At RIVAL, we take our responsibility seriously. This applies to the CSR as well. Orderliness is a fundamental part of our culture and a prerequisite for the way we act and do business.
Therefore, we balance our environmental, social and financial responsibilities. Our social responsibility and sustainability are rooted in the management. It must be integrated throughout the business. Therefore, our owner and CEO Henrik Holvad is responsible for the area.
Our goal is that by the end of 2030, our CO2 footprint is reduced by 38 percent compared to 2021. To achieve this goal, we will introduce an ISO 14001 certified environmental management system, at the latest by the end of in the second quarter of 2024, as well as implementing our green business plan
Let’s aim for sustainable growth
Five focus areas
Our active responsibility means that we work with the following five priorities:
Working environment and elbow room
Business ethics and orderliness
Social commitment and responsibility
Environment and climate
Partnerships
We have gathered our priorities and efforts in the following three Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which we work to support globally from a local perspective:
Read more about our selected focus areas and Sustainable Development Goals below.
Focus areas
Working environment and elbow room
RIVAL’s strengths are our employees and our culture. We want to develop the individual employee’s competences, we see the uniqueness in each person and we give the individual elbow room. We think about the common good, and we stand together to succeed.
‘Safety before business’ is fundamental for our business. As a minimum, we must comply with the applicable rules in the working environment area, and we strive for new working environment initiatives to go beyond what is required by law.
We prioritise a healthy working environment and the mental and commercial benefits it provides. Increased security, well-being and profits are the positive gains for everyone. However, a healthy working environment can’t be implemented from one day to the next. It requires a structured and systematic process, constant focus and ongoing initiatives.
At RIVAL, we have a very well-functioning and active working environment organisation, which, in collaboration with an external authorized working environment consultant, works to upgrade the working environment in order to take good care of everyone at the company and optimise the employees’ well-being and health.
We can always get better and learn something new. Therefore, we work very determined to look ahead and, for example, assess potential safety and well-being risks in advance in order to deal with them rather than having to fix them.
We have defibrillators at the company and offer ongoing first aid courses.
Continuously, we ‘measure the temperature’ of our working environment at follow-up interviews three months after employment, staff development interviews and not least our weekly Friday’s café. Consciously, we organise several informal initiatives to support the strong social community, such as bike rides, Friday bars and team building events – below Teambuilding outdoor trip to Harzen and Teambuilding ski trip to Austria
Read more
Employee manual
Working environment policy
Cultural policy
Continuing education policy
Planned initiatives
Employee satisfaction survey
Walk & talk in smaller groups
Teambuilding ski trip to Austria
Business ethics and orderliness
According to the dictionary, the word ‘orderliness’ is defined as the quality or state of being orderly. This definition fits the values and ethics, we live by at RIVAL, and it applies to both the collaborations with our customers, our employees and the development of RIVAL. There must be no doubts about what our stakeholders can expect from RIVAL.
We comply with all internationally recognised human rights standards, and we have a zero-tolerance policy with regard to corruption, child labour, etc.
We do not aim for short-term, greedy or unsustainable solutions. Instead, we deliver and expect orderliness through responsibility, common sense and long-term decisions.
Being guarantors of orderliness affects both the internal and external daily work. It means that both customers and employees can be confident in that the decisions, we make, are based on orderliness. New employees at RIVAL participate in an introductory course, in which we review our values, culture, policies, etc.
We also expect orderliness from our suppliers, employees and customers, so we can create the best conditions for a rewarding collaboration together. This is defined in our ‘Code of Conduct’.
Read more
Employee manual
Ethical guidelines
Planned initiatives
Orderliness ambassadors
Social commitment and responsibility
At RIVAL, social responsibility is an area that is of great importance in our daily work. That is why we take on an active responsibility, both when it comes to recruiting new employees, training new apprentices, refugees in the local area and by providing a new opportunity for flexijob workers.
We usually employ 4-6 apprentices, which is a significant number considering the size of our company. We know how important it is for the individual apprentice and for the development of our business that the young people get a good start with a good education.
We want to be a prominent and responsible company in the local area. We are located in a small village and pay regard to our surroundings and closest neighbours. We are always open for a dialogue and encourage our employees and partners to be considerate.
