The new EUR 17.5m worth Health and Education Centre GEBIZ opened its doors at Groz-Beckert this month, demonstrating the company’s commitment to education and health.

In its ‘Kita Malesfelsen’ day nursery and its ‘Grundschule Malesfelsen’ elementary school, the GEBIZ offers all-day care and education for kids up to 10 years old.

The newly-constructed complex of buildings at the Groz-Beckert headquarters in Albstadt also includes the ‘BKK Groz-Beckert’ health insurance fund and the ‘Vitalzentrum Malesfelsen’, which offers fitness and prevention programmes. The building also houses a company physician, medics and a physiotherapy centre.

Social commitment

The project, launched in 2010, took eighteen months to build. The complex is specially designed to meet all the requirements of the facilities inside.

Groz-Beckert has brought several experienced partners on board to operate the different facilities. The day care centre and the elementary school, for example, are being run by the Klett Group, which has excellent educational qualifications.

All-day care for kids

The day care centre offers the activities for kids from the earliest age, provided by specially trained helpers and carers.

In addition to rooms specially designed for kids the centre also features a large outside playground area, shared by the children from both the day care centre and the elementary school.

Places are available for a total of 40 children aged up to 3 years and for 30 children aged 3 to 6.

The Malesfelsen Elementary School

The company expects the transition from the day care centre to the Malesfelsen elementary school for children to be smooth, with shared facilities between the institutions.

The Malesfelsen elementary school has a total of 80 places for the four school years, and is run on behalf of Groz-Beckert by a renowned education specialist, the Klett Group, one of the leading education specialists in Germany.

The company has confirmed the remarkably high demand with existing waiting list and children registered for both first and second classes.

From health insurance to physiotherapy

The new building complex also houses the BKK Groz-Beckert health insurance fund for the company's employees and their families. Groz-Beckert employees are also expected to have an access to a company physician and to medics in the GEBIZ, which, according to the company, offers ideal conditions for examination, treatment and care.

Further core tasks of the GEBIZ include the promotion of health as well as reintegration into the professional world following illness. Health therapy and prevention is provided by the Vitalzentrum Malesfelsen health centre, which is also due to open in the GEBIZ in early October.

Specific commitment

The company believes that the structure and operation of the GEBIZ is far more than just an extension to what the state already offers.

For Groz-Beckert, this Health and Education Centre is a specific commitment at its Group headquarters, representing both a declaration in favour of the location and an assumption of corporate social responsibility.

www.groz-beckert.com