Ricoh invests in sustainable workplace to drive efficiencies

Ricoh has released its annual sustainability report alongside the official opening of its new green-rated Auckland headquarters.

Prime Minister John Key officially opened Ricoh New Zealand’s new Auckland headquarters. The building has a 5 Star Green rating, creating a healthy work environment for the 200 staff that were formerly spread across three locations.

Mike Pollok, managing director says “Ricoh was proud of its investment in a more sustainable work environment for its staff.”

Pollok hosted the Prime Minister and a number of senior Auckland business leaders, along with Mr Yoshinori Yamashita, the corporate executive vice president of Ricoh Global.

“It was an honour to have the Prime Minister officially open our new building. I was pleased to hear Mr Key liken the Ricoh way to how Kiwi businesses use technology to drive efficiencies so they can compete on the world stage. That’s Ricoh’s purpose: to help businesses get match fit and ready to compete.”

The visitor car park was turned into a native New Zealand forest and guests were guided through a Department of Conservation hut on a tour that “showcased the company’s leading sustainability practices as well as the document management innovation and IT smarts Ricoh is increasingly becoming known for.”

“We’re no longer just the photocopier guys; we’re part of the eighth-largest IT company in the world,” Pollock says. “We’ve future proofed our business and we’re already doing the same for our clients.

“This move has been on the cards for a while and we wanted to ensure we did it properly. The new building has more space, more sunlight and is less expensive to run.”

However, Pollok reiterated that environmental aspects are only one area of Ricoh’s sustainability and that being a financially successful business is a key part of the company’s triple bottom line performance.

The company has released its sixth annual sustainability report under the new GRI G4 reporting guidelines. In the previous financial year, sales have increased from $111m to $130m ‘as we continue towards our growth target of $150m gross revenue’.

“Being profitable is important so we can sustainably invest in new ideas and technology, continue to provide jobs for our 369 staff and engage with the communities we operate in,” says Pollok.