Sustainable management from Mainz to Aguascalientes

The Mexican delegation's interest in the Mainz-based business actually involved a small frog, specifically, one from a species threatened by extinction, which was discovered during excavation work for an automobile manufacturer's project in north-central Mexico. Twenty hectares of land had to be placed under protection in order to preserve the frog species.
"We have a great affinity for the frog," said Schneider as he invited the 11-member delegation and their Rhineland-Palatinate escort to a company presentation. The Mexicans, including the governor's wife Bianca Rivera Rio de Lozano and son Jose Carlos Lozano, were visibly impressed. Minister Lemke expressed her respect for the company when she mentioned the Most Trusted Brand award, which is given annually by the Reader's Digest. "You cannot believe how proud we are in Mainz," she said. Werner & Mertz recently received the award for the 14th consecutive year.
Awards alone are not enough for the company. Compared to other cleaning product manufacturers, Werner & Mertz was quick to focus on providing consumers with a concrete interpretation of the sustainability concept. "Sustainability has to be made real for the buyer," said Schneider in recounting the early days of the Frosch brand, which now makes up about 60 percent of the company's revenue. He also mentioned the successful interplay of geothermal energy, wind turbines, photovoltaic cells and glazing on the in-house ecological balance sheet. The company's efforts have been recognized across Europe and have earned LEED certification for sustainable construction.
"You are starting with a completely different premise," said Schneider as he encouraged the visitors to get involved. Werner & Mertz enjoys its role as eco pioneer and eagerly shares the achievements of the corporate sustainability philosophy. Sufficient quantities of PET recyclates are already available in the market, he said, with which we can generate added value. It's important to Schneider that Frosch products remain affordable. "We would like to make progress across the board," he said. "We don't want to market a high-priced product to a small clientele."
"I will deliver this message to our frogs back home," said la Torre with a smile and thanked his host for the informative insights and hospitality. The lively bilateral discussions continued during the tour of the company's factory and lunch in the employee restaurant. The Frosch has made a lasting impression on the Mexicans.
Press contact:
Werner & Mertz GmbH
Corporate Communication
Birgitta Schenz
Rheinallee 96
55120 Mainz
BSchenz@werner-mertz.com
Telefon +49 6131-964-20 28
Fax +49 6131-964-23 30