Dagmar Hilden-Kuntz, Head of Sustainability & Sales at elka, will not soon forget November 7. That morning, an email arrived with exciting news: elka-Holzwerke from Morbach had won the German Sustainability Award (DNP) 2025 in the category of "wood-processing companies."

From the perspective of the award committee, the company is among the trailblazers of transformation in the German economy, exemplifying the kinds of companies the DNP has highlighted since 2008.

For many years, elka-Holzwerke has been committed to promoting health in living spaces, reducing emissions, and advancing sustainability with their premium wood construction products. Winning this award recognizes both the family-owned company’s transformational approach and its dedication to a sustainable future amidst climate change, with the goal of significantly reducing the company’s CO2 emissions by 2033. To achieve this, elka is investing in a new and more efficient particleboard production line and is optimizing every stage of the value chain at its Morbach location. Back in 2018, an energy management system was implemented to work in a resource-conserving manner.

Large-scale solar installations on the factory roofs and an increase in electric vehicles in the company fleet are further steps on this path. The use of wood from certified sustainable sources within a maximum radius of 150 km and the unique cascade production of all wood products at a single site underscore the ambitious and climate-conscious efforts of the Morbach-based company.

On November 28, the elka team will travel to Düsseldorf to attend the German Sustainability Day and receive the coveted award.