“The commute becomes delicious!” Opening of a ‘Happy Workplace’ created with Ottogi
OTOKI
‘Goodwill Store’ Opened Through Free Rental Support for 1st Floor Space Ottogi Source: Ottogi Along with the heartwarming news recently arriving in Jeju Island, Ottogi Co. , Ltd. ’s unique ESG initiatives, which it has quietly pursued for a long time, are drawing attention.
We took a closer look at the footsteps of Ottogi’s win-win management, which has gone beyond simple donations to breathe together with the marginalized neighbors of our society. Q1. We heard some good news in Jeju Island recently.
What is the story? On May 8th, the ‘Milal Jeju Yeon-dong Branch,’ the first Goodwill Store in the Jeju region, officially opened. This news is even more meaningful as it came during May, the Family Month, when everyone shares warmth and kindness. By offering the first-floor space of the Ottogi Jeju branch for free, a valuable workplace has been established for people with developmental disabilities in the Jeju region.
Q2. What exactly is a Goodwill Store, and why does Ottogi support it? Goodwill Stores are places that repair and sell donated items from citizens while providing jobs for people with disabilities. Since 2012, for 14 years, Ottogi has partnered with the Milal Welfare Foundation to support "self-reliance through employment," going beyond simple sponsorship.
With the opening of the Jeju store, five people with developmental disabilities have become new full-time colleagues. Q3. When you think of "Godtogi," you naturally think of "support for children with heart disease.
" Is this still ongoing? Of course! The support for children with congenital heart disease, which began in 1992, is a business that is as vital as the heart of Ottogi. Driven by the belief that "children, the protagonists of the future, must be healthy," we have continued this initiative for over 30 years, gifting new life to more than 6,000 children to date.
Q4. Your special considerations for the visually impaired have also become a hot topic.
What are they? We listened to the voices of visually impaired customers who found it difficult to find the water-filling line for cup noodles. Currently, Ottogi has introduced Braille labeling on the containers of all its products.
Recently, we have expanded the scope beyond cup noodles to include cup rice and container porridge, upholding the right of everyone to eat safely and conveniently. Q5.
I heard that you even established a workplace directly to employ people with disabilities? It is ‘Ottogi Friends,’ a subsidiary-type standard workplace for people with disabilities. Here, employees with disabilities are hired as full-time staff and are responsible for tasks such as the packaging process for Ottogi’s planned products.
It is an Ottogi-style practical model that helps people with disabilities achieve economic independence as proud members of society. Q6.
I heard that you are also sincere about nurturing talent and advancing academic development. We are illuminating the future of the food industry through the ‘Ottogi Ham Tae-ho Foundation.
’ Since 1996, we have supported scholarships for university students and encourage the advancement of food science by awarding the ‘Ottogi Ham Tae-ho Academic Award’ to outstanding researchers. In addition, we are contributing to creating a study environment by supporting the establishment of a specialized library called ‘LIBRARY H’.
Q7. These days, when it comes to ESG, ‘the environment’ cannot be overlooked.
What are Ottogi’s countermeasures? Ottogi has established a ‘2050 Carbon Neutrality Roadmap’ and is striving toward ‘Net Zero’. We are applying flexographic printing processes that reduce carbon emissions and Eco Packages that are easy to recycle.
Recently, we have also been taking care of the health of the planet by expanding the use of circular CR-PET bottles made from recycled waste plastic. Q8.
What does the map of sharing that Ottogi is drawing look like in the future? At the opening ceremony in Jeju, President Hwang Seong-man stated, “The Goodwill Store Jeju Yeon-dong branch holds even deeper significance as it is the first store to open on the beautiful island of Jeju. ” He added, “We will continue to do our utmost with Goodwill Store to provide stable jobs for people with developmental disabilities in the Jeju region and to supply high-quality products to Jeju residents and tourists.
” One-line summary: “Just like the ‘Ottogi’ (a roly-poly toy) that stands up again after falling, I expect that the passion of ‘Godtogi’—creating workplaces where the socially vulnerable can stand tall with dignity and even caring for the health of the planet—will not cool down within three minutes and will continue!”
This content was prepared by MaeKyung Biz Content Planning Team based on official announcements and press releases.
