With hearts and hands: Social commitment at Knorr-Bremse’s sites

The Reach Foundation, a non-profit youth organization in Australia, runs personal development workshops for young people. Knorr‑Bremse supports the Reach Crew Development Program financially. This training aims to improve young people’s communication skills, strengthen their emotional resilience and build a sense of social belonging. The crew members who have completed this training visit schools and communities to pass on their knowledge to young people there – an important impetus that can help the youngsters develop into stable, confident and reflective personalities.

Knorr‑Bremse Australia Pty. Ltd.

Many schools in Chachoengsao Province, where Knorr‑Bremse’s Thai branch is based, have only limited financial resources. Knorr‑Bremse employees have therefore launched a donation program. They want to improve the quality of local education and give students in the area a better future. Thanks to the financial aid from Knorr‑Bremse CVS Thailand and the commitment of our colleagues, two local schools have been provided with fans, sports equipment and toys to promote learning and development. Nearly 200 pupils benefit from the new purchases.

Knorr‑Bremse Commercial Vehicle Systems (Thailand) Ltd.

In 2021, Knorr‑Bremse China (RVS and CVS) and the Suzhou New District administrative authorities signed a long-term agreement to promote public welfare. The initiative covers a wide range of activities, including support for educational offerings, cultural tours and assistance for physically or socio-economically disadvantaged people. The program also includes leisure offerings. One highlight in 2023 was the "Our Festival-Chongyang" on the occasion of the Chinese holiday dedicated to the elderly. Knorr‑Bremse employees were also involved as volunteers.

Knorr‑Bremse Commercial Vehicle Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. and Knorr‑Bremse Systems for Rail Vehicles (Suzhou) Co. Ltd.

We support the ‘Our Festival Chongyang’ event, which honors the elderly. This fits perfectly with our commitment to social cohesion in our local community, which we see as part of Knorr‑Bremse’s social responsibility.

Employees at Knorr‑Bremse’s Daxing location regularly get involved in social projects. In the fall of 2023, eight employees’ families with five autistic children, their families and teachers visited an adventure farm. The relaxed get-together broke the ice, after which the group first visited the Tropical Botanical Garden. They then went to the zoo, the most popular part of the program: Feeding the ostriches, llamas and rabbits made the children’s day. The excursion was a welcome break from the stresses of everyday life, especially for the invited families.

Knorr‑Bremse CARS LD Vehicle Brake Disc Manufacturing (Beijing) Co. Ltd.

Knorr‑Bremse Business Services Europe introduced a Volunteer Day in 2023. Each and every employee is entitled to one paid working day – away from the office – supporting a volunteer project initiated by Knorr‑Bremse. The inaugural project centered around the environment: the restoration of peat bogs in the Jizera Mountains, a forested area near Liberec. One fall day last October, 35 employees built small dams at drainage channels to retain the water and restore small ponds for insects and amphibians. Our Czech colleagues transported a total of 500 slats (10 tons of wood) to the moorland to build the dams. The Volunteer Day also proved to be a kind of interdepartmental team-building project.

Knorr‑Bremse Business Services Europe

The restoration of degraded peat bogs is work that promotes sustainability in the truest sense: It helps nature, reduces evaporation and combats climate change.

In May 2023, Knorr‑Bremse employees performed various handicraft activities in the Konopná community center as part of the “We Help to Help” charity campaign. As a place where all generations can come together, the center offers meeting rooms, a community café and a garden to relax in. Among other things, there is also a lecture room for educational events and social services for young people and adults in crisis situations. The Knorr‑Bremse team provided support with masonry work in the garden, as well as with sanding and painting.

Knorr‑Bremse Systémy pro užitková vozidla ČR, s.r.o.

As part of its volunteering initiative, Knorr‑Bremse Mödling supported the tralalobe association, which looks after socially disadvantaged children and unaccompanied refugee minors. Thanks to the commitment of a Knorr‑Bremse employee who works as a volunteer for the association, it was possible to organize a vacation week with a wide range of sports activities for the young people in its care. Swimming lessons in small groups were particularly important for the participants, some of whom were traumatized after fleeing by sea. The eventful week provided the youngsters with the basis for strengthening their confidence and for coping better with everyday challenges.

Knorr‑Bremse GmbH

I am always delighted when we can give young refugees a few carefree days with community sporting activities.

20 Knorr‑Bremse employees took part in the Poland Business Run 2023 in Kraków. Each runner in a 5-strong relay team covers the distance for a good cause. The money for the entry fees and additional donations from Knorr‑Bremse benefited people with amputations, including mastectomies, and with mobility impairments. Among other things, the money raised went toward prosthetic devices, wheelchairs and stays in rehabilitation facilities.

Knorr‑Bremse Systemy Kolejowe Polska Sp. z o.o.

Knorr‑Bremse’s rurally located plant in Itupeva has recorded numerous invasions by wild animals over the years. To ensure the safety and well-being of employees and wildlife alike, Knorr‑Bremse Brazil entered into a partnership with the non-governmental organization Mata Ciliar a few years ago. The NGO runs a rehabilitation facility for wild animals near Itupeva, where Knorr‑Bremse Brazil has become the sponsor of two ocelots named Ro and Fer (Truck and Rail in Portuguese). Knorr‑Bremse Brazil also provided financial support for construction of a new rehabilitation compound for small wild cats.

