Production and Supply Chain
How we design our technology and source our materials is crucial to sustainable development. At Genelec we have a passion for getting this right, backed up by adherence to the highest international standards.
Design
The process of designing any Genelec model always starts with our customers, by identifying what ‘problem’ they are currently encountering, and defining how exactly our design will help ‘solve’ the problem! Once we’ve identified the customer’s requirements, then the next phase is ensuring that the design will satisfy the regulations of both the Finnish government and the European Union (EU).
Environmental considerations are also part of the design specifications for our R&D work, and regular design reviews are undertaken to confirm that these considerations are met. In practice, this means that we analyse the overall environmental effects of each and every piece of technology we create.
This analysis includes the environmental impact of the materials, the impact during manufacturing, how the design is used, servicing and recycling.
By evaluating all these criteria, and focussing on creating a timeless design aesthetic, we aim to create solutions that offer a long lifecycle and a low environmental impact.
Sourcing
In the electronics industry, the global supply chains are often complex - involving multiple participants and companies, which makes it challenging to ensure complete transparency.
At Genelec, our aim is to develop supply chain sustainability and responsible business practices through effective communication and engagement with our suppliers. This means that when selecting a supplier, we evaluate several criteria such as employee wellbeing, their capabilities in managing environmental and social issues, the compatibility of their organisational culture with ours, their communication practices, and their financial stability. Finally, we always prefer to choose suppliers that are located close to our factory wherever we can.
To assist this process, we audit our suppliers to ensure that they meet the agreed standards, and to set clearer sustainability requirements for our suppliers we created supplier Code of Conduct - which was published and implemented in 2023.
Location of Our Suppliers by Country
Our goal is always to use local suppliers wherever possible, and by weight the vast majority of our materials are sourced in or close to Finland. But for some materials, we must look further afield.
How We Operate as a Manufacturer
We’ve long believed in the numerous benefits of locating our manufacturing facility and all other company functions under one roof.
This promotes the pooling of knowledge, stimulates innovation and creativity, enhances internal communication, enables better management of quality and risks, and allows us to provide fast and technically superior customer service.
The location we chose is next to Lake Porovesi in Iisalmi, Finland, and this was a conscious choice since we’re a regional, family-owned employer.
Our current factory was built in 1985 and has undergone five expansions since then. The latest expansion in 2019 was created with special attention to the environment, with insulation and energy efficient solutions playing a key role. In 2009 we switched from oil to biofuel to heat the factory, we’ve used renewable electricity since 2015, and we installed a 450 panel solar array as part of the 2019 expansion.
Solar panels at the Iisalmi factory.
We’ve organised our factory production lines to optimise resources, save energy, and prevent both material loss and waste. Chemical management software is used to identify and reduce harmful or potentially toxic substances, and to optimise the chemical inventory.
Our adoption of the ISO 9001 quality management standard helps to ensure that our customers always receive consistent, good-quality solutions and services, while the ISO 14001 standard gives both us and our customers the confidence of knowing that our company’s environmental impact is being continually measured, managed and improved. Please see the section on ‘Awards and Certificates’ for more information.
Additionally, we have created an employee Code of Conduct to empower our employees in identifying ethical dilemmas, and to encourage ethical behaviour throughout the company.
Whistleblowing Channel
In line with EU directives, if a Genelec employee, customer, supplier or co-operation partner becomes aware of potentially irregular activities or unethical behaviour, there is an official ‘whistleblowing channel’, where these concerns can be shared and discussed confidentially with the company management. See www.genelec.com/whistleblowing for more details.
Genelec's Sustainability Journey – Built to Trust
How and why Genelec works with aluminium loudspeaker enclosures?
Genelec Code of Conduct
Genelec's commitment to sustainable loudspeaker manufacturing
Genelec's Sustainability Journey – Built to Trust
At Genelec, sustainability and environmental issues are as important as profitability and sound quality. Our colour has always been green, yet here, green isn’t just a colour, it’s a way of life – our philosophy. In this short video with Genelec Senior Electronics Designer Darren Rose, we give you a glimpse of the environment where we work on our long-lasting, high-quality loudspeakers in the most sustainable way we can. You’ll find out how we pay careful attention to our energy efficiency, materials, suppliers, processes and much more.
How and why Genelec works with aluminium loudspeaker enclosures?
Genelec's Principal Engineer Jussi Väisänen explains the many qualities that make aluminium the ideal material for our loudspeaker designs.
Age Distribution (Oy and subsidiaries)
(Data in years / percentage.)
Women working in Genelec (Gender distribution)
Duration of Employment (Oy and subsidiaries)
(Data in years / percentage.)
Countries of Genelec Employees
Countries of Genelec Suppliers
Countries of Suppliers
Usage % of recycled aluminium per all aluminium used
Traffic
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Traffic
Greenhouse gas calculations (Genelec Oy, Finland)
(Data in years / tCO2e)