Green Forum • 28 May, 2024 at 10:00 AM
GGER Romania, the local producer and supplier of wood-based materials, invested over €1 million in CSR projects to support the Suceava community in 2023, focusing on education, health, well-being, and sports. This reaffirms EGGER's commitment to community development and welfare. Over 15 years, EGGER has invested more than €6 million in CSR projects in Romania.
Education is among EGGER's top priorities
One of the most important projects the company carries out is "EGGER adopts a school." Last year, the focus was on the "Mihai Eminescu" School in Rădăuți, where two sports fields, two classrooms, and two sanitary groups were arranged.
School furniture was completely modernized in 14 classrooms at "Mihai Eminescu" School, and lockers were installed in another 10 classrooms - over 1,000 students benefited from this project, with a total allocation of €225,000.
In addition to this school, another 33 educational units in Suceava County were supported with nearly €400,000 in sponsorships. These funds were allocated for building modernization and improving study and development conditions for students.
Over 2,200 students involved in Save the Children education projects, sponsored by EGGER
In 2023, ten kindergartens in Suceava County launched activities as part of the "Let's Be Friends - No Bullying" project, developed by Save the Children and funded by EGGER. Thus, over 700 children, 42 teachers, and 900 parents from Rădăuți and the communes of Satu Mare and Frătăuții Vechi are involved in preventing and excluding aggressive behaviors.
Another over 1,500 students, along with teachers, from seven schools in Rădăuți and the communes of Satu Mare and Frătăuții Vechi are included in the "Healthy Choices" education program for a balanced lifestyle, consisting of five modules addressing specific themes.
Over €300,000 for improving medical and intervention services
Increasing access to quality medical services was also a priority for EGGER in 2023. The intervention capacity of emergency medical teams has increased due to the six ventilators purchased for B1-type ambulances in Suceava County. Thus, intervention time has been reduced, increasing the chances of survival for those who use emergency medical services. The total amount invested was €31,000.
At the same time, through the partnership with the Romanian Red Cross Suceava, EGGER supported 16 people with serious medical problems, covering the costs of treatments and surgeries, with a total value of €62,000.
Additionally, children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) benefited from a year of free 3C therapy, with sessions covered by EGGER sponsorships. Through collaboration with the Autism Intervention Association Suceava, 40 parents attended courses that allowed them to become ABA therapists for their children.
To increase fire safety and support intervention teams in their mission, EGGER financed the purchase of two fire trucks for the communes of Satu Mare and Volovăț, with a total investment of €250,000.
Over 850 jobs, the result of a massive greenfield investment
The EGGER factory in Rădăuți is one of the largest greenfield investments in Romania, with investments of over €570 million and more than 850 employees.
Over 95% of the factory's employees come from Suceava, Neamț, and Botoșani counties, placing the company among the top employers in the Moldova region.
At Rădăuți, raw and melamine-coated chipboards are produced for the furniture industry, as well as OSB boards for the wood construction industry and retail sector. EGGER is the second-largest producer of such wood products in the country.
The company also carries out the largest activity of recycling used wood in Romania, integrating the circular economy into its mission. The investment in recycling exceeds €20 million, making EGGER the largest recycler in Romania. Over the past 10 years, the company has reused over 660,000 tons of wood waste.
From 2006 to the present, operations at the EGGER platform in Rădăuți have generated over €304 million in local and national taxes and fees.