Quick Group unveils its ESG roadmap, aiming at quality and planet preservation

Quick Group has unveiled its ESG roadmap, which entails a significant long-term commitment to product quality and concurrently to planet preservation. As one of the leading global suppliers of nautical equipment in recent years, Quick Group has grown to become a key player in the maritime sector. Therefore, developing a robust roadmap that is comprehensive and respectful of all aspects of sustainability, equality, innovation, and production efficiency has become crucial across all group activities, from product design, engineering, and prototyping to manufacturing and supplying many of the world’s foremost shipyards.

Such policies are now coming into full bloom as the company launches ambitious sustainability initiatives,including reducing carbon emissions,enhancing supply chain transparency and increasing investments in renewable energy, such as solar panels. Quick Group is working towards sourcing 100% renewable energy by the end of the year. Furthermore, other initiatives are underway,such as carbon footprint mapping, ISO certification, implementing vertical production methodologies, and promoting workplace inclusion and equity strategies.

The ESG plan (Environmental, Social, and Governance) of Quick Group serves all these purposes, outlining a clear and well-structured approach to enhancing environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and governance practices. Recently unveiled, Quick Group’s ESG plan includes detailed strategies to achieve these objectives, along with a robust framework for monitoring and reporting progress. Additionally, the plan entails establishing a dedicated sustainability team, marking a significant step towards more targeted and tangible efforts in this area.

Quick Group is demonstrating its commitment through a 2024 Sustainability Report that documents the progress and challenges of several initiatives. The goal is not only to improve life on board using Quick Group products but also to positively contribute to the life of the planet through sustainable products and processes. The result is that customers not only purchase superior quality solutions but also embrace strong sustainability values, and all customers are more than welcome to join the company in this vital mission to actively contribute to a greener and more inclusive future.

Bringing customers on the sustainability journey includes actively engaging and educating them about the importance and benefits of sustainable practices. Moreover, as well as customers increasingly preferring companies with robust sustainability and DEI policies that align with their values, such policies also foster an enhanced environment of innovation –that aligns perfectly with Quick Group’s core ethos toward product engineering and production process development.

Quick Group’s mission

“The company’s sustainability policy has undergone significant evolution over the past few years, reflecting a growing commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles – states Marco Rodi, Chief Operating and Sustainability Officer of Quick Group – Our sustainability policy has moved from basic compliance with environmental regulation to a comprehensive and strategic approach to ESG, including things like recycling or energy efficiency initiatives. We have also extended it to supply chain transparency”.

The new policies include several shorter and long term goals. “For example, we aim to transition from our current use of renewable energies at 40-50% to 100% – says Rodi – Simultaneously, we are working towards adopting more sustainable packaging, using recycled materials and others that are recyclable themselves. Additionally, we are ensuring full FSC certification, guaranteeing minimal environmental impact of materials used in the production of eco-friendly packaging”.

Supply chain improvements

Alongside these initiatives comes a more ambitious goal – to work with partners and suppliers to shorten and improve the up- and downstream supply chains. “This aspect is one of the hardest things to do but also one of the most important – so we must build a supply chain with the same goals as the Quick Group itself, sharing our values and our visions – Rodi explains – Ultimately it all leads to potential for lifecycle assessment. We believe that this comprehensive approach will ensure that from raw materials to finished products our practices are aligned with our sustainability commitments and will be driven by a continuous-improvement approach”.

It’s helped by the fact that most Quick Group suppliers are Italian and therefore fully aligned with European ESG and DEI policies. Additionally, many are based close to the production facilities, giving the Group a head start in reducing supply chain impact. Coupled with this is a lean logic production approach, which reduces waste and other losses and therefore generates value for customers.

“Thanks to our local suppliers and specific vertical production model we can reduce all kinds of waste – Rodi enthuses – because we are able to produce just what our customers need and just when they need it. We are able to work in a very flexible way and we can change our production schedule quickly according to our customers’ needs. For me this is a very powerful aspect in terms of ESG because we are able to minimize over-production and warehouse storage as well as reducing energy consumption”.

Quick Group: workplace equity and inclusion strategy

Quick Group goes beyond initiatives related to production and sustainability: the Ravenna-based group is also taking a proactive approach towards gender equality in the workplace. “Promoting gender equity within our company is a key aspect of the diversity, equity and inclusion strategy – Rodi confirms – In our sector of engineering and production there is traditionally a gender imbalance, and our comprehensive approach to promoting gender equity encompasses inclusive recruitment, equal opportunity for advancement, a zero-tolerance stance on discrimination and specific initiatives to encourage more female engineers, such as focusing on early engagement at universities and creating an inclusive culture for mentoring and professional development”.

Finally, there’s the aspect of innovation – something that Quick Group is well known for both across its original product lines and within the new product segments that have become part of the wider Group offering after the acquisitions. “Innovation is part of our DNA – Rodi says – We are continuously exploring new technologies, material methodologies and sustainability aspects. It extends from the products themselves to the production processes for those products. From lean manufacturing principles and exploring more recycled materials and more energy efficient processes we are also aiming to achieve specific certification standards such as ISO 14001, ISO 45001”.

“Of course, we comply with European laws and regulations, but we choose to go further and do far more than that – Rodi concludes – At Quick Group we believe that a strong ESG and DEI policy builds trust as well as loyalty with our stakeholders, from customers to employees and partners. We believe in it, not because we have to but because it’s the right thing to do, because it’s one of the most powerful tools to help us grow continuously as a company, and because we believe that building a business that puts sustainability at its core is the only choice”.