Corporate Responsibility at PHOENIX CONTACT

PLCnext Technology: The platform for limitless automation

Transparent energy data acquisition in the NSG Group

Wide range of health measures for employees

Modernization of the Monsheim wastewater treatment plant

Energy day for employeesPhoenix Contact charitable trust

Social projects through the AIESEC student organization

Solar technology for commercial use

Meeting the challenges of tomorrow with solutions for the future

Comprehensive basic and further training

Use of building technology Confidential collaboration

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Contact

PHOENIX CONTACT

CSR activities

Without any deliberate intention to discriminate, the masculine form is always used in the text. This text always refers to feminine form as well.

Prof. Dr. Gunther Olesch Chief Human Resources Officer PHOENIX CONTACT GmbH & Co. KG Flachsmarktstr. 8 D-32825 Blomberg Tel. ++49 5235 3-41671 Fax ++49 5235 3-42072 Mail to://golesch@phoenixcontact.com www.phoenixcontact.com

PHOENIX CONTACT Group

Corporate Social Responsibility at PHOENIX CONTACT

Economy: Innovative solutions and products

Environment: Conservation of resources at Phoenix Contact

Social responsibility: Commitment to our employees

Social responsibility: Commitment to the society

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UAEVietnam

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PHOENIX CONTACT Group 2017

Phoenix Contact is a worldwide market leader for components, systems, and solutions in the fields of electrical engineering, electronics, and automation. The family-owned company currently employs approximately 16,500 people worldwide and achieved a turnover of 2.2 billion euros in 2017. The company headquarters are in Blomberg, Germany. The Phoenix Contact Group includes fourteen Germany-based companies, plus more than 55 independent sales subsidiaries throughout the globe. The company's international presence is further strengthened by more than 40 subsidiaries in Europe and abroad.

We manufacture our products with a high level of production depth in 13 countries throughout the world. The product range consists of components and system solutions for energy supply, including wind and solar power, device manufacturing and machine building, as well as control cabinet manufacturing. We offer innovative components, including a wide range of terminal blocks and special terminal blocks, PCB terminal blocks and connectors, cable connection technology, and installation accessories. Electronic interfaces and power supplies, automation systems on the basis of Ethernet and wireless, safety solutions for humans, machines and data, surge protection systems as well as software programs and tools provide comprehensive systems for installers and operators of systems as well as device manufacturers. Markets within the automotive industry, renewable energy, and infrastructure are supported by means of consistent solution concepts, ranging from engineering and maintenance to training services, in line with specific needs.

The digital transformation is supported by Phoenix Contact by means of products, systems and solutions. Thanks to the experience gained from in-house machine building, the company is familiar with the requirements for digitalization and continuous data flow, from engineering to production and beyond – throughout the entire produce life cycle.

Product innovations and specific solutions for individual customer requirements are created in the development facilities at our sites in Germany, China, and the USA. Numerous patents emphasize the fact that many developments from Phoenix Contact are unique. Working closely with universities and scientific institutes, technologies of the future such as E-Mobility and digitization are researched and transformed into marketable products, systems, and solutions.

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Corporate Responsibility at Phoenix Contact

The corporate mission statement "We create progress with innovative and inspiring solutions" describes the driving force behind our business activities and the development of innovative solutions and products. Phoenix Contact aims to approach future megatrends and "path-breaking bridge to the future" by adopting the principles behind this statement. Sustainable actions, preservation of resources and environmental protection are an integral part of the corporate policy at our company. The "trusting partnership" is enshrined in our Corporate Principles. Our corporate commitment is clearly demonstrated through a value-oriented and respectful leadership style, our corporate culture and a variety of employee offerings within the social sphere as well as sport and cultural promotions and education within the corporate sphere.

The Corporate Principles developed by the Executive Board provide Phoenix Contact customers, business partners and employees with a foundation for sustainable actions and a trusting relationship.

The Executive Board issued the following statement regarding its position on corporate responsibility: "We feel that we are committed to the positive sustainable development of living and working environments. Phoenix Contact is aware of its role in society and in the environment. As part of our corporate social responsibility and corporate compliance, we take responsibility for adhering to laws, generally applicable values and principles, and the sustainable handling of resources, as well as promoting social commitment, integrity, and professionalism."

Phoenix Contact made their commitment clear in 2005 by joining the United Nations Global Compact initiative. This voluntarily commitment includes upholding the ten principles in the areas of human rights, work standards, environmental protection and preventing corruption. Of course, the company has also been committed to the "ZVEI Code of Conduct for Corporate Social Responsibility" (the code of the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association) since 2009.

