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89 PUNKTE UND ERNEUT FAIR WEAR LEADER

89 PUNKTE UND ERNEUT FAIR WEAR LEADER

Ein Ergebnis, auf das wir stolz sind: Auch im aktuellen Brand Performance Check der Fair Wear wurde HAKRO erneut in die Kategorie „Leader“ eingestuft. Mit 89 von 100 Punkten konnten wir unser Ergebnis gegenüber dem Vorjahr um drei Punkte verbessern. Der Brand Performance Check bewertet, wie Unternehmen ihre Verantwortung für Menschenrechte in der Lieferkette in konkrete Prozesse und Maßnahmen übersetzen. Im Mittelpunkt stehen dabei unter anderem die Beschaffungsstrategie, das Risikomanagement, der Umgang mit festgestellten Risiken sowie Präventions- und Verbesserungsmaßnahmen. Fortschritt, der sich konkret zeigtFair Wear hebt in ihrem aktuellen Bericht besonders unsere langfristige Zusammenarbeit mit Produktionspartnern hervor. 92 Prozent unseres Produktionsvolumens stammen von Partnern, mit denen wir seit mindestens fünf Jahren zusammenarbeiten. Langfristige Beziehungen, stabile Bestellmengen und eine vorausschauende Produktionsplanung schaffen dabei verlässliche Rahmenbedingungen für die Zusammenarbeit. Auch unser Risikomanagement wurde im aktuellen Check positiv bewertet. Denn wir betrachten Risiken nicht nur auf Länderebene, sondern auch auf Lieferanten-, Produkt-, Beschaffungs- und Geschäftsmodellebene. Die Ergebnisse fließen in die weitere Zusammenarbeit mit unseren Produktionspartnern ein. Unterstützt wird dieser Prozess zunehmend durch unser digitales Risk Hub. Ein weiterer Bestandteil ist unser iMPACT-Programm. Die Ergebnisse aus Audits, Gesprächen mit Beschäftigten, Worker Sentiment Surveys und weiteren Quellen werden genutzt, um gemeinsam mit unseren Partnern konkrete Maßnahmen abzuleiten und deren Umsetzung zu überprüfen. Aktionspläne bestehen inzwischen für nahezu 100 Prozent unseres Produktionsvolumens. Fair Wear hebt außerdem hervor, dass bei den Maßnahmen systematisch eine Gender-Perspektive berücksichtigt wird. Auch bei Themen wie Arbeitnehmervertretung, Beschwerdemechanismen und sozialem Dialog haben wir im vergangenen Jahr weitere Maßnahmen umgesetzt. Dazu gehören beispielsweise Trainings für Beschäftigte, die Unterstützung von Grievance Management Committees und Maßnahmen zur Stärkung von Arbeitnehmervertretungen. Ein gutes Ergebnis – und kein EndpunktDer erneute Leader-Status ist für uns eine Bestätigung der Entwicklungen der vergangenen Jahre. Gleichzeitig zeigt der Brand Performance Check auch, wo wir weiterarbeiten wollen. Ein Schwerpunkt bleibt unsere Living-Wage-Strategie bis 2030. Dabei geht es unter anderem darum, die Transparenz über Arbeitskosten weiter zu verbessern und gemeinsam mit Produktionspartnern und Arbeitnehmervertretungen konkrete Wege zur Schließung von Lohnlücken zu entwickeln. Darüber hinaus wollen wir Trainingsangebote für Produktionspartner und Beschäftigte weiter ausbauen und den sozialen Dialog sowie Arbeitnehmervertretungen weiter stärken. Denn für uns bedeutet Weiterentwicklung nicht, einen bestimmten Status zu erreichen und dabei stehen zu bleiben. Der Brand Performance Check zeigt uns, welche Prozesse bereits gut funktionieren – und ebenso, wo wir genauer hinschauen und weiter an konkreten Verbesserungen arbeiten können. 89 Punkte und erneut Leader: Darüber freuen wir uns. Und gleichzeitig nehmen wir die nächsten Schritte in den Blick. Unseren vollständigen Brand Performance Check findet ihr hier: HAKRO BRAND PERFORMANCE CHECK

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40 Jahre HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim. Eine Partnerschaft, die verbindet.

