Responsibility

Company policy

In keeping with our tradition as a family business and as part of a group of companies, our commitment to people, the social fabric and the environment in which we live is an integral part of our corporate policy. In addition to our responsibility for compliance with the applicable legal obligations, including compliance with food law, occupational health and safety and energy and environmental law, Gutschermühle is committed to a series of self-imposed principles that guide our actions.

 

 

 

Principles and values

 

With vision and courage, pioneering spirit, innovative, entrepreneurial and forward-looking thinking and action, together, hand in hand with our customers, we help shape the future of Gutschermühle and the success of our customers:  

  • Passion: We are passionate about what we do and put our heart and soul into it. Innovative and high-quality snacks inspire us.
  • Collaboration: We work together to achieve great things for our customers and successfully drive Gutschermühle forward.
  • Expertise: We are constantly developing ourselves, our processes and technologies in order to be able to offer the best possible consulting and product solutions.
  • Trust: We trust each other's commitment, our knowledge, the "tonnes" of experience and the sincere relationships with our business partners.  
  • Reliability: As a credible partner, we keep our promises to our employees and business partners.  
  • Openness: With curiosity and open-mindedness, we pave the way for creative possibilities and innovations in the future market of snacking.  
  • Respect: Mutual recognition and appreciation of skills, individual values and social or ethnic affiliations are the basis of our cooperation.
  • Transparency and directness: Our actions are straightforward and clear, both internally and externally, for lean processes and fast time-to-market.

 

Our values help us determine what we do and how we do it. They are lived every day and in everything we do.   

 

 

LABOUR & HUMAN RIGHTS 

 

 

Supporting our employees, diversity

As a member of the HACO Group, diversity is a central part of our identity. Ethnic origin, skin colour, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation and marital status do not play a role in the selection, recruitment and promotion of our employees. Differences are welcome and should be utilised. We support the professional and personal development of our employees, regardless of where they come from or what social background they have.

 

 

Product safety, occupational health & safety

We do everything we can to prevent people from coming to harm, suffering injuries or even losing their lives in the event of an accident or through the consumption of products manufactured by us. Gutschermühle is responsible for preventing industrial accidents and for ensuring the highest level of food safety. All employees, regardless of their position, are therefore obliged to help ensure that safety is never compromised at any level.

 

 

Human rights

Everyone has fundamental human rights, regardless of their origin, gender, religion, ethnicity or other characteristics. These rights are universal, inalienable and must be respected and protected. Gutschermühle pursues a zero-tolerance policy towards any violation of human rights, including modern slavery and child labour, in all its activities and throughout the supply chain.

 

 

Social dialogue

Economic success is a prerequisite for the preservation of jobs and the well-being of our employees. Uncomplicated, non-hierarchical communication with our employees is an essential part of this. Gutschermühle maintains a dialogue with employers' and employees' associations.  

In the tradition of the family business and the rules of the parent company HACO AG, Gutschermühle Traismauer is fully committed to the Convention of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the ETI Base Code of the Ethical Trading Initiative and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.  

 

 

Suppliers as partners

The close partnership, good networking and close cooperation with our suppliers guarantees raw material safety and continuous control of the food chain. Human-centred and sustainable procurement of sensitive raw materials is therefore a central component of our action orientation.

Active matching between suppliers and customers can also result in synergies that contribute to careful, efficient raw material procurement.

 

 

Customer orientation

As a leading private label manufacturer, customer orientation is a central element of our service processes. With our expertise, we are not only able to anticipate the needs of end customers, but also translate these into customised concepts for bars, bites, muesli and snacks for our customers. Exclusivity in recipe formulation and packaging development, individual support and anticipatory advice ensure successful market entry for start-ups and guarantee brand security for major players. Continuous, careful quality control and traceability from the start of the development process to the delivery of the product ensure customer success, long-term customer relationships and safe food. 

 

 

Social commitment

As a traditional family business with centuries of history, we are committed to contributing to the social well-being and economic stability of the region. We support regional as well as supra-regional projects on topics such as equal opportunities, social health, qualification and the promotion of diversity.

 

 

BUSINESS INTEGRITY 

 

 

Bribery and corruption

We firmly reject and combat all forms of unfair and unauthorised business practices and corruption. This includes any form of unauthorised influence peddling or bribery. No benefits may be paid or accepted, either directly or via third parties. The EU Whistleblowing Directive was implemented in 2023 with the Whistleblower Protection Act (HSchG). We take great care to ensure that attempts at fraud and sabotage in the supply chain, particularly in the procurement of raw materials, are prevented and detected in good time by raising everyone's awareness. (Food Fraud & Food Defence)   

 

 

Conflicts of interest

We do not allow personal interests to prevent, or even appear to prevent, Gutschermühle employees from making fair and objective decisions in the best interests of the company in the course of their work. Conflicts of interest must be disclosed and handled in accordance with our principles of behaviour and compliance.

 

 

PRODUCTS, RESOURCES & DATA 

 

 

Food safety

The safety of the food produced is the top priority for Gutschermühle as a food manufacturer. Our food safety culture is consistently implemented without compromise. Compliance with all relevant food and packaging legislation is realised through an effective, integrated QM system. Modern manufacturing processes and production facilities, careful selection of personnel, clear process descriptions and systematic process monitoring ensure that products leaving the Gutschermühle reach the customer in the required quality, on time and economically. Our management system realises the safeguarding of the food chain from the supplier through all stages of development and production to the end customer.    

 

 

Energy and environment

The Gutschermühle site is located in the attractive wine-growing and tourist region of Traisental.  We take responsibility for protecting the environment in all our activities and along the entire value chain. It goes without saying that we comply with environmental legislation and - where possible - strive to exceed it. We therefore promote ecological efficiency in all our business activities and are constantly working to improve our environmental performance, particularly with regard to reducing CO2 emissions, water conservation and the biodiversity of our local environment.

 

 

Protection of resources

Every Gutschermühle employee is obliged to protect physical property, intellectual property and confidential information from theft, damage, misuse or improper disposal. This obligation also applies to resources entrusted to us by third parties, such as customers with whom we work.   

 

 

Data protection

Gutschermühle is committed to protecting personal privacy and complying with all applicable laws and regulations for the protection of personal data, in particular the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).  In line with our values, we are driving forward the digitalisation of Gutschermühle in a human and ethical manner that does equal justice to the human and technological aspects.