Donation to Käthe-Kollwitz-Schule

• Employees acquire dispensable office furniture in return for a donation
• Company matches collected donations to double the amount
• Money to go towards the school’s digitalization drive

Crailsheim, Germany – What do we do with our retired office furniture? When that question recently arose at Syntegon’s Crailsheim location, the company came up with an unusual plan. It decided to offer its workforce the opportunity to buy select desks and cabinets with the money to go to a worthy cause. This initiative raised 2,000 euros. Syntegon, formerly Bosch Packaging Technology, matched that amount, doubling the money and donating it alongside some laptops to the Käthe-Kollwitz-Schule in Crailsheim. Company representatives presented the donation to the school’s sponsor association in late September. The school is investing the money in a cart equipped with laptops and chargers for various classes to use.

"When we heard about the lack of technical equipment

at the Käthe-Kollwitz-Schule,

we knew straightaway that we would want to help."

Alexander Giehl
General Manager at Syntegon in Crailsheim

The coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown was doubly challenging for the Käthe-Kollwitz-Schule’s student body – nearly one hundred kids. “For one, the personal interaction and teamwork are essential for our children; they need this to achieve learning success,” says interim principal Monika Besel. “Suddenly, this direct exchange with teachers and classmates was no longer possible.” For the other, the school found that less than half of the student body has access to technical equipment such as computers and the internet or owns a printer. That ruled out any possibility of digital instruction or sending learning materials. Instead, teachers regularly drove to students’ homes to deliver school materials and pick them up again a few days later.

“When we heard about the lack of technical equipment at the Käthe-Kollwitz-Schule, we knew straightaway that we would want to help,” says Alexander Giehl, General Manager at Syntegon in Crailsheim. Syntegon is all about intelligent process and packaging technologies. With that in mind, we are delighted to be able to support the school by equipping it with digital technology.” Thomas Raab, Commercial Manager at Syntegon in Crailsheim adds, “It would not have been in keeping with our claim to sustainability to simply dispose of office furniture. Now they are still in use and we are supporting the education of young people in the region.

Syntegon representatives presenting the monetary donation and laptops to the Käthe-Kollwitz-Schule’s sponsor association
Reproduction for press purposes free of charge with credit “Picture: Syntegon”

Syntegon presented the donation to representatives of the school’s sponsor association with Horst Herold, deputy head of the city of Crailsheim’s Department of Education & Commerce, in attendance. Herold had put Syntegon in touch with the school.

About Syntegon Technology

Syntegon Technology is a leading global process and packaging technology provider. Formerly the packaging division of the Bosch Group, the company, headquartered in Waiblingen (Germany), has been offering complete solutions for the pharmaceutical and food industries for over 50 years. More than 6,100 employees at 30 locations in more than 15 countries generated a total revenue of 1.3 billion euros in 2019. The portfolio of intelligent and sustainable technologies includes stand-alone machines, as well as complete systems and services. Fields of application in the pharmaceutical industry are the production, processing, filling, inspection and packaging of liquid and solid pharmaceuticals (e.g. syringes and capsules). In the food industry, the portfolio includes process technology for confectionery as well as packaging solutions for dry foods (e.g. bars, bakery products and coffee), frozen foods and dairy products.