40 Jahre HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim. Eine Partnerschaft, die verbindet.

40 Jahre Pure Magic. Wenn man auf diese Geschichte blickt, geht es um weit mehr als Basketball. Es geht um Menschen, die vor vier Jahrzehnten mit einer Idee gestartet sind. Um Ehrenamtliche, die unzählige Stunden investiert haben. Um Spieler, Trainer, Fans, Partner und Sponsoren, die den Verein über viele Jahre geprägt haben. Und um eine Gemeinschaft, die gezeigt hat, was entstehen kann, wenn Leidenschaft, Zusammenhalt und der Glaube an eine gemeinsame Vision zusammenkommen. Als Namenssponsor begleiten wir die HAKRO Merlins seit vielen Jahren. In dieser Zeit haben wir sportliche Erfolge, emotionale Höhen und auch herausfordernde Phasen erlebt. Was uns dabei immer beeindruckt hat: Der Charakter dieses Vereins war nie von Tabellenplätzen abhängig. Vielmehr sind es die Werte dahinter, die die Merlins auszeichnen und die sie zu etwas Besonderem machen. Leidenschaft. Bodenständigkeit. Mut. Teamgeist. Verantwortung für die Region. Genau deshalb verbindet uns so viel mehr als eine Sponsoringpartnerschaft. Wir teilen den Anspruch, Menschen zusammenzubringen, Chancen zu schaffen und unsere Heimat aktiv mitzugestalten. Das 40-jährige Jubiläum hat in diesem Jahr viele Gelegenheiten geschaffen, auf die Geschichte der Merlins zurückzublicken. Auch wir durften bei der Jubiläumsgala zu Jahresbeginn Teil dieser besonderen Reise sein und gemeinsam mit vielen Wegbegleitern feiern. Vor allem aber ist das Jubiläum ein Anlass, nach vorne zu schauen. Denn die Geschichte der HAKRO Merlins lebt nicht von ihrer Vergangenheit allein, sondern von den Menschen, die sie Tag für Tag weiterschreiben. Was einst als kleine Basketball-Abteilung begann, ist heute weit über die Region hinaus bekannt. Dabei ist eines geblieben: die Überzeugung, dass echte Erfolge nur gemeinsam entstehen. Wir sind stolz darauf, Teil dieser Geschichte zu sein. Und wir freuen uns auf viele weitere Kapitel voller Leidenschaft, Emotionen und Magic in Crailsheim. Herzlichen Glückwunsch zu 40 Jahren HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim. 💙 Einmal Merlin. Immer Merlin.

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Erfolgreiche ISO-Rezertifizierung

Erfolgreiche ISO-Rezertifizierung

Wenn unsere Kundinnen und Kunden ein HAKRO-Produkt in den Händen halten, sollen sie sich auf eines verlassen können: gleichbleibend hohe Qualität und einen Umgang mit Ressourcen, der nicht nur versprochen, sondern jährlich von unabhängigen Auditoren geprüft wird. Dafür haben wir erneut die Bestätigung erhalten: Unsere Managementsysteme nach ISO 9001 (Qualität) und ISO 14001 (Umwelt) haben das Rezertifizierungsaudit erfolgreich bestanden. Was auf den ersten Blick nach trockener Zertifizierung klingt, steckt voller Engagement: Unser Managementsystem (QMS) begleitet uns seit Jahren als echtes Herzensprojekt. Hier bündeln wir unser Wissen, verfeinern unsere Prozesse und sorgen dafür, dass sie im Alltag für alle greifbar bleiben. Ein großes Dankeschön geht an alle Kolleginnen und Kollegen, die mit ihrem Einsatz dafür sorgen, dass Qualität und Umweltmanagement bei uns nicht nur auf dem Papier stehen, sondern spürbar gelebt werden. Auch unsere internen Audits haben wir komplett neu gedacht — so decken wir Verbesserungspotenziale heute noch engmaschiger und gezielter auf und setzen sie direkt um. Eine schöne Bestätigung für das gesamte Team gab es zum Abschluss von den externen Auditoren: Sie hoben besonders unseren "HAKRO Spirit" hervor, der in den Gesprächen und im Umgang miteinander spürbar wurde.

