Social involvement

As a family company we are concious of our social responsibilities and regularly help people who are in particularly bad situations with contributions, support for the next generation of woodworkers as well as support worldwide relief organisations.

Support, assistance and straightforward assistance for families that receive the shock diagnosis "your child has a heart disease" - that's what the association "Herzkinder Österreich" offers. Parents and siblings find advice and help here in regards to all non-medical concerns, exchange experiences and gain some distance from everyday life with the disease by attending organised activities.

The proud sum of 7,951 Euros - a new record amount of the yearly fund-raiser - was collected by the staff of the family owned business Felder Group in Hall, as well as doubled and rounded up by management. Markus Rainer from the "Austrian Child Sponsorship", a partner of the association "Herzkinder Österreich", was able to accept the check for 16,000,- Euros.

"A donation at this level is something very special, we thank the Felder employees and the Felder family for this great support", Mr. Rainer of "Herzkindern" expressed his appreciation for the great willingness to donate.

Caption: on behalf of the Felder Group, Martin Rainer and Karl Binder (left and right) hand over the check to Markus Rainer of the Austrian Child Sponsorship (centre).

In celebration of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on the 17th of October, the aid organisation "Jugend Eine Welt" is announcing two important criteria for the success of this endeavour: "commercial companies that invest in poorer countries and thus create work in these countries play a key role in eradicating poverty across the world. Educating young people in their local area is equally as important in helping them escape from poverty". The Felder-Gruppe is making a crucial contribution towards both challenges alongside its subsidiary Felder Group India.

On the initiative of the "Jugend Eine Welt" project and in cooperation with the Austrian Development Agency and a Don Bosco educational centre, the Felder-Gruppe has started an economic partnership in the slums of the major city of Chennai in India for the benefit of disadvantaged young people. The Tyrolean family business has furnished the educational workshop with five new woodworking machines, complete with an extensive range of accessories and expertise, thus building the foundation for a high-quality professional education for future woodworkers.

"With Felder's machines and expertise, the Salesians of Don Bosco's infrastructure and social and educational skills and "Jugend Eine Welt" as facilitators, everyone is a winner in this collaborative project and it is much more than just a donation of machinery. Local employers can find qualified workers and the young people practically have a guaranteed job in the bag with everything they have learnt. That's the right path out of poverty! Education and training are the key building blocks to finding this path," says Reinhard Heiserer, Director of the aid organisation "Jugend Eine Welt", who is delighted by the success of the aid project.

In September 2018, the first training course got off to a successful start and plans for the next projects by this flourishing collaboration are already under way.
(Picture source: Jugend Eine Welt)

Pendidikan Industri Kayu Atas, or PIKA for short, is one of the most renowned woodworking vocational schools in Indonesia. What started as a small carpentry workshop in the 1950s was expanded in 1963 to include a woodworking school by the Swiss missionary Paul Wiederkehr, which today serves as a model for other vocational schools throughout the country.

The vocational training centre located in Semarang on the island of Java is based on a unique concept: furniture is produced in the in-house workshop, the proceeds of which cover the training costs of the apprentices. There are courses for carpenters, furniture draftsmen and furniture designers. A day at the vocational school PIKA is like a normal working day consisting of eight hours in order to prepare the trainees for their future professional life. The total duration of the training is four years. During this time, the students are not only taught in the classroom and the training workshop, but are also able to participate in the actual manufacturing process.

In order to support this great project, the Felder Group donated new machinery for the workshop, including not only a saw, a moulder and a planer but also an edgebander perfect 710 and a CNC processing centre H22. Further on PIKA and the Felder Group continue to exchange ideas and maintain a very good cooperation in order to give the future wood craftsmen of Indonesia a good start in their professional life.

"To serve the peace and well-being of the region between the peoples of Meru (Bantu) and Maasai". This is the credo of Africa Amini Alama – the aid project of the Austrian doctor DDr. Christine Wallner in Tanzania, at the foot of Mount Meru. The education centre of the WHO model project consists of a tailor's shop, a car repair shop, a bricklayer training workshop and a carpentry workshop.

The Felder Group supports the project Africa Amini Alama in the summer of 2018 not only with a FELDER 5-speed combination machine CF5 / 31, a horizontal slot mortiser FD-250, an AF 12 dust extractor and various tools and accessories, but also brought the HTL (school for higher technical education) of Imst and the logistics company "Gebrüder Weiss" on board.

HTL Imst relies on its experience from the implementation of a similar project in Uganda. Once again a team - consisting of teachers and students - was sent to Tanzania to expedite the aid project with competent expertise. Financing of the trip was realized by the HTL Imst through numerous voluntary donations and sponsors.

The responsible task of the team was to put the machines into operation after extensive training by an experienced Felder technician and to train the operators in safe working as well as the production of furniture and other articles of daily use.
After three intensive weeks, the know-how gained is now integrated into everyday school life. The carpenter apprentices are now already producing the tables for the Secondary School as one of their first projects.

The Felder-Group thanks all who contributed to the success of this project.

Perfect preparation for perfect performances at the EuroSkills 2018 in Budapest. In the Felder-Group practice workshop, the joiners and cabinet makers prepared for the European Professional Championship. There is only one goal: the gold medal!

Alexander Haidinger from Ottendorf in Styria and Christian Buchegger from Vorchdorf in Upper Austria qualified for the EuroSkills 2018 in Budapest in the joiner and cabinet maker competitions. With a top result in September, the duo wants to lay the foundation for "their investment in their future professional life".

In order to leave nothing to chance during the preparation for the competitions taking place in the Hungarian capital in less than a month (25.–29.9.), the two train for a week at the FELDER company in Hall in Tyrol.

"We have been supporting the European Professional Championships for many years at national, European and international level. The events with the numerous talents give a vivid impression of the woodworking professions with all their advantages. The brilliant workpieces bear witness to the high quality of vocational training around the world. This should serve as an incentive for all companies to continue on this successful path and to invest in the next generation," says Hansjörg Felder, Managing Director at FELDER.

It is the declared goal of the foster association "Arche Herzensbrücken" from Seefeld to give a piece of normalcy to families with seriously ill children. The affected families will be provided with "a break from the disease", which will benefit the sick children themselves, their siblings and parents as a joint time for recovery.

The proud sum of 7,439.41 Euros – a new record amount of the yearly fund-raiser - was collected by our staff and doubled and rounded up by management. Mag. Horst Szeli, founder and managing director of "Arche Herzensbrücken" was able to received a check 15.000 euros.

"This donation will enable 15 to 20 families to spend a good time together" Mag. Szeli expresses grateful for the great willingness to donate.