In the following section, selected examples of CR activities in economic, environmental and social areas are presented for employees and the society.

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Economy: Innovative solutions and products

The Phoenix Contact corporate mission statement "We create progress with innovative and inspiring solutions" underlines just how important research and development is for the company. Together with customers and partners, the company designs solutions for the future using trend-setting connection and automation technology. Over the last 90 years, many products and solutions have been developed in this way to help individuals use energy and resources efficiently, save space, costs and time, and use new processes and materials. For many years, the company has chosen to pursue renewable energies and pioneering technologies and to implement them in new products and solutions. The spectrum ranges from individual products to holistic industrial solutions and beyond.

Digital transformation at Phoenix Contact is based on the intelligent universal networking of systems, machines and people. Support from automation helps create intelligent systems that enhance potential and increase efficiency, as shown in the following examples.

Energy data acquisition in the NSG GroupGlass manufacturing requires a large amount of energy. An energy management system is essential in saving energy during production. This is why the NSG Group introduced a corresponding solution for the clear and efficient evaluation of consumption data at Gladbeck in 2013. More than 70 new electricity meters were installed in order to acquire the relevant values. Some of the Modbus-based devices installed in the production halls could be integrated via the existing

distributed control system. However, the meters installed across the extensive company premises posed a huge challenge because they could not be connected to the energy management system using cables, and radio communication usually requires visual contact, which was not guaranteed

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either. This is where the Phoenix Contact technology came into play: The Radioline radio system, which uses robust Trusted Wireless 2.0 technology, was specifically developed to exchange signals over long distances.

For more than two years, the stable radio connections have been delivering accurate energy consumption data to enable the precision analysis of energy flows. For this reason, a wastewater pumping station that is difficult to access was also wirelessly linked up to the control system in the summer of 2016. It is located in the middle of a copse, around 500 meters away. Technology from Phoenix Contact provides support in the acquisition of energy data, contributes to increasing cost-effectiveness and helps make a significant contribution to environmental protection as a result.

Modernization of the Monsheim wastewater treatment plantMore often than not, the modernization of wastewater treatment plants only means renewing individual process steps or adding new purification processes. It is relatively rare for plants to be completely overhauled, although modernization projects of this kind offer the advantage of increasing the preparation capacity or improving the energy consumption of the plant.

A thorough modernization of the plant in Monsheim during ongoing operations was scheduled after 2014 with the aim of making work more process-oriented and saving resources in the long term, with a specific focus on reducing energy consumption. Perspectively, the plant should generate 100 % of the energy it consumes. In order to achieve this target, all of the automation technology had to be replaced. The engineers responsible set their sights on powerful modular control technology that made it easy to connect field devices to the control system, thereby achieving a high degree of availability.

It was also important for the operators to be able to plan maintenance work more selectively. The efficient network in the wastewater treatment plant keeps employees up to date with the current status of the individual processes and components via operating panels distributed throughout the plant so that they can determine where targeted maintenance is needed, and then plan and carry out this maintenance while optimizing the use of available resources.

Another advantage of this modernization is a reduction in the use of financial and human resources, which can then be used or deployed elsewhere.

Modernizing the individual treatment steps combined with the new automation technology and intelligent field devices provides us with a consistent concept that forms the foundation for the efficient operation of the wastewater treatment plant. However, this was only made possible by focusing on the solution holistically.

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Parking space management for electromobilityPhoenix Contact has had an active interest in electromobility for many years. The last Corporate Responsibility Report from 2016 mentioned the development of electromobility in the Netherlands with support from Phoenix Contact. This year's report is expected to contain information on the charging concept for the Germany's largest electric filling station at Bechtle AG in Neckarsulm. Phoenix Contact worked with numerous suppliers to consistently implement a sustainability concept for the vehicle fleet.

For the operator, it was a question of designing the plant with sufficient dimensions for future requirements: easy to extend to accommodate more vehicles, legally compliant billing as well as an energy management system for optimal utilization of regenerative energy sources, such as additional PV panels on the roof of the car park.

In addition to the installation of extra charging points, electrical installations in industrial areas must be inspected regularly and the costs of these inspections should not increase linearly with the number of charging points. As a result, the charging points were installed in the parking area and all other system components in the central control cabinet. Phoenix Contact supplied the charging controller and the power meters, which guarantee a high degree of availability because they incorporate a function that initiates an automatic reset if a vehicle causes a fault current and measures the charging currents and capacities of the energy that has already been charged. The power meters are therefore suitable for the legally compliant billing of charging procedures.

