Page 11 - Hoftex Annual Report 2018 EN

recycled/renewable fibres for years now. Around the world TENOWO completely refrains from the use of halogen and antimony-containing flame retardants.
The companies of the Hoftex Group are subject to regular audits in an effort to maintain and syste- matically improve our safety, quality and sustainability standards, which ultimately results in a more efficient and more profitable enterprise. The numerous certifications we have received document and guarantee for our stakeholders our strong commitment. Within our industry, we are also acknow- ledged and valued as a reliable partner.
The companies in the Hoftex Group have agreed to comply with applicable legal health, safety and environmental requirements in every location. Ensuring our employees remain healthy and have a safe workplace is our number one priority. We strive to continuously improve work processes and plant safety. Our employees receive regular training to help identify and prevent workplace hazards.
Alongside the financial performance indicators used for corporate management, our management teams also focus on other non-financial metrics such as complaint costs, energy consumption and on-time deliveries.
Research and development activities in innovative textile solutions are another building block in our strategy of positioning the Group as a global supplier and partner. And partnerships with research facilities and institutes are just as important a factor in this as our joint development work with customers. We focus on delivering customers optimum products that meet high quality standards at competitive prices. Our application-oriented sales staff define specific customer requirements early on to ensure they are incorporated into development work on established products and new advan- cements.
Our long-standing collaboration partners include the Hof University of Applied Sciences, DITF Denkendorf, the Saxon Textile Research Institute Chemnitz, Dresden University of Technology and RWTH Aachen, among others. Our development expertise and technological know-how is intelligently enhanced in collaborative projects.
1.5. Control system
The focus of research and development activities in the year under review included further enhancing product qualities, identifying new applications for our products and the environmentally friendly use of raw materials. Using recycled or biodegradable raw materials is becoming increasingly important. The TENOWO division developed nonwoven textiles made of recycled carbon fibres using a special manufacturing process to create products with unique properties in terms of strength and further processability for new fields of application. This development work prompted TENOWO to create the new “carbon compound” product group. The NEUTEX division focuses on creating new designs and additional product features using new weaving techniques or the use of new materials. The HOFTEX division’s main area of emphasis is the development of customer-specific yarns and threads.
1.6. Research and development
Letter to Shareholders Supervisory Board Report Group Management Report Consolidated Financial Statements Annexes
The financial performance indicators decisive for corporate management include sales, EBITDA and total investments. Operating result, operating cash flow, and headcount by division are additional key indicators. The financial control system enables us to measure the achievement of division targets. The divisions provide the Management Board with regular, detailed reports on business performance. This information enables the Management Board to implement measures to counteract unsatisfactory developments in a timely manner.
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