OMB
The Company that Redeveloped a Neighbourhood and Adopted an Orchard
The production of state-of-the-art valves represents OMB’s core business, but the company’s goal is not limited to this. For years, the company has been committed to safeguarding the environment through green solutions such as the installation of a photovoltaic system to generate electricity, e-bikes and car-pooling made available to employees, and the adoption of 50 trees from a local orchard. OMB is creating added value not just for itself, but also for its employees and the community.
Focus on employees
OMB Saleri is a Brescia-based metalworking company with 240 employees with an average age of 35. The profits generated are reinvested in the research and development of new generations of increasingly innovative and competitive valves, as well as in the creation of automated infrastructure for large-scale production. Since 2013, OMB has also started to develop new technologies dedicated to the production of hydrogen valves. Moreover, the company has set up several in-house services for employees such as a crèche and a company library. To promote work-life balance, working hours are flexible, except for production shifts.
The orchard that helps the environment
OMB cares about the environment, which is why it joined the Save the Farm initiative by adopting 50 fruit trees with the aim of offsetting CO2 emissions. Through this project, the company not only compensates its emissions, but also supports small Italian farmers by guaranteeing them a minimum purchase price per fruit, higher than the market price. Every week OMB receives fruit from its orchard and makes it available to its employees for a nutritious break.
In 2008, OMB installed a photovoltaic system that covers about 15% of the electricity consumed annually. The company has also made available e-bikes and a carpooling platform for employees and pays its employees € 0.50 for each commute from home-work/work-home made with an environmentally friendly means of transportation, public transport, or carpooling.
Creation of an inclusive community
On top of this, OMB has initiated a project to contribute to the redevelopment of Brescia’s Primo Maggio district through the creation of inclusive spaces that can enhance people’s skills and build a system of inclusion and resilience. The project includes a sewing and mending workshop, digital literacy courses for the elderly and foreigners, reading activities for children, reading groups for adults, the connection between local libraries and the city centre, participation in and promotion of cultural events, and the foundation of a football school.
Ecclesia, from ideas to actions
The company also stands out for having created “Ecclesia”, named after the oldest known democratic assembly, which originated in ancient Greece and addressed issues pertaining to the wellbeing of the city. Each department at OMB has a representative who gathers requests, ideas, and suggestions from their colleagues for the well-being of the company. Every month and a half, a round table is held to consider the topics brought up by the delegates and determine which ones should be pursued. It is here that concrete initiatives were born and developed, such as, for example, a garden in the new headquarters with 6 outdoor workstations, each equipped with photovoltaic panels. Employees can thus decide to work outdoors, a need expressed after the Covid experience. Thanks to Ecclesia, welfare initiatives and projects result from the actual needs of the company’s employees.
For more information about the company, visit: www.omb-Saleri.it