Integration Award for Richter lighting technologies

Baden-Württemberg’s Minister of Social Affairs, Manfred Lucha, presented this year’s state Integration Prize. This award recognizes initiatives and projects that are particularly committed to and contribute to the integration of newly arrived immigrants in the state and in the country. In the dignified setting of the Kursaal in Bad Cannstatt, the three best ideas from the 236 applications in the categories “Municipalities and Administrations,” “Civil Society,” and “Companies and Associations” were honored. The winners in these categories were the state capital of Stuttgart for its “Empowerment BY and FOR Refugees” (translated) funding program, the Hechingen Asylum Working Group for its “Refugio” project, and Richter lighting technologies GmbH from Heubach for its “Diversity@Richter” approach.

Bernd Richter, Managing Director and company founder, manages the family business together with his wife Marion. In his acceptance speech, he emphasized that the term “Diversity@Richter” does not represent a completed project. From the very beginning, employees from other countries and cultures were completely normal. Integration was not directly addressed; rather, “We simply live it,” he said. Marion Richter added that this “we” encompasses not only the management team, but all of the company’s nearly 130 employees. Both see the company’s diversity as a genuine competitive advantage. “We have demanding customers and we need this diversity,” added Bernd Richter.

He does not intend to use the €3,000 prize money for a celebration party. Instead, he wants to donate it to the city of Heubach for a project on the topic of integration, only on the condition that a proper concept and a good idea are presented. “Our mayor, Dr. Joy Asongazoh Alemazung, is very open, intelligent, and receptive, and he himself comes from Africa. He will certainly find a good use for the money”, said Bernd Richter. Otherwise, the company itself will have to take action.

Image credit: (c) Ministry of Social Affairs/Photo: Leif Piechoiwski