H.C. STARCK SOLUTIONS CORPORATE PRINCIPLES
Based on the analysis of H.C. Starck Solutions strengths and opportunities, several strategic principles were developed which guide us in everything we do and build the foundation for our corporate culture. It is key to our company’s success that we live shared values and strive for the same goals. The Corporate Principles illustrate these values and goals and spread them throughout the company. They are binding for all employees worldwide at any time.
Supply security
We provide secure and sustainable access to scarce materials and products. We enter partnerships with credible suppliers, actively developing new raw material sources along with promoting and enabling material reuse through recycling.
Continuous growth
We are the industry forerunner, enabling global megatrends and expanding our presence in all markets. We pursue growth projects and seek new business opportunities at every turn.
Market and technological leadership
We lead the market in size and technological competence. We strive to be “Number 1” through better processes, products, services and through strategic partnerships.
Customer Value
We provide high-performance materials and products tailored to meet customer demands. We are a dependable and preferred business partner. We know the value we generate for our customers – and get rewarded for it.
Excellence in everything we do
We continuously improve business processes, cost efficiency and quality. We are agile in reacting to customer demands, moving materials quickly from source to customer. We always do the right thing and keep to highest ethical and legal standards. We work in a process-oriented manner and we always decide on the basis of reviewed and verified data and facts.
Attractive and fair working environment
Our highest priority is to ensure the health and safety of our employees. We are strongly committed to both the personal and professional development of our employees. We leverage our culture based on engagement and ownership of all as well as on inspiring leadership. As a global player, diversity is an important success factor for our company.
SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
We respect nature and society and incorporate the interests of relevant parties into our decision-making processes. We improve energy and emission efficiency and observe the Charter on Conflict-free Raw Material Procurement. We maximize the positive impact of our products on the quality of life.
Commitment to Responsibility and Sustainability
As one of the leading companies in the field of high-performance refractory metal powders and parts, we contribute to improvements in the quality of life with our business activities, products and services, and create value that benefits our customers, shareholders, employees, suppliers and the public.
We are convinced that our sustained success rests on a variety of different factors, ranging from the skills of our employees, through active health and safety management, economic, ecological and energy efficiency, and product and process quality, all the way to adherence to ethical and social standards.
We accordingly acknowledge, respect and support the goals of Responsible Care® and sustainable development, especially with regard to compliance with legal requirements as an obligation for the management and responsibility of all employees.
We achieve this through:
- continuous improvements in our products and manufacturing processes with regard to quality, energy efficiency and the minimization of risks and effects on the environment, the safety and health of our employees, customers and the public
- intensive instruction and training of our employees as well as their active involvement
- transparent information for our customers
- safe handling and transport of our products and environmentally correct recycling of the products made from our materials
- targeted selection and development of our suppliers in the procurement of products and services
- process orientation and decision-making on the basis of reviewed and verified data and facts
Our management system enables us to initiate and coordinate our continuous improvement process, guaranteeing the sustainable development of our company.
The company accordingly provides the resources needed for this.
COMMITTED TO MANKIND AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Sustainable actions are closely linked to sustainable business. That’s because a company’s long-term success is dependent on it being able to create a business environment that takes the environmental, economic and social impact of its actions into account.
Solutions for today – and tomorrow
Our activities are driven by one goal – to develop solutions that meet the needs and requirements of individuals, society and markets today as well as profit future generations.
We offer concepts and products to improve man’s ecological footprint and quality of life, and continuously strive to optimize our environmental performance. To this end, we are actively engaged in recycling waste generated by past business activities.
As a company with a tremendous sense of social responsibility, H.C. Starck Solutions is concerned about the safety, health and protection of the people using its products.
As a globally active company, H.C. Starck Solutions complies with the laws and environmental standards of the companies and regions in which it does business and respects their individual ethical norms.
COMPLIANCE & RAW MATERIAL PROCUREMENT
H.C. Starck Solutions strategy for procuring raw materials is based on two principles: the continuous expansion of recycling activities, and the purchase of raw materials exclusively from suppliers with environmentally and socially sound business practices.