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HAKRO bleibt Fair Wear Leader

HAKRO remains Fair Wear Leader

We’ve done it again: HAKRO is once more a Fair Wear Leader – and with an even better rating than last year. This award fills us with immense pride and confirms that we are on the right track: consistently upholding fair, safe and transparent supply chains. A key factor behind this award is our procurement approach, which is based on trust, stability and mutual responsibility. Many of our production partners have been with us for decades. Contracts with no fixed end date, fair payment terms, support through pre-financing, and the absence of penalty charges for delivery delays are a matter of course for us. Because we know that this is the only way to ensure fair working conditions in the long term. Equally important to us is systematic responsibility. Our risk management is guided by the OECD Guidelines; we avoid high-risk countries and focus on regions with strong trade unions. A gender perspective is also part of our ethos – from measures against gender-based violence to initiatives for equal pay. Furthermore, we develop action plans together with our partners that cover issues such as health, safety, freedom of association and gender equality. Since joining the Fair Wear Foundation in 2021, we have made steady progress. Initially, we were consistently rated ‘Good’; in 2024, we were awarded ‘Leader’ status for the first time – and now we have not only maintained this status but have even improved upon it. This renewed Leader status confirms that we are on the right track. At the same time, it spurs us on to pursue our goal with full vigour: by 2030, we aim to become the leading provider of integrated sustainable corporate wear. And this success shows us – we are closer than ever before. You can find more detailed insights into our findings in the latest Brand Performance Check.

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HAKRO x FILMFEST MÜNCHEN

HAKRO x FILMFEST MUNICH

In 2025, HAKRO became the official outfitter of the renowned FILMFEST MÜNCHEN for the first time – one of the most significant film festivals in the German-speaking world and a key meeting place for filmmakers, creative minds and film enthusiasts from all over the world. The collaboration with the festival marked a special milestone for us, as it combines our passion for sustainable, high-quality clothing with the promotion of art and culture. For the duration of the festival, we outfitted the entire organising team with functional yet stylish clothing that met the high demands of everyday festival life – comfortable, robust, responsibly produced and with a clear design ethos. This allowed us to demonstrate how sustainability, quality and a modern look can be perfectly combined. Furthermore, it was particularly important to us to actively support young talent: As sponsors of the HAKRO Young Jury Award, we sent a strong signal of our cultural commitment and underlined our support for the next generation of creative filmmakers. Our partnership with FILMFEST MÜNCHEN thus became a living example of how fashion and culture can interact in an inspiring way through a forward-looking collaboration.

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Perfect Match: Kool Savas x HAKRO

Perfect Match: Kool Savas x HAKRO

Kool Savas x HAKRO - Together we celebrate 50 years of the King of Rap!On 21 February 2025, Kool Savas writes music history: He celebrates his 50th birthday with thousands of fans at the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin - a milestone for the "King of Rap" and the entire German hip-hop scene. For us at HAKRO, it is a great honour to be part of history on this special evening.More than just a concert - a statement of quality and passion.We are not only equipping the entire team behind the scenes - from stagehands to sound engineers. No, we go one step further: the exclusive merch for 50 years of Kool Savas also comes from us. Whether hoodie or T-shirt - made with the attention to detail that connects Savas' music and our textiles."I really appreciate working with HAKRO. Just like me, they focus on quality and durability. It's a perfect match." - Kool SavasHow this collaboration came aboutThis collaboration is more than just a ‘business’ project for us - it is the result of genuine enthusiasm. Our shop manager Danny is one of Kool Savas' biggest fans. His passion for his music led to initial contacts and ultimately to this great partnership. In a video on our social media channels, he tells the whole story - a story of fan love, respect and genuine connection.https://www.instagram.com/reel/DF2YLuaITw_/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==We are already looking forward to celebrating 50 years of Kool Savas together this evening. 🎤🔥Follow us on Instagram - there you can expect many more specials about Kool Savas, including his 2026 tour. stay tuned! https://youtu.be/f4nQokxKT1A

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HELLO AGAIN: HAKRO schließt den Textilkreislauf

