For us it is a matter of course that we take social responsibility in the here and now to assume social responsibility and to support sustainable development. It is time to act, to become sustainable – environmentally, socially and economically.
green electricity at the headquarters and production site in Ahlen, Germany
women in management positions
of printed materials made from FSC®-certified or recyclable paper
For us, acting in an ecologically sustainable way means to work in “unison” with nature. This means: we offer nature time to regenerate and preserve it for future generations.
LR is actively reducing its carbon footprint by installing a photovoltaic system comprising around 2,500 modules. The solar power generator – covering 4,965 square metres and boasting a peak capacity of approx. 1,000 kWp – was put into operation at the end of 2023.
The green electricity is generated on the rooftops of the Aloe Vera production, the service centre and the two logistics halls at the Porschestrasse site in Ahlen. To ensure an efficient energy production, LR has chosen high-quality photovoltaic modules and had them installed using the latest technology.
The company will use the system for its own energy needs but will also feed excess energy into the power grid. In addition, the electricity requirements at the headquarters in Ahlen, Germany, which exceed the capacity of the new photovoltaic system, are also covered by 100 % green electricity.
When it comes to paper quality, we continue to rely on the global market leader, the FSC®, or Forest Stewardship Council®. This non-profit organization has set itself the goal of promoting ecologically appropriate, socially beneficial and commercially profitable forest management. It therefore monitors and certifies the cultivation of forests and the processing and production of the finished products.
Product packaging has already been largely converted to FSC®-certified or recycled material. We have been using 100 % recycled paper for printouts and copies at our German headquarters for some time now.
We currently use 98 % FSC-certified and recycled paper for producing our various printed media.
We will endeavor to continue along this path in future and make targeted use of FSC®-certified and recycled material.
ALOE VERA: The Aloe Vera plants used in LR products are cultivated on specially dedicated, "Organic" certified plantations in the Mexican highlands. No pesticides or chemical fertilizers are used in this process. Only the AloeMulch generated during processing serves as a natural fertilizer. This ALOE VERA CULTIVATION UNDER ORGANIC CONDITIONS occurs when the inner leaf fillet is removed from the leaf's peel. The leaves are harvested sustainably by hand, with only the outer leaves that are at least three years old being harvested. This protects the plant and ensures the highest possible concentration of health-promoting ingredients.
SUSTAINABLE FISHING: A significant portion of the world's fish stocks are threatened by overfishing. Therefore, it is all the more important for LR that marine resources in our products are obtained in a sustainable manner. This is ensured through appropriate certification. For the fish oil used in LR LIFETAKT Super Omega capsules, LR has chosen the "Friend of the Sea" quality seal from the World Sustainability Organization. The "Friend of the Sea" organization is a global leader in maritime matters related to sustainability.
For us, acting in a socially sustainable manner means creating a respectful, fair and exemplary working environment in which everyone can develop individually and freely. And at LR, we care about the well-being of every individual.
The LR Global Kids Fund (LRGKF) is a registered association founded in 2009. The association is based on the joint commitment of the company, its employees, sales partners and customers. It supports projects in the countries where LR is active. The special characteristic of the LRGKF is that the association was founded by the employees themselves – from our hearts to the children’s hearts.
When selecting projects and cooperation partners, the aspect of sustainability is of particular importance. Therefore, the aid organization attaches a high priority to supporting the respective projects not only in the short term, but over the longest possible period. Here, the LRGKF cooperates with well-known and reliable aid organizations such as the “SOS Children's Villages worldwide” organization. Every cent donated goes straight into the projects, because the association’s administrative costs are covered by LR corporate donations. Overall, the LRGKF was able to support 21 children’s aid projects in 20 countries in the past year.
LR offers its partners a fantastic opportunity of becoming financially independent and the associated chance of gaining a greater sense of freedom. The career options are the same for everyone – regardless of age, gender, religion, origin, sexual orientation or professional training.
Digitalization allows us to take a particularly flexible approach to our work. Many of our partners run their businesses online and are therefore not tied to office hours or specific locations. An LR Partnership can be ideally combined with a wide variety of life situations. For example, it is always possible to earn additional income with LR in addition to a full-time job, studies or even during childcare leave. But the option of a full-time partnership is also always available. This level of flexibility is especially appreciated by women – some 80 % of our partners are female.
True to our motto “More Quality for your Life”, we support our female and male partners in writing their own personal success stories.
At year-end 2023, a total of 237 employees held a position with management responsibility at LR. Alongside Managing Director and Vice President, this also includes many other employees with management responsibility such as Heads of Department or Managers. This corresponds to an increase compared to the previous year with 220 employees. The top two management levels, Managing Director and Vice President, accounted for a total of 13 employees. On these two management levels, the proportion of women is about 23%, a figure that is above the average for Germany. At 44%, the proportion of women was even higher across all LR management levels.
