Production & Logistics
Henkel operates production sites in 57 countries. We also have administration, research and marketing sites, warehouses, and logistics centers in many countries. As a local employer and contractor, we stimulate the economic development of many regions. Efficient and modern production sites are a prerequisite for the production of high-quality branded products. The continuous improvement of our processes and structures, as well as the reduction of resource consumption and environmental burdens, are an important part of our promise of quality. This includes the worldwide transfer of knowledge and new technologies.
Worldwide Standards
Our safety, health and environment standards (SHE Standards) and our Social Standards apply to all of our sites worldwide. We carry out regular audits to ensure that our standards are properly implemented. The audits are a key instrument for identifying risks and potential improvements, and play a crucial role in the worldwide transfer of knowledge. To gain an integrated view of our regions, we are steadily expanding our audits to cover subcontractors and logistics centers as well.
We have our environmental management systems at the individual sites externally certified, if this yields competitive advantages. At the end of 2009, about 58 percent of the production volume came from sites certified to the international ISO 14001 environmental management standard.
Logistics
Our logistics planning is tailored to the nature of the products to be transported. For relatively bulky products, we reduce the transport mileage and the environmental burden by maintaining regional production sites. This applies especially to our Laundry & Home Care products, a well as to parts of the product portfolio of our Cosmetics and Consumer and Craftsmen Adhesives. More compact products with a low specific weight make fewer demands on transport, so we produce them centrally in large quantities wherever possible. Our instant and super glues, for examples, are produced at just a few production sites worldwide.
Continuous Improvements
Our production sites introduce individual measures and programs to respond to the challenges in the regions and align the company to local needs. The following are a number of exemplary projects implemented at site level through which the respective sites contribute to our focal areas.
Numerous projects for boosting energy efficiency. These included changing the lighting fixtures in two production lines, the installation of heat exchangers for steam generation, and switching to automatic control of the compressor ventilation and the air-conditioning systems. Result: Reduction of 22 percent in energy consumption.
Comprehensive efficiency and training measures, including the installation of fast rolling gates to avoid heat losses, and adjustment of the steam generation capacity. Result: Reduction of 24 percent in energy consumption and 25 percent in waste This positive development contributed to Körösladany being recognized as “Best Factory in Eastern Europe” in 2009.
Installation of an on-site steam generation plant as part of a comprehensive modernization project. Before, the site used to be supplied to by an external steam power plant. Considerable amounts of heat were lost as the steam was transported through long-distance pipelines, and the reliability of the supply was somewhat uncertain. Result: In addition to assuring continuity of energy supply to production, annual energy consumption was reduced by up to 30 percent.
Weekly monitoring of the water and energy consumption of the production lines. The resulting measures included renewing the hot water network, the complete recycling of the steam condensate, and pressure optimization in the steam and compressed air generation systems. Result: Reduction of 22 percent in water consumption and 12 percent in energy consumption.
Comprehensive analysis and overhaul of the existing plant for the generation of deionized water used in the production of liquid laundry detergents. Result: The new process cut the plant’s energy and water consumption by, respectively, 67 and 36 percent.
