vor. HEUTE: WEPA produziert Hygienepapiere aus der nachhaltigen Faserinnovation recycelter Karton Mehr zum Projekt: https://lnkd.in/eeDdc3Rf DIE PAPIERINDUSTRIE WEPA #papierkannmehr #transformation #papiermachtsvor #ZUKUNFTSPAPIER

🌍 Team up and clean up! 🌍 Sustainability is one of our three core values at WEPA. We take responsibility. In our daily actions, we combine economic, ecological and social aspects of sustainability. And that's why we take part in World Clean Up Day every year with many WEPA colleagues at various locations to actively do something good for our environment. Our WEPA teams have already cleaned up public green spaces around our WEPA sites in Troyes (France), Lucca (Italy), Müschede (Germany) and Piechowice (Poland). A big thank you to everyone who took part and took the time to set an example!  There was a special surprise in Lucca! A kind gentleman gave our team a 14 kg watermelon 😮 as a thank you for our commitment to the environment. 🍉   What we give to nature often returns to us in unexpectedly beautiful ways!  And we keep going:  On September 30, the last Clean Up Day will take place in Mainz. We are looking forward to a strong team working together again.  #WeAreWEPA #together #CleanUpDay #togetherforabetterlife #healthandwellbeing

Hello, my name is Tim, I'm 22 years old and a passionate information technologist. I'm currently in the 2nd year of my apprenticeship as an IT specialist for application development.       🖥 What I like about computer science   I feel comfortable between the lines of program code. What do I enjoy most? Approaching and solving problems logically. The work never gets boring. In the end, nothing is more satisfying for me than seeing a bunch of disorganized zeros and ones working together creating something bigger.      ❓ IT specialist for application development Information technology is an incredibly diverse professional field. If you search for all the professions in this sector, the list is endless. New job titles are added every day, existing ones are renamed, regrouped or scrapped. Basically, the application developer deals with everything that has to do with software. This includes designing, planning, testing and then maintaining and further developing software. Many factors such as security, data protection, scalability and much more must be taken into account.       🙌 My apprenticeship at WEPA I can't imagine a better company to start my professional career in than WEPA. I do what I'm passionate about and I'm always learning to get better at it. My coaches support me with all kinds of topics and take me on different projects. From databases and interfaces to extension programming, everything is included. I particularly enjoy working with colleagues from other countries, as it helps me to improve my English and allows me to step out of my usual comfort zone from time to time. At WEPA, you are not just a personnel number, but actually a perceived human being who is involved in the business processes and who is taken into consideration.      #WeareWEPA #together #WEPApprentice

Gaining new perspectives and learning from each other at the WEPA Sustainability Days 💚 This week at our Sustainability Days, the commitment of our European Leadership Team to our sustainability transformation was tangible. A programme full of inspiring perspectives, intense discussions and joint activities involved our European Leadership Team and valuable partners from across the value chain. The live format as a platform for exchange and collaboration helped to broaden everyone's horizons through inspiring presentations and open discussions, while developing next steps for an even more sustainable future at WEPA. Over 150 participants received valuable input from external experts and took part in hands-on workshops at our WEPA plant in Mainz. The results were immediately tangible, as the event concept not only enabled participants to deepen their own knowledge, but also generated enthusiasm that our leaders will now pass on to the WEPA teams and the entire organisation. The Sustainability Days are a platform for sharing and networking around sustainability, learning from each other and laying the foundation for long-term positive change throughout our organisation and value chain. #WeAreWEPA #SustainabilityDays #LeadershipDays #Sustainability #togetherforabetterfuture

Behind the tissue: Michael Eckart, Leader Maintenance   I grew up just one and a half kilometres from the paper mill in Kriebstein (DE) in the small village of Höfchen. That had an impact on me in two ways – I’ve really treasured the nature here since I was a child, and the paper mill’s been my professional home for 34 years.   After leaving school I wanted to study hydraulic engineering but changed to paper technology, which, as I now know, was a good decision. Following my degree course in Dresden I joined VEB Papierfabrik Kriebstein as a technologist in 1990 – that same year the company had been newly founded as Kübler & Niethammer Papierfabrik Kriebstein AG after being acquired again by the Niethammer family.   That company also started working with WEPA in 1990, and setting up a joint venture in the form of a joint production plant for handkerchiefs laid the foundation for the future cooperation. In 2001 the hygiene paper division of Kübler & Niethammer was completely taken over by WEPA, which meant I also transferred to WEPA. With the full integration of Kübler & Niethammer in 2023, my ‘old’ colleagues from Kübler & Niethammer are now with me again after more than twenty years.   Over the years I played an important role in restructuring the plant and the new construction of both paper machines, and in 2006 I became the technical head of maintenance. Together with the employees from this area we formed a strong team, so a lot of projects could be developed and carried out. “We turned everything completely upside down,” as they say.   At WEPA I can also put into practice my keenness for voluntary nature conservation: privately I’m involved in amphibian conservation, I’m the chairman of our hunting club and I also hunt myself. I also support NABU (a nature conservation association) with ringing birds of prey, which have nested in the old water tower on our company premises for many years. Thanks to the WEPA Foundation we installed nesting boxes for swifts on a new building, as well as kestrel boxes and barn owl boxes.   And nature conservation doesn’t just sound good, it tastes good as well: people say the honey from our WEPA bees is the best in the region... #WeareWEPA #together #career

Made in Germany - Made by Vielfalt 🌍🤝 In der Vielfalt liegt die Stärke unseres europäischen Familienunternehmens. Bei WEPA wird Vielfalt als Teil unserer Kultur aktiv gelebt. Menschen aus über 50 Nationen arbeiten heute bei uns Hand in Hand und geben täglich ihr Bestes als ein starkes Team. Die gegenseitige Inspiration und das voneinander Lernen sind unverzichtbare Treiber unseres Fortschritts – sowohl als Unternehmen als auch als Gesellschaft. Deshalb sind wir, gemeinsam mit über 40 namhaften deutschen Familienunternehmen, Teil der Initiative „Made in Germany. Made by Vielfalt“. Denn Vielfalt ist nicht nur ein wesentlicher Treiber für Wachstum und wirtschaftlichen Erfolg, sondern auch das Fundament unserer Demokratie. 👇 Hier findet ihr weitere Informationen: https://lnkd.in/eVMth7gh #MadeByVielfalt #ErfolgDurchVielfalt #ZukunftDurchVielfalt #MiteinanderVielfältig #WeareWEPA