Fuchs Gruppe North America is committed to bringing the joy of food to life in the most sustainable way possible. Along with our global affiliates, we have established 4 areas of action for our sustainability strategy: responsible sourcing, responsible use of resources, responsible products, and responsible workplace. Our sustainability committee chair, Annette Hottenstein, dives into these strategies and explains how Fuchs Gruppe is committed to making the world a better and more sustainable place.
To comprehensively examine our practices and identify ways to improve our sustainability, we formed a cross-functional sustainability team that includes employees from research & development, human resources, operations, sales, management, and supply chain. We meet monthly to work on seven sustainability goals that were established in the earlier part of 2024. These goals include:
- Establishing an approved sustainability plan for our key suppliers
- Starting a recycling program for non-manufacturing waste
- Reducing current energy use and increasing usage of sustainable energy sources
- Improving the campus ecosystem
- Reducing production waste going to landfills
- Increasing leadership positions & ensuring pay equity for women & minorities
- Formalizing Fuchs’ charitable partnership program and encouraging employee participation
To achieve these goals, we have been working together as a company to educate our employees on sustainable practices and to accomplish steps on our way to making the planet a better place. 
Some of our most notable actions include:
- Inclusion in the Maryland Green Registry. The Maryland Green Registry is a free, voluntary program offering tips and resources to help businesses and other organizations set and meet their own goals on the path to sustainability.
- We had two employees attend the Energy & Environment for Maryland Manufacturers (E2M2) 2024 summit in June. The E2M2 Summit serves as a
vital touchpoint for Maryland manufacturers to connect with colleagues, share best practices, and stay up to date on the latest trends and innovations in sustainable manufacturing, reaffirming the industry’s commitment to environmental stewardship and resilience. At the summit, we learned that other local companies have adopted a mascot for their sustainability efforts. We’d like to introduce our mascot “Foxy” in honor of our company name 
“Fuchs”, which is the German word for “fox”. He sure is cute! You will see “Foxy” featured in our sustainability promotions.
vital touchpoint for Maryland manufacturers to connect with colleagues, share best practices, and stay up to date on the latest trends and innovations in sustainable manufacturing, reaffirming the industry’s commitment to environmental stewardship and resilience. At the summit, we learned that other local companies have adopted a mascot for their sustainability efforts. We’d like to introduce our mascot “Foxy” in honor of our company name 
“Fuchs”, which is the German word for “fox”. He sure is cute! You will see “Foxy” featured in our sustainability promotions.1st Annual Sustainability Event
We recently held our first sustainability event where employees learned about the benefit of bees and the art of beekeeping, enjoyed a delicious plant-based lunch, test drove electric cars, and tried their luck at a fun recycling game.
Sustainability Day
Local beekeeper, Margie Pitrone, owner of “Beyond Sweet Honey,” is a member of the Carroll County Beekeepers Association and gave a wonderful presentation about how beekeeping is a big
part of supporting plant life. She touched on the importance of keeping honeybees alive and ensuring they are able to actively pollinate.
Employees were able to sample several bee products, such as honeycomb, a natural product made by bees to store their larvae, honey, and pollen. The entire honeycomb is edible — including the waxy cells and raw honey they contain. It was surprisingly delicious! Lori Blake, Director of Human Resources, was the lucky raffle winner who got to take a container of honeycomb home.
Employees had the opportunity to sample several plant-based dishes from Hue Apothecary, a locally owned plant-based restaurant. Choices included (but were not limited to) a “BBQ
Crunch Burger” made from a pea protein patty and a “Chick n’ Fungi” sandwich comprised of a fried oyster mushroom that tasted just like chicken.
Did you know that people who follow a plant-based diet account for 75% less green house gas emissions than those who consume 3.5 ounces of more of meat a day?
Tesla of Owings Mills was onsite offering test drives of a Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV. Over 30 employees participated in test 
drives, while also educating themselves about the benefits of electric vehicles, which include cleaner air, quieter roads, less maintenance, and a lower carbon footprint.
Tim Silbaugh, Engineering and Maintenance Manager, and Caelan Troy, Process Engineer, challenged employees to a recycling game for a chance to win some
fun prizes!
As we move further into the future, we recognize the importance of caring for the environment we live in. As an organization, we will continue to find ways to limit our environmental impact, while focusing on actions we can take, both individually and as a company, to make the world a better place.
Learn more about our global sustainability initiatives here.