The stringent, globally applicable procurement guidelines detailed in the Responsible Supply Chain Management System (RSCM) guarantee that H.C. Starck Solutions buys raw materials only from suppliers who comply with strict requirements with regard to environmental protection, occupational safety and social responsibility.
Here H.C. Starck Solutions refers, among other things, to the positions set out by the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). And H.C. Starck Solutions won’t budge a single inch from this stance, even when faced with a shortage of resources, export quotas, and price fluctuations.
H.C. Starck Solutions tungsten supply chain has been declared free of “conflict minerals” following an independent audit by a third party auditor assigned by the Conflict Free Sourcing Initiative (CFSI), a joint effort by the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI).
CORPORATE CONDUCT
There are many reasons for our company’s success. In addition to our competencies, we expect a high sense of responsibility of all our employees. Our goal is to increase the company value and to achieve a higher added value in the interest of all stakeholders.
This goal is ingrained in the general framework, including legal parameters, social responsibility, Responsible Care, sustainable environmental protection, production and product safety, high productivity, optimal economic efficiency and customer orientation. As a globally operating company, H.C. Starck Solutions is exposed to public scrutiny and always abides by the rule of law. H.C. Starck Solutions would like to preserve and promote its good image.
Our business practice is in line with the legal systems of the various countries and regions in which we operate, with the rules of co-existence and the ethical standards which the company and its employees respect in Germany and abroad. Recognizing and fulfilling obligations is not always straightforward, but nevertheless vital.
The current Code of Conduct covers particularly important areas of responsibility. It encourages employees to seek advice when in doubt. Superiors or specialized departments are available to give counsel. This is necessary especially when others could be disadvantaged, personal harm threatens, having to handle a high risk or when the legal situation is unclear.
RAW MATERIAL PROCUREMENT
Raw material procurement at H.C. Starck Solutions relies on two pillars: the continuous expansion of its recycling activities and the fair, conflict-free and sustainable procurement of raw materials. We continuously strive to become independent from surging volatility and speculations on the raw materials market.
That is why we strongly focus on technology metal recycling to secure our conflict-free raw material supply chain.
H.C. Starck Solutions has unique expertise in recovering secondary materials as valuable commodities through environmentally-friendly and resource-efficient processes.
Using innovative technologies, we are recycling increasing volumes of post-industrial waste, slags, and scraps and turning them into high quality and high-performance technology metals.
RESPONSIBLE SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
We operate globally in accordance with stringent purchasing guidelines and process only raw materials acquired from conflict-free sources. Our responsible supply chain management ensures the primary raw materials we use are of conflict-free origin.
H.C. Starck purchases raw materials solely from suppliers that adhere to environmentally friendly and socially responsible conflict-free business practices.
H.C. Starck’s supplier audits are the core of RSCM operations used to trace the origin of raw materials and verify documentation. When inspecting the plausibility of submitted validations, H.C. Starck is able to draw on its exhaustive data and many years of experience to determine the origin of the used raw materials and collaborates exclusively with suppliers able to pass this auditing process.
Independently certified – industry first
Besides international standards such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and SA 8000, H.C. Starck Solutions RSCM also considers traceability, transparency and the adherence to far-reaching ethical, social and environmentally friendly principles for the purchase of raw materials. In addition, H.C. Starck Solutions commissioned independent auditors (BUREAU VERITAS Certification) to perform an extensive audit of its RSCM system and certify global implementation. Our RSCM activities are unique in the industry and we are recognized internationally for our high standards.
CONFLICT-FREE SMELTER
H.C. Starck Solutions condemns all activities in connection with the illegal or unlawful exploitation of mineral resources, no matter where such activities take place. We only purchase raw materials that are conflict-free and that meet the requirements of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas.