HELLO AGAIN: HAKRO closes the textile loop

HAKRO is one of the first German textile companies to implement a genuine circular economy together with customers and partners. The workwear supplier takes back worn-out products and uses their recycled fibres for its new circular label HELLO AGAIN. Around 5.8 million tonnes of used textiles are produced every year in Europe alone. The majority of this is thermally utilised in waste incineration. This means that huge quantities of valuable resources are lost. Recycling is the order of the day, yet today less than 1 per cent of used textile fibres are processed into new clothing. Up to now, there has been a lack of logistical structures and technical possibilities to process the fibres of used clothing in a closed cycle and use them for the production of new textiles.HAKRO is known for its particularly durable workwear. As part of the resource-intensive textile industry, the company is aware of its responsibility towards the environment, climate and society. HAKRO clothing is developed for the heavy demands of everyday working life and is produced under fair conditions. It lasts much longer than average clothing, but at some point even a long-lasting HAKRO garment is worn out. That is why HAKRO is actively looking for solutions that will enable the fibres used in its products to be reused several times in the future. There are already examples in other sectors. The principle of material cycles has proven itself in paper, glass and PET recycling. Together with the fibre recycling start-up TURNS®, HAKRO has now been able to establish its own closed material cycle for cotton fibres. In the long term, the circular recycling of all HAKRO material blends and products is planned. HAKRO Managing Director Carmen Kroll comments: ‘As a manufacturer of high-quality workwear, we are committed to a sustainable value chain. This goes beyond the last working day of the textiles. Until now, we have unfortunately had little influence on the disposal of our products. We are therefore very pleased to now be able to offer our customers a sustainable end-of-life solution.We have found the best partner for this in the start-up TURNS®. The recycling experts offer an innovative all-round carefree solution, they handle the entire logistics and control the quality of the recycling process. I was impressed by the concept of the two founders right from the start. That's why I'm delighted to be able to support them as a business angel.’The TURNS® fibre cycle starts with AI-based material recognition. The used textiles are first sorted according to colour and fibre properties, then the fibres are removed from the material using fine needles and processed with fresh, sustainable cotton to create new yarns and cotton knitwear. Some work steps currently still have to be carried out by hand, which is labour-intensive, but the entire recycling process should be automated by the end of 2024. In contrast to chemical recycling, in which the material is synthetically broken down into its basic building blocks using a great deal of energy and cotton is downcycled into cellulose, the fibre structure is retained in fibre-to-fibre recycling. However, the fibres are shortened slightly during each recycling process and are therefore not yet suitable for the production of the particularly robust and durable HAKRO workwear. However, textiles for everyday use can be produced from the recycled fibres without any problems. So HAKRO came up with the idea of adding a modern casual line to its workwear.The new brand is called HELLO AGAIN. It consists of casually cut T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants and hoodies in a comfortable oversized style in natural and pastel colours. The colours are partly derived from the recycled fibres used. This allows the origin of the textile to be experienced in a subtle way, giving the styles a special authenticity. The proportion of recycled fibres is already 30 percent and is set to increase further as the possibilities of textile technology grow. The first HELLO AGAIN textiles are expected to be available at the beginning of next year. The new, sustainable label is aimed at a broader target group than classic HAKRO workwear. The marketing and sales strategy will therefore also differ significantly from HAKRO's strategy. Jürgen Pruy, Head of Sales & Partnerships, is particularly proud that HAKRO is already setting the course for the goals of the EU Green Deal guidelines to be achieved by 2030 and explains: ‘The circular economy can only really get off the ground together with specialist retail partners, consumers and the entire industry. There is an urgent need for catalysts. In line with the motto test, learn, build bigger, we have simply set off on our journey. The positive feedback from many customers and stakeholders gives us a real boost. We hope that this will perhaps also inspire others to actively implement a circular textile economy.’ www.turns.dewww.helloagain-loop.com

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INGB - Der erste Integriert nachhaltige Geschäftsbericht 2022

