Balancing family and career is a key factor for success

Fünf Personen stehen in einem Innenraum und schauen in die Kamera. Die Frau in der Mitte hält eine Urkunde in der Hand, eine andere hält ein rotes Schild mit der Aufschrift "Familienfreundliches Bielefeld 2025". Sie sind förmlich gekleidet und posieren vor einer Holzwand.
From left to right: Ullrich Tepper, Anika Hipke, Beatrice Richert, Pit Clausen, Hanna Drabon; Photo: Dimitrie Harder

Bielefeld, October 15, 2025 – Dürkopp Fördertechnik GmbH (DFT) was awarded for its special commitment to combining work and family life as part of the City of Bielefeld’s “Ausgezeichnet familienfreundlich” (Excellent Family Friendliness) initiative. The 12th award ceremony took place on October 7 during a festive event at Bielefeld City Hall. A total of 31 companies from a wide range of industries were honored for creating a family-friendly working environment through innovative and sustainable measures. Some of the companies were recertified, and all of them contribute to the reconciliation of work and family life in the workplace.

DFT impressed the jury with a holistic concept that goes far beyond standard requirements. This includes, among other things:

  • Flexible working time models such as flexitime and mobile working days
  • No core working hours
  • Additional benefits under collective agreements that can be converted into extra days off
  • Parental leave arrangements that are also used by a large number of male employees
  • Regular employee events with family participation, e.g., the annual DFT family celebration and participation in “Run & Roll Day”
  • Offers for relaxation at work, such as massages or a relaxation room that can also be used as a nursing room

“This award encourages us to continue on our path of creating a working environment that focuses on the needs of our employees and their families,” says Dirk Bockelmann, CEO of Dürkopp Fördertechnik GmbH. “For us, family friendliness is much more than just an additional benefit—it is a central component of our corporate culture. It strengthens loyalty to DFT, promotes motivation, and helps us retain committed talent in the long term.”

With over 500 employees, around 43% of whom have children, DFT is a major employer in the region. Its family-friendly approach is part of the corporate culture and contributes to a strong sense of loyalty to the company and its attractiveness as an employer.

Eine große Gruppe von Menschen posiert auf den Stufen eines historischen Steingebäudes, einige halten Urkunden und Auszeichnungen in der Hand, was auf eine Zeremonie oder Feier hindeutet. Das Gebäude weist gewölbte Türöffnungen und detaillierte Steinarbeiten auf.
Representatives of the award-winning companies; Photograph: Dimitrie Harder

Presscontact
Beatrice Richert
Team Leader Marketing & Communications
M: +49 152 04260 293
beatrice.richert@duerkopp.com

About DFT (Dürkopp Fördertechnik GmbH)
DFT – Dürkopp Fördertechnik operates worldwide as a solution provider in industrial engineering of automated conveying and sorting technology for intralogistics. The Bielefeld-based company with currently around 450 employees first became known in 1954 as a department of the Bielefeld Dürkoppwerke. After founding its own GmbH in 1995, DFT was taken over by the KNAPP group in 2010, where it complements the product portfolio with a focus on overhead conveyor technology and specializes in the fashion industry. In 2019, the AutoPocket, a hanging transport bag with an automatic opening function, was introduced to the market as an innovation. DFT works with a focus on holistic solutions and services for its customers in the fashion, retail, pharmaceutical and electronics industries.