Knorr‑Bremse Sistemas para Veículos Ferroviários Ltda. and Knorr‑Bremse Sistemas para Veículos Comerciais Brasil Ltda.

We are very happy about our environmental project, because our region is full of ecological wealth and great biodiversity. We were able to express our respect with the symbolic adoption of the ocelots Ro and Fer and the donation for the construction of a rehabilitation enclosure.

The non-profit organization Caritas runs a campsite in Tuscany. Since mid-June 2023, it has taken in children from difficult family backgrounds and refugees from Ukraine and other countries. In one day, 125 Knorr‑Bremse employees cleaned the bungalows and green areas, helped build new facilities and planted trees. In addition, building materials and cleaning equipment were donated.

Knorr‑Bremse Rail Systems Italia S.r.l.

The Knorr‑Bremse location in Melksham celebrated the inauguration of its natural garden “KBee’s Retreat” on Knorr Day in June 2023. Dedicated employees were actively involved in the landscaping, helping to plant lavender and build insect hotels, among other activities. The garden not only serves as a new habitat for small animals and insects, but also offers employees a place to socialize and to rest.

Knorr‑Bremse Rail Systems UK

Knorr‑Bremse wants to make a contribution to establishing a solid educational infrastructure in India. As part of the move to create the “ideal school,” the premises of the Swami Vivekananda School in Aasde, Pune, were renovated and equipped with modern facilities. Knorr‑Bremse provided funding for that. Laboratories and rooms for various subject areas were set up for the pupils: agriculture, computers, home economics and crafts, zoology and botany, electronics as well as sports and music. In addition, the sanitary facilities were renovated and the drinking water supply modernized.

Knorr‑Bremse Technology Center India Private Limited

Knorr‑Bremse India has implemented the Baghola Pond Rejuvenation project to regenerate the degraded pond ecosystem. Local Care supported the project financially that was successfully completed in 2023. The tasks in the project included desilting of the pond to increase its water storage capacity, installation of a filtration system and a biological treatment plant, as well as an improved drainage system. A fence was also erected around the pond area. Approximately 6,000 villagers benefit from the project. A Village Development Committee (VDC) was founded to protect the water area in the future and its members were given related training.

Knorr‑Bremse India Private Limited

It is impressive to see what a great asset the rejuvenated pond is for the community of Baghola. The body of water with its flora and fauna is adding socio-economic and ecological value to improve the overall quality of life.

80 children of Bendix employees were guests at a STEM event in Acuña. The kids, aged between eight and 18, were given the opportunity to get to know their parents’ working environment and learn more about truck braking systems and the company. Maybe the insights kindled an interest among them in pursuing a technical profession or studying engineering? The young people took part in various activities in four age-appropriate teams. In addition to a tour of the plant, they were able to gather technical impressions. For example, they checked out how the braking system works and watched product tests and quality audits. The robot and programming workshop was a special highlight.

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems de Mexico S.A. de C.V.

More than 200 Bendix employees lent a strong helping hand in Avon in mid-2023 to build two houses for families in need in Ohio. The construction projects were realized in collaboration with two local Habitat for Humanity Ohio affiliates and Help Build Hope. After the frame had been built, the volunteers from Bendix inscribed the beams and walls with well wishes. The finished houses were then loaded and donated to be erected at the designated sites in Ohio. Bendix bought the wood for both houses and also provided a grant for the roof fund, as well as transportation. Over the past few years, a total of 15 houses have been completed, something the volunteers can be truly proud of.

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC

Employees from Bendix’ headquarters in Avon took part in a clean-up event at Lake Erie’s Edgewater Beach in 2023. The lake is close to the location. Equipped with tongs, the volunteers picked up countless items of garbage over a weekend. The non-profit organization Drink Local Drink Tap has conducted well over 100 cleanup campaigns with volunteers in neighborhoods around and on the beaches of Lake Erie since 2010. These are important actions that contribute to preserving biodiversity and the ecosystem’s balance.

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Carroll County provide a safe, productive and active environment for youngsters after school and during the summer – an important mission given the rise of mental health impairments among adolescents. The Boys & Girls Club expanded its youth work to the North Carroll area in 2023. Employees from Knorr‑Bremse offered to provide support with handicraft activities as part of the Volunteer Days in September 2023 so that the new clubhouse could open on time. The tasks accomplished included painting work throughout the building, furnishing, varnishing furniture, as well as setting up an art room and IT equipment.

Knorr Brake Company

I always jump at the chance to volunteer for the Boys and Girls Club of Carroll County. They are an amazing organization, and this new expansion to the North Carroll area will significantly increase its impact on the youth in our community.

The “Gastro Academy” is a qualification program run by “Über den Tellerrand kochen München e.V.,” a non-profit association that is supported financially by Knorr‑Bremse Global Care. Participants receive theoretical and practical training to prepare them for work in the catering industry and receive support with bureaucratic matters. Local Care provided support as part of the program’s “Resume training” module: Eight Knorr‑Bremse employees sat down with nine refugees from Afghanistan, Syria, Nigeria, Yemen and Senegal on a Volunteer Day to compile their resumes. The effort is paying off: Several of the participants now have a job in catering.

Knorr‑Bremse AG, Knorr‑Bremse Systeme für Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH and Knorr‑Bremse Systeme für Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH

Knorr‑Bremse employees worked with refugees from a wide range of backgrounds to create resumes for them in preparation for working in the catering industry. That is an important step towards social participation for these people and I am very pleased to be able to support them.