By combining relevant core competences from the companies involved, it was possible to implement a solution ideal for "charging the fleet in the car park". All necessary aspects relating to construction and maintenance were taken into consideration here. The concept for optimizing the use of regenerative energy was also implemented.

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Environment: Conservation of resources at Phoenix Contact

Phoenix Contact is continuously tackling the triple aspect of reducing costs, using energy efficiently, and protecting the environment. Sustainability was a part of the corporate agenda long before it became a fashionable buzzword. At Phoenix Contact, the harmonization of economy and ecology is being pursued through a corporate attitude that was established very early on by the shareholders: "Environmental protection is an integral part of our corporate policy. One main focus of our activities is taking responsibility for the sustained protection of our resources." Preserving what we have achieved for future generations is not just a flash in the pan, it is essential. This includes the use of new technologies and processes that aid both energy and material efficiency. Our corporate attitude to keep costs in check, to be sparing with resources, and to identify recycling opportunities was in place long before oil crises, resource shortages, blue eco-angels and climate preservation made it clear that it was high time that wasteful practices had to change.

Energy managementIn compliance with DIN EN ISO 50001, the energy management system at Phoenix Contact has guaranteed the necessary degree of transparency and measurability of the implemented steps since 2013, with the aim of continuously improving energy-related services. The recertification of Phoenix Contact in 2016 confirms the success of the measures that were implemented and highlights other optimization potential.

Phoenix Contact has set a strategic energy objective for the Blomberg, Bad Pyrmont and Lüdenscheid production locations. By 2020, 8% of the absolute energy consumption based on the consumption from 2012 should be saved through efficiency measures. A wide variety of energy efficiency measures have been implemented in an attempt to reach this objective: For example, the use of secondary and solar power, geothermal heat and combined heat and power plants,

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energy-saving lamps and LED lights, rainwater cisterns, building insulation, and the use of automation technology in buildings. Employees should also help save energy; they can express their ideas or make suggestions because they are professionals who know the processes, sequences and associated energy requirements better than anyone else.

Digitalization – Impact on the production processPhoenix Contact not only develops digital transformation concepts for customers, but also for its own production processes. Of course, Phoenix Contact is not immune to changes in production system and machine requirements as they have to become more adaptable, more flexible and faster.

Tomorrow's shopfloorPhoenix Contact is firmly committed to and involved in the German Universities Excellence Initiative, Cluster of Excellence "Integrative Production Technology for High-Wage Countries" funded by the German Federal Government and states, and the BMBF Leading Edge Cluster "Intelligent Technical Systems Ostwestfalen-Lippe ("it's OWL")". Last year a pilot project called "Tomorrow's shopfloor" was launched as a sustainability

measure for the Leading Edge Cluster. Different technological, organizational and human resource subobjectives were defined and all internal and external stakeholders were actively involved in choosing a new direction and a holistic approach. These technological and organizational subobjectives included the consistent digitalization of the entire process chain, from order acceptance, scheduling and planning to the deployment of operating resources as well as the use of digital technologies and concepts. Work is organized according to the lean principles of "operational excellence", customer-oriented manufacture on the move, installation of short quality control loops, daily shopfloor management and continuous improvement, which create added value and increase resource efficiency. Structures and workflows were organized in the value stream and a system of indicators was developed to control the overall value-added process.

Production of signal conditionersThe production of signal conditioners for uninterrupted signal transmission in Bad Pyrmont demonstrates how the advantages of digitalization are already being exploited today. Communication between the product, humans and machines at the production line has been optimized. The system works efficiently based on the consistent material flow in the process chain and due to very short changeover times.

The customer can produce roughly 1,000 different device versions by selecting the input and output signal type, for example, using the online configurator. In order to produce small batches of 5 to 500 units and still make a profit given the wide range of variants involved, humans and machines are required to work quickly and efficiently together. The process from the empty printed-circuit board to the finished, packed product is a long one: After placement of the SMD, the printed-circuit boards are inspected and transferred to a goods carrier in the circuit in the modular production facility. Around 20 workpiece carriers circulating in the production line at any one time ensure that one employee works at full capacity and the facility operates efficiently. The consistent use of digital data and the connection between the physical and virtual world allow small batches of individual products to be manufactured for the same cost as mass-produced items.