INGB - The first Integrated Sustainable Annual Report 2022

We are breaking new ground with our first Integrated Sustainable Annual Report 2022. We are combining what belongs together. In a time that calls for prudence and foresight, we are making sustainable entrepreneurial action our HAKRO corporate core. With the Integrated Sustainable Annual Report, we are continuing our previous sustainability reporting. We have big plans, because we want to be the leading integrated sustainable provider of corporate wear by 2030. If you want to achieve this, you have to lead the way. And those who do so will not be able to avoid ‘firsts’. Because it takes courage to try something new without a manual. The name ‘First’ of the Integrated Sustainable Annual Report therefore says it all: For the first time, we have integrated the most important stakeholder groups into a comprehensive strategy development process. First and foremost our employees, but also many retailers and production partners have given free rein to their creativity. For the first time, we had our programme for enforcing human and labour rights in global supply chains audited according to the demanding criteria of the Fair Wear Foundation (Fair Wear). We have been a Fair Wear member since January 2021 and achieved ‘Good’ status in the first Brand Performance Check in April 2022. For the first time, we are making our entire collection climate-neutral. The previous and planned measures to avoid and reduce production-related greenhouse gas emissions encourage us to offset the remaining emissions via an ambitious climate protection project, starting with the 2022 collection. Why ‘integrated sustainable’? ‘Sustainability doesn't belong big and fancy on the flags, but right at the top of the agenda. For all of us, not as an appendix to routine and certainly not as a green fig leaf, but as a natural part of our collective actions. Because sustainability is not a trend. It is an integral part of the clothing industry. We cannot and must not do anything other than take care of it,’ explain our HAKRO Managing Directors Carmen Kroll, Thomas Müller and Danny Jüngling. Since 2015, we at HAKRO have provided annual transparency on our sustainability performance. The last sustainability report entitled ‘Holds’ was published in 2019 for the 2018 reporting year. The Integrated Sustainable Annual Report 2022 contains information for the 2019 - 2021 financial years, takes stock of the five-year sustainability strategy cycle ‘Active Ingredient 2017 - 2022’ and explains the future path of HAKRO GmbH: How the framework conditions and the context of the wide range of business activities will develop. What the understanding of responsible business is in view of all this. What roadmap the company has set itself with its vision, mission and goals. How the HAKRO Corporate Compass sets out binding rules, values and responsibility. And the important role that partners play in this, as well as appreciative dialogue, cooperation, trust and co-creation. The report has been prepared in accordance with the GRI Standards (2021 version) and fulfils the transparency requirements for a social report in accordance with Fair Wear (FWF) for the first time. It is also a progress report for the UN Global Compact (UNGC) and the WIN Charter of the state of Baden-Württemberg.View the INGB in PDF format now.

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HAKRO MEILEINSTEIN 2023: "CRADLE TO CRADLE CERTIFIED®"-ZERTIFIZIERUNG

HAKRO MILE STONE 2023: CERTIFICATION “CRADLE TO CRADLE CERTIFIED®”

The global standard ‘Cradle to Cradle Certified®’ is awarded by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute (C2CPII), a non-profit organisation that aims to promote the circular economy and ensure safe products. In the certification process, the institute checks material and product properties in relation to five categories: Material Health, Material Cycle, Renewable Energy, Water Management and Social Responsibility. The certifications are based on strict criteria and are divided into bronze, silver, gold and platinum levels. The levels reflect not only the quality of the individual components of a product, but also the depth of data collection.With 14 T-shirts and polo shirts made from 100% cotton from its partner company in Bangladesh, the corporate clothing supplier HAKRO GmbH achieved ‘C2C Certified®’ certification at bronze level straight away. ‘We want to be the leading provider of integrated sustainable corporate clothing by 2030,’ says Carmen Kroll, who is the second generation to manage the medium-sized family business with 200 employees. ‘After we became the first provider of corporate clothing to make our entire collection climate-neutral at the beginning of 2022, the C2C Certified® certification of our cotton products from Bangladesh is another milestone in our sustainable business strategy.’ She sees this first ‘C2C Certified®’ certification process as a pilot project and already has her sights set on the comprehensive expansion of ‘C2C Certified®’ certifications for HAKRO.Antonia Hammel, responsible for the ‘C2C Certified®’ certification at HAKRO, comments: ‘A ’C2C Certified®" certification is a very demanding and complex process from all points of view. Achieving bronze status with 14 products is a great success, but for HAKRO it's just the beginning. In line with our high standards in all sustainability issues, we also want to have the model range from other production sites certified."Commenting on the decision to undergo the first ‘C2C Certified®’ certification for HAKRO T-shirts and polo shirts from Bangladesh, project manager Antonia Hammel from the Purchasing, Quality & Development department says: ‘Our long-standing production partner in Bangladesh runs a vertically integrated operation that bundles several production stages at one location, so that we were able to obtain the comprehensive data required for certification from a single source.’Implementing a genuine circular economy is still a major challenge in many areas, including the textile industry. Although the ‘Cradle to Cradle Certified®’ certification guarantees the recyclability of textiles and thus their suitability in principle for closed material cycles, the certificate alone is not enough to make this a reality. "For a complete translation of the recyclability of materials into actual closed-loop management, more is needed than a commitment at company level. Currently, for example, there is still a lack of corresponding industry infrastructure in Germany. But HAKRO has staying power, and we are working shoulder to shoulder with like-minded market players, pioneers, NGOs and providers of joint solutions to achieve this goal," says Antonia Hammel, describing HAKRO's corporate commitment.HAKRO Managing Director Carmen Kroll explains why the company has been acting comprehensively and consistently sustainably for many years: "Sustainability is not a marketing trend for us. At HAKRO, sustainability is right at the top of the agenda and is an integral part of our integrated sustainable business strategy. Our aim is to set a good example in the textile industry, to show what is possible and to encourage other companies to take the path to a sustainable future seriously."

