SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

For some years now, when talking about sustainability reference was made to a concept that encompasses a variety of policy areas that companies are called upon to approach proactively and imperatively. Education, Community, Innovation, Sports and Culture are the key words underpinning Comer Industries' social responsibility, all areas with one common denominator: people. In keeping with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Comer Industries' concrete commitment begins with the awareness of having an important responsibility towards the environment and society. The regions the Company operates in and the communities within are the starting point for programs, support initiatives and partnerships related to creating value for ourselves and future generations. Realizing that only starting from one's roots can one continue to grow, Comer Industries invests first and foremost in the resources of the local area to foster economic, social and cultural development. Examples include the project to upgrade Palazzo Sartoretti in Reggiolo, the seat of the municipal government, and its adjacent park, and support for associations in the Lohmar area and North RhineWestphalia, where Walterscheid has its offices. In Reggiolo, home of Comer Industries headquarters, the partnership between the company, the Municipality of Reggiolo, the Reggio Children Foundation and Azienda Servizi Bassa Reggiana has created a place where a variety of initiatives and disciplines converge through the creation of true "Ateliers" for children, young people and adults: a complete educational program created with the aim of investigating the phenomena of mechanics and gears, welcoming various other collateral disciplines (graphic, digital, etc.) that merge within workshops and embrace numerous aspects of education and experimentation. In Lohmar, with the "Hearts of Gold" project, which started in 2006, Walterscheid supported 13 social organizations in North Rhine-Westphalia with a donation of 65,000 euros in 2022. Walterscheid employees took part in the initiative by waiving their overtime pay for the cause, while company management contributed to the project with cash donations. Additional funds were raised through various company initiatives, such as raffles and scrap metal collection and sales. From counseling to medical care and creative activities, these social organizations impact the local communities around Comer Industries and Walterscheid. The educational and training projects that the company believes in go beyond the places where Comer Industries has its roots, as evidenced by the now long-standing collaboration with the Volunteer Organization "Namaste, Honor to You," through which the company provides concrete support to the community in Bangalore, India, by paying for the room, board, university expenses and all necessary resources so that some deserving girls can cultivate their talents and become nurses. There is no shortage of collaborations with Italian and international universities and projects that espouse educational and social objectives, such as "ÜFA," the training company first established in August 1985 at the Walterscheid - Lohmar headquarters, supported by a well-established flow of money and goods. Unlike normal companies that operate economically, the profit generated at the end of the business year is donated to a social project in the area. Thanks to the ÜFA project, young men and women have the opportunity to learn about personal responsibility much more quickly than usual and then transfer what they have learned to real life.

The company's commitment to sustainability is also evident in its support for projects that reflect a true culture of innovation. Examples include Comer Industries' participation in Le Village by Crédit Agricole in Parma, one of the first European innovation hubs to receive such recognition, and the development of the Deep Tier platform in partnership with Iungo and Gellify. Le Village is an incubator that favors knowledge and interaction between local start-ups, financial institutions and industrial businesses and offers opportunities for development and reciprocal exchange; Deep Tier is a fintech platform model that supports the entire supply chain, from supply chain leaders to subsuppliers, both local and abroad, allowing every player in the chain to access a number of forms of advances and financing from financial institutions rapidly and under advantageous conditions. In the area of sports, incentivizing its employees to enjoy their leisure time in a healthy way is the objective behind the two partnerships put in place by Comer Industries with the Padel Club of Reggiolo and the Sessantallora amateur sports association of Carpi, which promotes various activities in the areas of cycling, mountain biking and triathlon. Sustainability also means preserving the scenic, artistic and cultural beauty of our country, therefore for years now Comer Industries has been supporting FAI by participating in the Corporate Golden Donor membership program. For Comer Industries, sustainability is a key factor in long-term value creation and is increasingly an integral part of the way it does business.