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Social responsibility: Commitment to our employees

Phoenix Contact attaches great importance to maintaining an appreciative and trusting corporate culture as well as supporting employees, both of which are enshrined in the Corporate Principles: "Our corporate culture encourages trust and supports employees‘ development for achieving agreed targets."

The expectations of a respectful, appreciative relationship are reflected in the mission statement with aspects such as "trust", "respect and appreciation" and "support and development". The Great Place to Work survey was conducted again in 2017 in order to determine the location. The employee survey is now in its 10th year and the numbers speak for themselves. 3,200 employees from 17 countries and subsidiaries took part in the survey in 2007, which corresponds to a participation rate of 57 %. Last year, 10,200 employees from 55 countries and subsidiaries took part in the survey, with a participation rate of 74 %. These increases show the company exactly how important feedback is to employees. The so-called "perceived" temperature in the company, which indicates employee satisfaction, also showed a healthy increase. The real work only really begins after the survey when the results are analyzed and individual optimization possibilities are derived during the follow-up process.

Digitalization – Impact on peopleThe technical and structural changes that accompany every digital transformation process also have a significant impact on employees. However, we cannot even begin to imagine how the world of work will look in a few years. We can only really be clear about one thing: the working environment and work processes will change and so will human resource requirements. Employees must adapt and embrace the path of digital transformation, in particular if methods and plans have to be adapted due to the dynamic nature of the topic. At Phoenix Contact, the answer is "Find out" – "Communicate" – "Make the grade", through work meetings, the employee magazine or the Podcast of the Executive Board, for example.

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A preamble was designed to give employees security in their job and future because Phoenix Contact regards digital transformation as an important future project that creates a positive outlook both for employees and sustained corporate growth. In collaboration with the works council and trade union, Phoenix Contact intends to draw up a set of framework conditions that develop and promote these perspectives. In addition to training and qualification, this also means flexible and safe working conditions that allow space for growth and innovation."

Tomorrow's shopfloorAspects of the "Tomorrow's shopfloor" project relating to employees should now be explained, parts of which have already been presented under the "Environment" category. The impact and reciprocal effect of technical and organizational changes on the work of employees were identified first of all, with the focus on working conditions such as flexible working time models, ergonomics, health management, essential skills, qualification concepts for specific target groups and the management of mental and / or physical stress. Collaboration with the stakeholders, in particular with the employee representative committee, was also important during this subproject.

Phoenix Contact aims to motivate its employees to forge new paths towards digitalization and therefore work together on the future viability of the company. The company provided regular information about the current status of Tomorrow's shopfloor in line with the motto "Find out" and "Communicate". In a large workshop, the employees concerned had the opportunity to exchange information about the various areas of activity in personal discussions with the respective engineers, ask questions, and allay any fears and uncertainties. "Qualification" is another important step towards future viability because digital transformation brings with it numerous changes that have an effect both on the requirements and skills of the employees. The company and employees must both adapt and prepare for these changes. One solution is the implementation of specific qualification measures for different employee groups at the workplace, in the Training Center and using e-learning tools such as "Industry 4.0 live @ Phoenix Contact". The correct qualification contents and types as well as a willingness to change and enthusiasm for learning new processes, methods, techniques and skills on the part of the employees are essential for a successful outcome.

Production of signal conditionersThe production line (description in Environment category) is an example of how employees are given the correct support when completing complex new tasks. When an order is dispatched to the production line, the work plan for the product being manufactured is prepared first of all. As soon as the product reaches the goods carrier, a connection is established to the information provided by the overriding system, indicating which inspections must be performed on this item.

The employees working at the machine process each module

multiple times in different tasks. The overriding system has information on the processing statuses of the modules so that the PC only displays the information or options required for the current task. Communication between the product and the controller makes it easier for employees to manage the high degree of complexity resulting from the large number of variants.

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QualificationThe development and support of employees is very important for Phoenix Contact. In previous Communication on Progress Reports, we have already frequently mentioned the opening of the Training Center in Schieder in 2016.

Kicker 4.0 is one special development measure for trainees that should be highlighted here because it inspires both young and prospective specialists as well as users. Last year, trainees from the Training Center and the affiliate company Phoenix Feinbau found a playful and extremely easy way to illustrate the benefits and functionality of digital transformation - table soccer. They managed to implement their idea with assistance from expert

trainers: The ball is fitted with an RFID transponder and a digital variant (twin) that collects and stores information in a cloud. Data is exchanged to track the movement of the ball, while the number of goals conceded can be counted and displayed on a screen. Statistics relating to the balls are also recorded. The information is managed intelligently. IONE software produced by Solihde is used for the "stadium lighting". If the system notices that the lights start to fade, a direct message is generated so that a replacement light can be procured immediately and fitted.