Thorough due diligence
We condemn all activities in connection with the unlawful exploitation of mineral resources, no matter where such activities take place. As part of this commitment we have implemented an on-going policy of only purchasing raw materials that are conflict-free and that meet the requirements of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas. The Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) (formerly Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative, CFSI) has declared H.C. Starck Solutions tantalum and tungsten supply chain free of conflict materials and lists H.C. Starck Solutions as Conflict-Free Smelter (CFS). We are one of the few companies to pass consecutive audits under the Conflict-Free Smelter Program (CFSP) since the start of the program.
Certified conflict-free raw material supply chain
H.C. Starck Solutions is a member of the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI), which has developed a due diligence system for a transparent raw material supply chain in conflict regions and monitors the implementation of the system in their member companies. In addition to that, H.C. Starck Solutions is a founding member of the Tungsten Industry–Conflict Minerals Council (TICMC) and also of the Public-Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals Trade (PPA) in support of government and private initiatives to develop conflict-free supply chain systems.
To guarantee that we purchase only conflict-free raw materials, we have implemented an approved Responsible Supply Chain Management System (RSCM). This system ensures efficient and competitive purchasing, and supports sourcing from suppliers that act in accordance with environmental and social sustainability. With a variety of control mechanisms, we perform thorough due diligence on all raw material offers based on current OECD and RMI guidelines before we sign any delivery contracts. We continuously strive to become independent from surging volatility and speculations on the raw materials market. That is why we strongly focus on technology metal recycling to secure our conflict-free raw material supply chain. Using innovative technologies, we are recycling increasing volumes of post-industrial waste, slags, and scraps and turning them into high quality and high-performance technology metals.
PRODUCT INNOVATION & PRODUCT QUALITY
H.C. Starck Solutions implements a range of certified management systems to ensure that its products are of consistently high quality.
But, obviously, that’s not all: long-term success requires innovations that can cope with the challenges of global markets and trends.
H.C. Starck Solutions portfolio helps its customers benefit from global megatrends such as the search for renewable energy, miniaturization, or high- performance applications. Technology metals and high-performance ceramics manufactured to special requirements enable our customers to create market-leading technological innovations, and thereby gain a clear competitive advantage.
Once again, H.C. Starck Solutions capacity for innovation is based on two pillars: a strong commitment to research and development, including joint projects with universities and research institutes, and its extensive expertise in application technology
Our employees in the research department work on the development and improvement of materials, products, and processes. They work closely with our customers’ applications technologists, as well as renowned universities and research institutes, for a direct linkage between research and applications technology. All new developments, whether product innovations or process improvements, are tested for their practical utility and modified for specific customer needs.
The results are impressive: Worldwide patens and patent applications as well as ongoing optimization of cost structures, stable product quality, and shorter processing times. In the area of recycling we have expanded our expertise to include other materials, and have developed new recycling technologies.
RECYCLING & ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Protecting the environment and conserving resources are firmly anchored in H.C. Starck Solutions corporate philosophy. H.C. Starck Solutions is one of the world‘s leading companies in the recycling of technology metals and recycled materials is a primary raw material input in our production process – putting it at the forefront in its industry as recycling refractory metals is technically very demanding.
Through the use of special processes, we are able to reprocess semi-finished products, components, powder metals, and compounds, after they have been used by customers, and channel them back into the material cycle – without any loss of quality.
Environmental protection, resource conservation, energy savings, and waste avoidance – economically and ethically, much speaks in favor of recycling
H.C. Starck Solutions is also constantly striving to optimize all its production processes to make them more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly.
Strategic partner of recycling-oriented industries
Our recycling expertise is based on years of development, and does more than just help us meet our own raw material demand. It makes us a strategic partner of industries focused on growth and recycling. With the increasing competition for raw materials, recycling is fast becoming a central element in stable raw material supplies.
With our “Closed-Loop” program, virtually all metals, materials, and parts from H.C. Starck Solutions can be recycled in a closed reuse loop. We process blanks, components, metal powders, and compounds after use, making the recycled products just as high performing as they were before reclamation.
EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT & OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
Social Responsibility
H.C. Starck Solutions bears responsibility for its employees, their development and safety. Furthermore, H.C. Starck Solutions plays an active role in society and participates in a multitude of diverse social activities.
Employee development & occupational safety
For us to achieve long-term success, we need qualified and committed employees.
For this reason, H.C. Starck Solutions focuses on employee development, for example through training courses and continuing education programs, and on having an inspirational corporate culture; it also places value on having effective health and occupational safety strategies.
The Talent Management team in the Human Resources department plans and coordinates all the company-wide activities aimed at recruiting, retaining, and developing the potential of employees. The Health & Safety teams ensure employees at every H.C. Starck Solutions plant in the world enjoy a healthy and safe working environment. H.C. Starck Solutions complies with internationally applicable health, safety, environmental and quality guidelines.
The company regularly carries out safety inspections and workplace risk analyses, and offers intensive training courses to inform employees about potential hazards and how to react correctly in emergency situations.
Society & community engagement
H.C. Starck Solutions focus is on having a strong local presence in the regions where its plants are located, and on development and growth in the chemicals sector.
This includes supporting young people in their academic and professional careers, contributing towards the dialog between science, business, and the community, and being active in professional networks.
There are numerous examples of H.C. Starck Solutions community and social involvement. For example, the company supports a range of scientific programs, and young scientists at universities, and also holds presentations at conferences worldwide. Company tours, school visits to give students a taste of what is involved in various occupations, partnerships, offers of work placements and diploma theses, and presentations at schools and universities are all designed to help young people get a clearer idea about their future professional goals.
H.C. Starck Solutions employees worldwide also participate in a multitude of diverse social activities.
MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Satisfied customers are the foundation of our long-term business success. As a result, our goal is to continually meet our customers’ expectations of our products and other services.
In order to reliably ensure that this is the case, the H.C. Starck Group has implemented various internal management systems. These are based on international standards and encompass of all areas of our company.
H.C. Starck Solutions leverages certified quality assurance tools and systems to ensure our materials are uniformly consistent, standardized, processable and pure. Our complex and demanding product approval procedures form the basis of our long-term customer relationships.
To ensure customer satisfaction, the optimization of our production processes and results, product quality and delivery reliability, we exploit a variety of manufacturing methods and techniques such as lean manufacturing, Kaizen, Six Sigma and the Theory of Constraints. In doing so, we are able to continually enhance productivity, process efficiency, waste reduction and our cost structure.
H.C. STARCK GROUP MANAGEMENT
Quality
Environmental
Occupational Safety
Energy
Aviation
Medical Technology
Laboratory Accreditation
Responsible Supply Chain Management
In addition to the existing management systems, one company in our Group, H.C. Starck GmbH, also employs an energy management system pursuant to ISO 50001 – one of the first companies in Germany to do so.
Furthermore, the H.C. Starck Group also operates what is known as a “Responsible Supply Chain Management System” (RSCM) based on international standards. This system ensures that the procurement of raw materials for the Group’s global production processes is carried out under consideration of social and ethical aspects.
We hire independent, internationally accredited certification organizations to objectively evaluate our management systems.
REACH
The European REACH regulation (EG 1907/2006) concerning the registration, evaluation, approval and restriction of chemicals came into force on June 1st, 2007. This new regulation is intended to provide a high level of protection and safety for human health and the environment. The implementation of the provisions of the regulation have given a key role to the principle of prevention.
The regulation specifies amongst other things the registration of those materials which are already being marketed within the European Union with tonnage-dependent transition deadlines (see table).
| Summary of regulation deadlines: | Scope | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 11/30/2010 | materials > 1000t/a or materials > 100 t/a R 50/53 or CMR-materials cat. 1 / 2 | Done |
| up to May 31st, 2013 | materials > 100 – 1000 t/a | Done |
| up to May 31st, 2018 | materials > 1 – 100 t/a | Done |
With respect to all questions concerning implementation of this regulation within our company, you can get in touch with the specialists of our REACH team at any time at the following e-mail address: ryan.dominak@hcstarcksolutions.com
