"Integrity is one of our values and the principle upon which our business is based. By aligning our actions with ethical, compliance, and sustainability standards, we can build trust and protect our reputation."
Rob Smith, CEO of the KION Group
For us, following rules is an integral part of everyday life. That means observing laws, observing social conventions and courtesies, and much more. In a company, observing rules has a name: compliance.
Together, it is our responsibility that everyone knows and can observe the rules. Compliance also stems from the values that determine our corporate culture and are the foundation of our successful business dealings: Integrity, Collaboration, Courage, and Excellence. Time and time again in the media, we hear of suspected cases of corruption in politics and business. Such cases often seem clear, but what about the gray areas? Where does corruption actually begin? The one thing we do know is that wherever any suspicion can arise, there is also the danger of lawsuits, sanctions, damage claims, and injury to reputation. The consequences – both for the individuals concerned, as well as for the Company – are often unpredictable.
We would rather avoid such cases altogether, but that is only possible when every KION employee does the right thing. Consequently, Integrity is one of our core values – and integrity is also at the core of compliance. Compliance is a challenge to each one of us. Always making the right decision and following all of the rules is not easy.
That’s why Collaboration is important. We trust and help each other when things get rough. We attentively open ourselves to doing the right thing. Managers in particular bear a special responsibility. They support their colleagues and are examples of compliance. Our compliance organization provides advice on this. Our forward-looking strategy requires Courage, because we ultimately have to take calculated risks. In day-to-day business, it sometimes seems easier to turn a blind eye and disregard a rule or two. Courage is required here as well, including the courage to resist temptation.
There are no “ifs” or “buts” in compliance. We are a leading, innovative global supplier of forklifts, warehouse technology, and supply chain solutions, and also provide the respective services. To us, excellence means first and foremost that in the end our customers take away the maximum benefit. Our employees, who do their best every day for our customers, are the basis of our success. Their daily commitment and creativity are the heart and backbone of the KION Group. For them, we offer an attractive workplace. Our shareholders also consider the KION Group to be a reliable, solid company, whose strategy is aimed at four main areas: growth, profitability, resilience, and capital efficiency. In short, we offer our stakeholders Excellence, and even the slightest misconduct could put that in jeopardy. In other words, there can be no excellence without compliance.
