Dr Manuela Diehl talks to Gerhard Hofmann about sustainability as a corporate value and USP of modern, innovative companies.

Mr Hofmann, the public’s demand for sustainable business practices is becoming increasingly louder. Why is that?

GH: More and more people are aware of how limited our natural resources are. More and more people understand the connection: the way we consume and the way we produce are significantly linked to the impact on our environment and our ecosystems. I imagine we will continue to discover many more of these connections.

What consequences would such sustainable business practices have?

GH: Trying to list them all briefly would only result in an incomplete list. But precisely because the list would be long, I see many positive effects. Even the unpopular COVID-19 lockdown showed some positive effects on the environment: cleaner air, a better carbon footprint, less fine dust, etc.

Do sustainability and location-based competitiveness conflict with each other?

GH: Sustainability and location are not mutually exclusive. It is will that counts, not location. I would even say that the more high-tech a society is, the greater its (theoretical) requirement to, for example, develop and use clean energy, adapt production methods, and put practically climate-neutral logistics to use.

Germany aims to become climate-neutral. What does that mean for the economy?

GH: Do what has already been outlined as an example. Then talk about it, communicate it as a USP, but also reflect it appropriately in your prices. True sustainability cannot be achieved at rock-bottom prices.

What is your core business and what are your current projects?

GH: We are a clothing manufacturer and work primarily in the industrial sector. Our focus is on all types of fashionable apparel in the areas of corporate fashion and CI clothing. At the moment, we are working to increasingly showcase the sustainable developments in our range of woven and knitted fabrics, both in our final products and to demonstrate their value to our customer base. Our production facilities are also subject to continuous auditing, either directly and personally, or through internationally renowned testing institutes.

What is the situation in the industry?

GH: The industry is better than its reputation. But in the global division of labour, not everything can be controlled. What happens two or three stages behind the partner you have contracted, audited and certified?
Subcontracting has always been a part of the textile industry’s system. It even existed in the days when textile production took place entirely in Germany – it was called “Zwischenmeister”, which essentially means subcontractor or middleman.
This is another example of how easily textile entrepreneurs are held liable. And the trend is always the same: the bigger and more successful they are, the more of a scoundrel the textile entrepreneur must be. 
Take the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh in 2013. Five different companies were renting space in the building complex. They weren’t the owners of the building. Are they to blame for the collapse?

Do you see any personal consequences for yourself and the way you run your business?

GH: Be on your guard! Sustainability is becoming a business model in itself. Initiatives, test seals, campaigns, NGOs with lofty ambitions are springing up like mushrooms. What really counts is your own responsibility, your honest efforts to do what can realistically be done. No greenwashing! Go home after work and look at your kids and think that you are helping shape their future in every respect, and act accordingly the next day!

Mr Hofmann, thank you for your time.