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iMPACT PROGRAM – ein gemeinsam entwickeltes Auditsystem

iMPACT PROGRAM - a jointly developed audit system

Sustainability is always a top priority at HAKRO. That is why we are continuously working to further develop our entire supply chain and make it even more sustainable. Together with the clothing company OLYMP Bezner KG, we have developed a comprehensive audit programme as part of our corporate duty of care, which will serve as the basis for our sustainability management along the entire supply chain. ‘The growing challenges within global supply chains can be solved much better together, which is why it is worth leaving familiar thought patterns behind and joining forces in co-operations. Especially if you want to achieve a big impact,’ says Carmen Kroll, Managing Director of HAKRO. How can apparel brands improve the sustainable development of their global production facilities in future and use audits as part of their corporate duty of care less as a monitoring tool and more as a basis for sustainability management? ‘Our teams first defined the requirements that an audit must fulfil for us. Together with ELEVATE Ltd. in Hong Kong, one of the world's leading providers of sustainability and supply chain services, we then developed our audit programme in a nine-month process,’ says Jochen Schmidt, Head of Quality, Values & Sustainability at HAKRO. As two of the approximately 140 members of the multi-stakeholder initiative Fair Wear Foundation, both HAKRO and OLYMP are among the clothing brands that have committed themselves to ensuring fair working conditions in the textile industry. ‘That's why it was important to us right from the start to involve the experts from the Fair Wear Foundation in the development process and incorporate their valuable suggestions into the audit programme,’ reports Jochen Schmidt. The result: a joint audit programme called the ‘iMPACT Programme’. The acronym iMPACT is formed from the English terms ‘Insight’, ‘Motivation’, ‘Partnership’, ‘Action’, ‘Capacity Building’ and ‘Transparancy’, which characterise the principles of the programme. The iMPACT Programme focuses primarily on the people within the supply chain, provides honest and in-depth insights into production conditions and is intended to motivate partner companies and clients alike to act together and in partnership, develop expertise in safeguarding social standards and ensure the highest possible level of transparency. In this way, the iMPACT programme creates the basis for continuous further development in a spirit of partnership with the aim of actively improving the situation of people in the supply chain. To this end, employees within the production facility are also involved in evaluation processes so that any problems can be identified directly and effective improvements can be made. Our aim for the future is to make our jointly developed iMPACT PROGRAMME available to other companies in the textile and clothing industry.

