Gütersloh, 01/21/2019

Bertelsmann Supports 250 Initiatives in the Greater Gütersloh Region

Gütersloh läuft
Das Blaue Sofa
Bertelsmann Forum
Toggo Tour in Gütersloh

Subject: Society
Country: Germany
Category: Project

Around 250 organizations, associations, and projects received a total of €285,000 in support in 2018. At €77 million, the investment volume in the location remained at the previous year’s high level. Substantial investments are planned for 2019 as well. The Management Meeting will be held in Gütersloh on May 8 and 9.

In the 2018 business year, Bertelsmann supported some 250 organizations, associations, and projects in the greater Gütersloh region with a total of €285,000 – up €20,000 on the previous year. Beyond this, the Group made various in-kind donations to a variety of organizations, including more than 4,500 books. Bertelsmann reached a total of around 100,000 citizens in the greater Gütersloh region through events, sponsorships, and cash and in-kind donations.

In the past financial year, Bertelsmann invested around €77 million in its numerous businesses in the Gütersloh region, on par with the previous year’s high level of capital expenditure. The Group continued to expand Arvato's logistics sites, invested in Mohn Media's fleet of machines, and in Arvato Systems' data center capacity. Bertelsmann expects to make substantial investments in the location again in 2019.

Last year, Bertelsmann employed 11,133 people (previous year: 10,900) in the greater Gütersloh region, more than at any other site in the world. This number has remained constant for many years. In August 2018, the Group reported a new record: With 186 young people, more apprentices  than ever before began their careers at Bertelsmann in Gütersloh.

“Gütersloh is of central importance for Bertelsmann,” says Chairman and CEO Thomas Rabe. “All important strategic processes are lead managed from the Corporate Center. For instance, in 2018 the partnership with the Saham Group was a key milestone in the development of Arvato's CRM business. The new company will have around 48,000 employees and operate in 25 countries.”

In July 2018, the Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland channel Super RTL’s “Toggo Tour,” which is popular across Germany, made a stop in Gütersloh for the first time and attracted 40,000 visitors to Berliner Platz on two days. Given this success, a repeat of the event is conceivable. Bertelsmann also supported the “Lesestadt Gütersloh” (Gütersloh City of Reading) literary initiative again and, for the twelfth time, donated €25,000 to the Bielefeld palliative initiative “Der Weg nach Hause” during the holiday season. Since 2006, Bertelsmann has supported the initiative with a total of more than €300,000. Further donation activities and the continuation of the “Blaues Sofa Gütersloh” reading series are also planned for the current year.

The international Bertelsmann Management Meeting will take place in Gütersloh again on May 8 and 9 of this year, when over 500 top executives from all over the world are expected in Gütersloh.