But what does a soccer table have to do with industry at Phoenix Contact? The soccer table is symbolic representation of a production facility, while the ball is the product that is manufactured. Today, facilities of this kind are already being used specially for digital transformation and can manufacture products in extremely small quantities (batch size 1), a practice that used to be extremely expensive and complex.

The trainees therefore had their own project to work on and had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the Phoenix Contact technology in a light-hearted way and also show users how digital transformation can work.

Health managementThe comprehensive health management system shows that Phoenix Contact gives top priority to the health of its employees. The physical fitness of employees is just as important as mental fitness and so for 15 years, the company has been developing and implementing needs-based employee offerings as part of the official health management philosophy.

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Bicycle leasing was introduced last year. On "Demo Days", the employees were able to test the bicycles and pedelecs and glean information from the bicycle dealers and providers. Many took advantage of the offering and now ride new two-wheelers with or without an electric drive.

In addition to blood donor campaigns, a bone marrow typing campaign was also launched for the first time in 2017 in collaboration with the German Bone Marrow Donor Agency (DKMS). At Phoenix Contact, more than 300 employees took part in the campaign, which was hailed as a success by the organizers. The campaign at Phoenix Contact started when a colleague became ill and was in need of a donor. Her colleagues could not stand by and do nothing so, along with Health Management and Corporate Communication, they organized the one day event in Blomberg. Together, they wanted to support the vision of the DKMS, whose motto is "We will defeat leukemia".

The health offers available within the company also include a number of company sports groups. In addition to the Phoenix Contact "Flying Phoenix" dragon boat team, a large selection of different sport types are on offer, such as soccer, racquetball, tennis and race cycling. Phoenix Contact regularly takes large groups to regional running events to create a team spirit and give the employees an opportunity

to get to know one another better. One particular highlight was a Rugsketball tournament, during which disabled and non-disabled athletes took part in combined games of rugby and basketball in wheelchairs, and the positive team spirit was undoubtedly enhanced by the mutual understanding.

"Global Voices" company choirIn addition to the sporting community activities, community activities in the cultural field should also be provided for. In September 2015, about 30 singers from all divisions within the company came together to form "The Global Voices".

The company choir's repertoire included a mix of pop songs, English and German compositions, and traditional airs, which were performed at internal company events.

Energy day for employeesIn September 2017, Phoenix Contact organized two employee days on the topic of energy as part of the "Climate protection wins" funding project. Employees and their families were able to try out electric cars and pedelecs, and discover more about the latest technology. Phoenix Contact has been a member of the “Verein der Klimaschutz-Unternehmen e.V.” (Association of Climate Protection Companies) since 2011, which aims to inform and sensitize people about climate protection. Phoenix Contact was able to attract more than 700 interested employees and their relatives to the Schieder location.

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Social responsibility: Commitment to the society

Phoenix Contact feels responsible for the sustained positive development of living and working environments and takes its role as a responsible company very seriously. The company not only takes responsibility inside the factory gates, but also within a social context by providing sponsoring to support charitable initiatives as well as promoting art, culture and sport. The Phoenix Contact foundation offers scholarships to support young people and fund projects for people with disabilities, as explained in the article below.

Donating retired computersPhoenix Contact has been working with the company AfB (Work for People with Disabilities) for five years and even received an award for its efforts in September 2017. The AfB is a subsidiary of the 500 gAG initiative which pursues the goal of creating at least 500 jobs in Germany for people with disabilities. The core business of the AfB is the repair of disused company computers for resale. Reconditioning PCs has two main advantages: On the one hand, PCs and laptops that are usually fully

functional are used once again, thereby saving a significant amount of valuable resources. 1,500 liters of water and 1.9 metric tonnes of raw materials are needed to produce just one laptop, which clearly highlights the importance of sustainability. On the other hand, AfB uses this business to create employment for 280 people, where every second employee has a physical or mental disability. Phoenix Contact supports AfB in social and sustainable projects with a deep sense of conviction and aims to further intensify its working relationship in the future.

