WAREGEM - Beaulieu International Group, the polyolefin and BICO fibre supplier, has unveiled its first sustainability report in which it outlines its strong ambition for a more environmentally friendly future.
With an annual report entitled 'Here.We.Go' and a sustainability report 'Shaping sustainable living, together', B.I.G. says that offering sustainable flooring and material solutions will be the number one priority for the coming years.
The Group's first sustainability report is built around a self-designed sustainability model - "Route 2030" - which is based on achievable commitments, covers the main priorities and reflects B.I.G.'s vision. “We fully realize that the road ahead is still long and bumpy, but if there is one thing we have learned in recent years, it is this; the greatest threat to our planet is thinking that someone else will save it. Today, we feel ready and equipped to take on our responsibility,” said company CEO, Pol Deturck. "Our vision for the B.I.G. change is to actively build a better future by reducing our carbon footprint to zero, taking care of our people and those around us, and doing business in a transparent, integer way. In this sense, it is the perfect translation of the Group's purpose defined in 2021: shaping sustainable living, together."
By 2030, together with a broad group of suppliers, stakeholders and partners, B.I.G says it wants to be the leader in sustainable flooring and material solutions. Specifically, the future value proposition is based on products and services that are environmentally & climate friendly and circular.
“The ambition for 2021 was to invest over €100 million," added Pieter-Jan Sonck, CFO of B.I.G. "But we were held back by external, unforeseen factors. From delays on quotes and execution to the lack of availability and resources due to the pandemic. If all goes as planned, we’ll make up for it in 2022 with an investment budget well over €100 million. The main areas of interest will be sustainability, innovation and Industry 4.0.”
The company's global transformation strategy, ONE B.I.G. is also said to be gaining momentum across all business units and regions. Some of the more concrete initiatives that began in 2021 were the new platform for customer relationship management, the acceleration of digital solutions into operations and the launch of the B.I.G. University offering learning trajectories.
With all three business units performing well, the best performance came from Polymers. Exceptionally strong demand in Europe and North America, combined with raw material shortages and unplanned shutdowns of competitors, pushed prices and margins up to historical highs. The Polymers facilities ran at full capacity to meet the customers’ needs and hit all-time profit records during several months.
In total, B.I.G. reported a turnover of € 2.5 billion in 2021, an increase of 45% compared to 2020. The Group ebitda amounted to €451 million, an increase of 120% compared to 2020 and a net result of €274 million, a growth of 215% compared to 2020.
