ASSMANN Büromöbel GmbH & Co. KG is among the finalists for the renowned German Sustainability Award 2027 in the 'Large Companies' category. The independent expert jury commended the family-owned business from Melle in Lower Saxony, particularly for its commitment to the resource-efficient manufacture of durable office furniture and the continuous expansion of circular services.
For the company, the nomination marks its third nationwide recognition in this competition. Following a position among the top three medium-sized companies in 2019 and reaching the final round again in 2020, the office furniture manufacturer has once more confirmed its standing as a pioneer of sustainable business concepts in its sector. Managing Director Karla Aßmann explained that sustainability is not treated as an isolated project, but is understood and developed as an ongoing task across all corporate divisions.
Circular value creation and sustainable product design
At the centre of the strategic orientation is the return of materials into closed-loop cycles. Already during the development phase, the company focuses on designs that facilitate disassembly and ensure clear material labelling to guarantee subsequent single-grade separation. Under the programme name ASSMANN CIRCULAR, the service portfolio has been extended to include specialised solutions:
- —Buy-back programmes (ReBuy) for end-of-life furniture systems
- —Professional refurbishment and repair of pre-owned office furniture (ReFurbish)
- —Structured resale of reconditioned units (ReSell), which explicitly includes third-party products
- —Closing production cycles, for example through the direct return of edging offcuts to upstream suppliers for the manufacture of new edge banding
The jury highlighted that the gradual embedding of circular approaches across the entire business model had been achieved in exemplary fashion. The combination of structural durability and supporting service models demonstrates how circularity can be realised across the entire life cycle of office working environments.
Decision in Düsseldorf and expert dialogue at the congress
The German Sustainability Award is regarded as one of Europe's leading accolades for sustainable enterprise. The evaluation by the expert juries is based on criteria including verifiable effectiveness, degree of innovation, scalability, and the pace of responsibility along the supply chain. The announcement of the award winners will take place on 3 December 2026 during the DNP Congress in Düsseldorf, which is held under the motto 'Strong through Transformation'. The winners will subsequently represent Germany as National Champions in the European competition.
The company is actively contributing its practical experience to the accompanying trade congress. Dr Julia Koch, Head of Sustainability at ASSMANN, will give a presentation on 4 December in the masterclass 'Trade and Circulation'. Together with representatives from Wertgarantie SE and ekomia GmbH, she will discuss approaches to how durable product design and targeted repair services can extend the useful life of modern working environments in an economically viable manner.