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Cultural commitmentA new series of events being held in the Phoenix Contact Training Center to promote cultural responsibility, including concerts by regional artists, can be attended both by employees and other interested parties. Phoenix Contact is also a committed sponsor of the Schieder Manor House Concerts, which take place close to the Training Center. The "Wege durch das Land" ( Journey through the countryside) literature and music festival is organized as a charitable limited company by “Literaturbüro Ostwestfalen-Lippe e. V.”, a number of regional administrative districts and the Lippe regional association. These cultural initiatives are extremely important to the company, which is why they became a sponsor and agreed to organize the event in the Training Center for the first in 2017.

The colloquium, which has been held every year since 1998, was an idea originally devised by Lippe Technical College but was adopted by Phoenix Contact at the 75th company anniversary. Both partners see this forum event as an opportunity to link traditional topics with future topics and technical topics with social and/or global topics: an event organized for the broad interested public and attended by renowned speakers from the world of politics, science, sport and literature such as Lothar Späth, Matthias Horx, Frank Bunsemann, Mojib Latif or Richard David Precht that radiates beyond the borders of Ostwestfalen-Lippe.

Social project in PeruEducation is an important topic, both in the area of social engagement and the internal development of young people and employees. The previous report mentioned details of the partnership with the student organization AIESEC and also announced that two students from Phoenix Contact would have the opportunity to take part in the "Global Citizen Partnership Program" in 2017. The social project sent the two students off to the "Casita de Madera"

kindergarten in Peru. Both students were aware that they would have to adapt to the adverse conditions, but they were genuinely shocked by the shattered glass, trash, filthy toilets and power cuts, which exceeded their expectations in a negative way. Their actual role in the "Raise your Voice" project was assisting the teachers with their work, which included supervising and helping the children with their exercises, planning their own lessons and playing together with the kids.

After recovering from the initial shock, the two students decided that they wanted to do more to improve the conditions at the "Casita de Madera" kindergarten. They came up with the idea of starting a fundraising campaign via Facebook and WhatsApp, which received positive feedback from friends, acquaintances and Phoenix Contact back home in Germany. The two students, teachers and other helpers used the money to repair the toilets, plant flowerbeds, paint the walls and install a connection to the power grid. The funds were also invested in the children's health; a dentist came to examine and educate the children. The children, teachers and parents were extremely impressed with the redesigned kindergarten and the two students were delighted to be able to help and make a difference.

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Phoenix Contact USA supports aid project in Burkina FasoAccess to fresh, clean water is scarce in Burkina Faso, one of the world's poorest nations. The technical know-how and a wireless remote control solution of Phoenix Contact helped the village of Mahadaga in Southeast Burkina Faso optimize the water supply for its citizens.

Phoenix Contact USA, based in Harrisburg, Pa., supported the project. The US subsidiary has long been collaborating with Messiah College Collaboratory in the adjacent town of Mechanicsburg, where students and teachers from all over the world take part in development projects.

Mahadaga, located in the southeast of Burkina Faso, is a village of around 5,000 people. About two years ago, a water tank with several taps for the citizens of the village was installed there to optimize the water supply. However, the tank had no system for monitoring the water level. Subsequently, water was pumped up from deep wells into the tank, regardless of the actual water

consumption in the village. As a result, the tank often overflowed. Water and the energy required for powering the pumps were being wasted.

Two students and an aid agency expert at the Messiah College designed a wireless system to monitor the water level and to control the pumps. Phoenix Contact contributed technical know-how and equipped the control cabinets. At the heart of the solution is a wireless connection on the basis of the Radioline wireless system.

The device was particularly suitable for the project since it can be configured simply by means of a thumbwheel. The fact of Radioline being designed for harsh operating conditions is also useful. Local temperatures of above 90 degrees in the shade are normal, temperatures over a hundred are not uncommon. Furthermore, Phoenix Contact USA donated the power supply, surge protection, antennas, terminal blocks, and other material. Before being shipped to Africa, the control cabinets were assembled, and then tested in the US. Afterwards, it was an easy and quick job for the local aid workers to install the systems.

"United Way" with colleagues from Phoenix Contact USAUnited Way is a globally active aid organization. One of the campaigns that it regularly organizes in the USA is the "Day of Caring". For one day, employees from local companies help out in projects run by local charities.

On 9 September, 1,600 people attended the event in Harrisburg, almost 70 of whom were Phoenix Contact employees. Colleagues helped out in various regional projects, for example, tidying and painting a building and park at a scout camp, laying a floor in a community house in one of the poorest areas of Harrisburg and designing a park. At the end of the day, all participants were proud of their achievements and had a great feeling of having done something good.