Climate protection in professional training

Sustainability has been part of the powder coating manufacturer’s DNA for decades. All fifteen of the company’s second- and third-year apprentices got involved in the IGP Company Challenge. In teams of three, they were tasked with developing projects to increase IGP Powder Coatings’ contribution to environmental protection and mitigating climate change. The IGP Company Challenge was carried out in partnership with the myclimate foundation. In workshops led by myclimate’s experts, the trainees were taught informative facts on the topic of sustainability and climate protection as well as useful project management skills.

e-mobility for IGP
From the end of October 2021 to late February 2022, five teams worked on projects to increase climate protection and sustainability at IGP under the guidance of myclimate. IGP’s employees and an in-house jury then chose their favorite project. On May 17, 2022 the team behind the project “Zero-carbon mobility at the point of use” was announced as the winner. Gabriel Dodes, Lea Ziegler, and Lukas Wild developed their idea to replace the company’s existing vehicle fleet with electric or hybrid cars and build suitable charging stations. They convinced management by providing relevant data and a cost breakdown in support of their conclusion that the project makes both economic and environmental sense. “These three trainees showed great commitment to their idea and invested a lot of time in the necessary research. In the process, they learned a lot about the topic of e-mobility. And they have convinced us. The first step will involve the building of charging stations to allow our employees and customers to charge their electric cars in the IGP parking lot in the future. Replacing the company fleet is an option we are looking into – the cars are still too new to replace them all,” reports Marc Züllig, CEO.

Engraved solar panel at the foot of the Kronberg mountain
The members of the winning team each received a certificate and are also joint sponsors of a solar panel on the solar folding roof at the Kronberg mountain resort, which is engraved with each member’s name. The panel will bear the apprentices’ names for 15 years. In addition, they each received a voucher for a day of fun at the Kronberg mountain resort. The Company Challenge has been a huge plus for IGP. “These young people have inspired us with their commitment. And it was great to see them tackling the topic of sustainability and learning new things. We will run the IGP Company Challenge again in 2023,” says Marc Züllig, CEO.

Further information

IGP Powder Coatings
With around 570 employees worldwide, IGP develops powder coating solutions for use on steel, aluminum, hot-dip galvanized substrates, and even wood. Internationally, the company achieves an annual turnover of SFR 150 million and is a leader in the powder coating industry. The company employs around 27 apprentices across seven professions at its headquarters in Wil.
www.igp-powder.com
www.igp-company-challenge.com

The myclimate foundation
myclimate acts as a partner for effective climate protection – globally and locally. Together with partners from the business community as well as private individuals, myclimate aims to shape the future through consulting and educational services as well as its own projects. As a non-profit organization, myclimate pursues this goal in a market-oriented and customer-focused manner.
www.myclimate.org

Solar folding roof at the Kronberg mountain resort
Since the summer of 2020, a unique attraction has been admired by visitors in the parking lot of the Kronbergbahn cableway – the 4,000 sqm solar folding roof built by SAK. The innovative 1,320-panel solar array produces renewable energy while also providing shade for up to 152 parked cars. The green energy produced on site is equivalent to the consumption of up to 70 households and is mainly used to power the Kronbergbahn cable railway.
The SAK solar folding roof at the Kronberg mountain resort

Your contact
Carmen Lama
Corporate Communications
071 929 81 09
carmen.lama@igp-powder.com