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FAIR WEAR BRAND PERFORMANCE CHECK 2022

FAIR WEAR BRAND PERFORMANCE CHECK 2022

We have been a member of Fair Wear since January 2021. As an internationally recognised multi-stakeholder initiative, Fair Wear audits textile companies and the working conditions in production facilities in accordance with the Fair Wear Code of Conduct. By joining Fair Wear, we have now taken the essential next step and are committed to the highest social standards - a stringent further development of our previous measures for fair and safe working conditions in the factories of our production partners. As a multi-stakeholder initiative, Fair Wear offers us unique support through its broad expertise on social standards in the textile sector, not least through its extensive network of different stakeholders and players. As part of our Fair Wear membership, we formulate an annual work plan with measures for the coming year. In an annual Brand Performance Check, we are reviewed with regard to our supplier management, our sustainability management, our supply chain monitoring and the measures derived from this to ensure social justice in production and our purchasing behaviour. We successfully completed our first Brand Performance Check at the beginning of April 2022. We achieved ‘Good’ status straight away, which makes us very happy. With 60 points, our performance is well above the score required for membership in the first year. In total, we audited 73% of our production volume - this also exceeds the threshold for first-year members. We had to postpone the auditing of our production partners in Laos until 2022 due to the pandemic. ‘HAKRO has performed well in its first year and laid a strong foundation. We are pleased to see that HAKRO works so closely with Olymp, another Fair Wear member, and maintains strong partnerships with its production partners. We are excited to see the progress and developments towards living wages,’ says Wilco van Bokhorst, our Fair Wear Foundation Brand Performance Checker. ‘For two days, Wilco van Bokhorst, our performance checker/auditor, scrutinised us from top to bottom,’ says Anna Rüchardt, responsible for Fair Wear membership in the Quality, Values & Sustainability department, ’The two days were exciting, instructive, intensive and exhausting, especially as the entire audit was conducted in English. But we came through with flying colours - big thanks to everyone who supported us with the preparations and answered Wilco's questions’.You can find the link to our first social report here. 

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KOLLABORATION STATT KONKURRENZ

COLLABORATION INSTEAD OF COMPETITION

When it comes to sustainability, the players in the textile industry often face the same challenges, and yet every company and every brand often goes it alone and tries to master the challenges themselves. ‘However, we can achieve a much greater impact through dialogue, collaboration and co-creation,’ says Jochen Schmidt, Head of Quality, Values & Sustainability at HAKRO. In order to increase its clout, the Quality, Values & Sustainability division has organised a unique event concept - the IMPACT Barcamp. The innovative event took place for the first time on 20 and 21 October in the new showroom at HAKRO in Schrozberg, which is also the company's communication centre. Among the guests: around 40 sustainability managers from textile companies in the fashion and outdoor sectors as well as standard setters and solution providers such as Fair Wear, Cotton made in Africa and GoBlu. Under the motto ‘Action through Co-Creation’, the IMPACT Barcamp called for active participation. In contrast to traditional, pre-structured events, the agenda was jointly designed by all participants based on their current topics and interests. The only thing that was fixed at the beginning was the overarching theme of ‘sustainability in the textile industry’ - and the desire to make a difference together. ‘Learning from each other, sharing challenges, being inspired by new perspectives, discovering different and new paths together, thinking creatively and creating success together - all of this was at the centre of our first HAKRO IMPACT Barcamp,’ says a delighted Anna Rüchardt from the Quality, Values & Sustainability department at HAKRO. The first day was dedicated entirely to getting to know each other. After a welcome in the showroom and a brief introduction to the barcamp idea, a joint dinner and an exchange at the cocktail bar invited participants to deepen their contacts. The next morning, there was a call for active participation and the joint agenda was planned. The result: 16 sessions spread throughout the day on various challenges and issues. For example, one session was dedicated to traceability and transparency in supply chains, while another session focussed on the topic of seals and standards, while the parallel sessions dealt with greenwashing in sustainability communication and the search for the right way to deal with interfaces between the sustainability department, sales and marketing. After an exciting day of brainstorming, discussions and constructive exchange, the IMPACT Barcamp came to an end with dinner and a cosy get-together at the in-house Harry's Bar. ‘Admittedly, we were very nervous at the beginning about whether a barcamp was the right event format and how it would be received by our sustainability colleagues,’ recalls Jochen Schmidt. But the consistently positive feedback from the participants (‘Inspiring format, mind-blowing, mega!’) wiped away any concerns. ‘The IMPACT Barcamp was a real enrichment for all of us! We are delighted with the cheerful atmosphere and the new impulses that we were able to develop together. After the positive response, we can well imagine continuing the barcamp next year,’ adds Anna Rüchardt.

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