We support local initiatives. Our neighbours and local business associations are always welcome to visit our company.
Read more
Employee manual
Ethical guidelines
Environmental policy
Planned initiatives
We continuously support local initiatives, which benefits our local community.
Environment and climate
RIVAL is located in a small village and we pay regard to our surroundings and closest neighbours. We comply with all applicable environmental regulations. We make ongoing investments to minimise the environmental impact. The local authority conducts environmental inspections at RIVAL every three years, and we always get the best feedback.
RIVAL’s environmental policy ensures that our activities are planned and carried out with consideration of our employees, neighbours, authorities and business partners. Our environmental policy also helps to ensure that RIVAL will always be a healthy and attractive workplace.
We will continuously prevent, limit and, if possible, eliminate the environmental impact.
We sort our waste in steel scrap, cardboard, plastic and residual waste to increase the possibility of recycling
We only use green power.
We recycle refrigerant and lubricant in the production, and we have LED lighting with an automatic on/off function to safe power. Our work clothes are washed with Nordic Eco-labelled detergent.
Read more
Employee manual
Working environment policy
Purchasing policy
Environmental policy
Ethical guidelines
Planned initiatives
Green transition and reduction of CO2 footprint.
Partnerships
In recent years, RIVAL has built strong partnerships with a significant part of both our customers and suppliers. The partnerships form the basis for a valuable development with the customers and suppliers – and create space for new opportunities. RIVAL takes on the full responsibility for complete deliveries including purchase of materials, machining and surface treatment.
We work with several regular suppliers in areas such as production machines and tools, raw material procurement and surface treatment.
The suppliers, we work with, must all live up to the quality and delivery capability that RIVAL guarantees. This is done as part of our responsible supplier management, which is also a part of our CSR policy.
We also require that our suppliers act in accordance with our Code of Conduct.
In the Code of Conduct it is described that we demand from ourselves and our partners to always comply with internationally recognised human rights standards, environmental considerations, social responsibility and a zero-tolerance policy regarding corruption.
Read more
Code of Conduct
Purchasing policy
Planned initiatives
CSR is more actively involved in our audit with A-suppliers and is added to the audit form
CSR is discussed at status meetings with B and C suppliers.
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG no. 3 – Good health and well-being
Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being at all ages.
How to observe the world goal
We have been supporting the Danish Cancer Society for more than 15 years.
We prioritise physical and mental well-being at work and at home (focus on health, education, development opportunities, orderliness at the workplace, respect).
This is how we measure it:
Sickness absence, target max 2%
New initiatives
Walk & talk for all employees in small groups
SDG no. 8 – Decent work and economic growth
Sustained and inclusive economic growth can drive progress, create decent jobs for all and improve living standards.
How to observe the world goal
Through our ethical guidelines and Code of Conduct, we continuously focus on proper working conditions.
We prioritise a broad workplace (flexijobs, employment of refugees, etc.). We develop and streamline the company with regard to sustainability, gender equality, equal opportunities for development and education.
We work for the well-being and recognition of all employees, low sickness absence, sustainable growth and consideration for the local area.
This is how we measure it:
Objective (percent: number in relation to total number of employees)
Refugees: 2,5% (current 6,67 %)
Flexiijobs: 2,5% (current 8,33 %)
Apprentices: 5% (current 13,33 %)
New initiatives
Employee satisfaction survey
Ongoing support to initiatives that support our local area
SDG no. 17 – Partnerships for the goals
Strengthen the global partnership for sustainable development and increase the means to achieve the goals.
How to observe the world goal
By building strong partnerships with our customers and suppliers, the productivity and benefits for all parties increase.
We collaborate with the local authority (Skanderborg Municipality) on environmental inspections and employment of flexijobs workers, refugees, etc. We collaborate with the Danish business schools on the training of new industrial technicians.
This is how we measure it:
Environmental inspections without remarks
Customer satisfaction surveys
Close partnerships with approx. 10 key customers who supply 80% of our turnover
Few A-suppliers, with whom we have close partnerships
New initiatives
Increased focus on CSR and sustainability in audit and status meetings with suppliers