Whether flexible working hours, diverse working models or career opportunities – our employees already benefit from numerous additional services such as occupational health management, company pension schemes and many other benefits.
As part of workshops to evaluate employee satisfaction, employees are given the opportunity to get actively involved and present ideas for improvement. With our “mobile working” program, we also encourage our employees to take responsibility for their own work and place our trust in them.
The key pillars of our corporate culture are a pleasant working atmosphere,team spirit, solidarity and a healthy work-life balance. To ensure that this is also the case for new employees right from the start, every employee undergoes a fully comprehensive onboarding program – tailored to the respective position – at the beginning of their LR career path. Furthermore, each employee is assigned a personal mentor during the first few months. An introductory seminar and a tour of the company are an ideal way to round off the induction phase. Right from day one, this concept is thoroughly beneficial to employees in terms of orientation and integration into the company.
For us, acting in an economically sustainable way means finding an economic approach that is based on fair dealings with all parties involved. In addition, we are looking to be economically sustainable in the long term to ensure a bright future.
Human rights are a fundamental aspect of sustainable and responsible business practices. As the LR Group, we are committed to respecting and promoting human rights in all of our operations, processes and supply chains. This is also reflected in our Code of Conduct.
Our Code of Conduct sets clear standards and expectations for the behavior of our employees and key suppliers. It is oriented on the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as international labor standards such as the International Labor Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
The Code of Conduct demands that all stakeholders observe equal, non-discriminatory treatment, equal opportunities, constant compliance with all national and international legal requirements, including fair business practices and competition rules, prevention of bribery, corruption and money laundering, and integrity in business dealings. We are moreover committed to respecting employees’ rights and ensuring healthy and safe working conditions.
Our company is committed to conducting its business with the highest level of integrity and in compliance with all relevant laws, regulations and standards. To guarantee this, we have established a comprehensive Compliance Policy.
This policy is overseen by a Chief Compliance Officer (CCO), who is responsible for ensuring that our business practices comply with all relevant laws and regulations as well as our own ethical standards. The CCO is supported by so-called Compliance Delegates, who are responsible for implementing and monitoring our Compliance Policies and procedures in the different regions. All managers serve the company as “Compliance Ambassadors” and are given regular training which allows them to assume this role for their departments and employees. So-called Compliance Committee meetings are held on a quarterly basis, at which representatives from the Legal, Human Resources, Operations, Finance and Audit departments, as well as the CCO and the Compliance Delegates, consult on current and general compliance issues. In addition, the CCO is also responsible for a dedicated Sales Compliance department, which focuses specifically on ensuring that our Sales Partners comply with legal requirements and our own ethical standards. The Compliance Management System is based on ISO 37301 and has been certified by TÜV Rheinland Cert GmbH.
Sustainable and responsible corporate governance also necessitates a comprehensive risk management system that explicitly takes into account environmental risks in addition to operational, legal, financial, market and IT security risks.
At the LR Group, risks are identified by the Director Compliance Information Security & Risk Management, while involving those operationally responsible, as part of a system-based risk management process. It serves to identify, assess and manage internal and external risks at an early stage. An important building block is to identify risks in line with a risk inventory, which determines the primary risks on an annual basis. These include environmental risks such as the climate impact on the cultivation of certain raw materials, changes in customer behavior and customer requirements, climate impacts on global logistics and transport costs, potential costs for CO2 emissions, and new or amended legislation and directives. Once risks have been identified, weighted, evaluated and prioritized, they are discussed with the management and at Supervisory Board meetings of LR Health & Beauty SE and any necessary control measures are adopted.
At the LR Group, we are committed to sustainable corporate governance that promotes long-term value creation and supports the responsible management of our business.
In this respect, we are continuing to develop our comprehensive Sustainability Strategy to guide our efforts and activities in an even more targeted manner. Previously, the issue of sustainability was anchored in the various departments of our company. This means that sustainability had already been taken into consideration in all decisions, developments and innovations. The many advances and individual measures implemented by LR were – and continue to be – monitored through an annual Sustainability Report to our investor Quadriga Capital. Moreover, we issued our very first comprehensive Sustainability Report last year, thereby ensuring that our activities are presented transparently.
By further developing our Sustainability Strategy and organizational structure we will be better able to target our sustainability activities in an even more specific manner, guide them in the desired direction and identify and focus on individual, especially important subjects. Last year’s appointment of a Corporate Sustainability Officer enabled us to start developing a corresponding strategic implementation plan in 2023. In this context, we collaborated with a management consultancy to launch a project which aims to adapt our organizational structures and prepare us for upcoming EU requirements such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.