The purchasing department of Trox SE has received the "Sustainable Supply Award 2025" from the Federal Association for Materials Management, Purchasing and Logistics e.V. (BME) for the development of a global sustainability strategy in the supply chain. The BME awarded the manufacturer of components for building ventilation on November 12 during the opening plenary of the 60th Symposium for Purchasing and Logistics in Berlin for the project "Sustainability Procurement Transformation."
Sustainability as part of the corporate strategy
Trox operates worldwide with 32 subsidiaries and is represented in more than 80 countries on five continents. The goal of the 2021-initiated initiative was to develop, based on the corporate strategy, a decentralized purchasing organization with country-specific differences into a homogeneous organization, in which purchasing processes are standardized and automated taking sustainability criteria into account. One of the key approaches in purchasing
was to develop a global policy for sustainable procurement and to roll it out worldwide. Existing policies and contracts were systematically revised and aligned with the new requirements.
Buyer–Supplier Cooperation on an Equal Footing
The sustainability goals are implemented in close cooperation with the suppliers. A uniform terminology and clear standards were defined, understood and implemented by all participants. They form the basis for Trox's supply chain management, which is carried into the further supply chain by the direct suppliers. Together with the suppliers, environmental impacts are to be measurably reduced, social responsibility assumed, and business relationships strengthened in the long term through sustainable strategies.
An important aspect is also the direct exchange with suppliers on site. For Trox buyers, the topic of sustainability and the development of joint sustainability potentials has meanwhile become an inherent part of supplier
discussions, according to the manufacturer.
Commitment Achieved
Another central component of the sustainability strategy is the training of employees and suppliers. "The most important topic of the sustainability strategy is the responsibility in the supply chain. Our understanding of responsibility includes the consent and understanding of the suppliers, who in turn propagate the Trox approaches into their own supply chain," emphasizes Trox's head of purchasing, Oliver Casper.
It was also crucial that procurement had the full backing of management for the consistent implementation of the sustainable procurement strategy.
"Trox has the goal of thinking sustainably in the long term. We invest in the future viability of our products, which is demonstrably influenced by the quality of a good supplier base," says Trox board member Udo Jung.
Results and Next Steps:
- Procurement processes affected by sustainability aspects have been globally
- fully transformed and systematically digitized
- Global sustainability transparency has been raised worldwide to more than 90 percent
- The supplier code-of-conduct compliance rate stands at 100 percent of production materials
- A global KPI system is implemented at almost 100 percent
In a next step, CO2 reduction targets should be bindingly agreed with the suppliers in order to achieve TROX's climate goals without purchasing CO2 certificates. Particularly engaged suppliers will be recognized within the framework of Lieferantages 2026 for their commitment to the topic of "Sustainability".
As part of the opening plenary of the BME Symposium, awards were also given in three other categories: Sven-Uwe Erber, Head of Purchasing and Supplier Quality at Brose SE, was awarded the "CPO of the Year 2025" award. The "Procurement Excellence Award 2025 (SMEs)" went to Vemag, and the "Procurement Excellence Award (Large Enterprises) 2025"
