News | Gütersloh, 01/13/2016

Bertelsmann Invests over €90 Million in the Gütersloh Region in 2015

• Strengthened Mohn Media as well as Arvato’s SCM and IT busines
• More than €300,000 in support to cultural and social initiatives
• Management Meeting at Gütersloh Theater announced for June

During the past year, Bertelsmann again invested more than €90 million in its businesses in the Gütersloh region. Among other things, the services subsidiary Arvato commissioned a new logistics center for its healthcare business in Harsewinkel in 2015, and Arvato Systems expanded its IT capacities. Mohn Media, which has been part of the Bertelsmann Printing Group since the beginning of this year, invested several million euros in machines. Bertelsmann’s investment in its operations in the region were at around €90 million in 2014 as well, after about €75 million in 2013. 

Bertelsmann Chairman & CEO Thomas Rabe said: “Bertelsmann has operations in about 50 countries - and we in the process of making the company even more international as part of our growth strategy. The basis for this business expansion is always our home in Gütersloh. It is home not only to our Corporate Center, but also to the headquarters of two of our divisions. Accordingly, we are especially active in the region – through investments in the future viability of our businesses as well as through support for regional associations and initiatives. This is of course true for the current year as well.” 

The international media, services and education company supported some 220 organizations, associations and projects in Gütersloh and environs with donations and sponsorships in 2015. In all, Bertelsmann sponsored cultural and social initiatives at its home base with more than €300,000 in 2015. 

One focus of this commitment in 2015 was on refugee assistance. Among other things, Bertelsmann contributed €50,000 to a donations funds jointly set up with the local community foundation (Bürgerstiftung Gütersloh) and set up an information website. Beyond this, the Group promoted reading and literacy by supporting school libraries at nine secondary schools and “Lesespaß (Joy of Reading) in Gütersloh” initiative. Bertelsmann also supported the Gütersloh Theater again, which in February last year was thus able to perform a stage adaptation of Bertelsmann’s bestseller “The Centenarian Who Climbed Out The Window.” The company recently made its ninth €25,000 Christmas donation to the Bielefeld palliative team “Der Weg nach Hause,” which provides medical care to seriously ill children. In addition, Bertelsmann made a variety of donations to various organizations are available, including more than 4,000 books. 

Rabe also announced that Bertelsmann would again host a management meeting in Gütersloh this year: In June, the company will invite hundreds of top executives from around the world to his headquarters for two days. The aim of the event is to discuss with the managers who the progress achieved in implementing the strategy in recent years and to further advance it. The venue will once again be the Gütersloh Theater, where Bertelsmann already hosted a similar management meeting in September 2012.

About Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann is a media, services and education company that operates in about 50 countries around the world. It includes the broadcaster RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House, the magazine publisher Gruner + Jahr, the service providers Arvato and Be Printers, the music company BMG and the Bertelsmann Education Group. The company has more than 112,000 employees and generated revenues of €16.7 billion in financial year 2014. Bertelsmann stands for creativity and entrepreneurship. This combination promotes the creation of first-class media content and innovative service solutions that inspire customers around the world.