Over the past 150 years, Konica Minolta has been on a remarkable journey, using our technology to cater to society’s material needs. At the heart of everything we do lies our unwavering commitment to our vision, “Imaging to the People.” And we owe our gratitude to our stakeholders, employees, and of course, our customers and partners for joining us on this incredible ride.
But, let me let you into a little secret…there’s SO MUCH MORE that you don’t know about! Konica Minolta has, and continues to, go above and beyond to give back to society and our planet. So join me down the metaphorical rabbit hole and let’s discover together some of the hidden gems that might make your eyes widen and smiles appear.
Little League or Big Impact: Every Contribution Counts in Shaping Society
Like many large-scale organizations (did you know we have nearly 40,000 employees across the globe!?) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a core part of our mission to ensure we contribute to a successful future. And how we do that, is how we stand out.
For example, every year we match employee donations to the Alzheimer’s Association dollar-for-dollar, and for the last two years we have also taken our dealer partners on a ride with us…literally! We rallied a total of 98 kind-hearted participants to take part in the Ride to End ALZ, a cycling event to directly impact research efforts in the fight to end Alzheimer’s.
In 2023, these participants gathered 729 contributions to raise an incredible $125K. That amount surpassed the $118K raised in 2022. Far too many of us know someone affected by Alzheimer’s Disease, and it’s so inspiring to see what’s possible when motivated individuals work together for a worthwhile cause.
We’re not always that physically demanding though! We also recently donated 40 Chromebooks and more than 5,000 school supplies to the Center for Food Action during our ‘Back to School Drive’ at our U.S. Headquarters in Ramsey, New Jersey. An additional 79 Chromebooks were donated to the Ronald McDonald House Charities. With technology at the heart of what we offer, it only felt right to give those in need the chance to be connected to the wide world the internet offers.
When the company learned of the onslaught of wildfires impacting the western Maui town of Lahaina, we worked with the American Red Cross (ARC) to set up another employee donation match. Konica Minolta donated $10,000 and also implemented an employee match option of up to an additional $10,000 to the organization in an effort to aid in relief efforts. The ARC was also in need of a high-speed printer on the ground in Maui, so Konica Minolta worked with one of its local dealers on the island to loan out a printer for their use.
We’re Fine With Being Labeled
And speaking of technology, have you heard about our “one hit white?” The white toner used in our new AccurioLabel 400 digital press has more opacity in one hit, which not only can save valuable time and reduce ink consumption, but also provides countless new opportunities for printing on sustainable label substrates for industries like organic food, cosmetics and wine labeling. So the next time you’re in the grocery store, give that label a good look and let us know if you think it’s Konica Minolta standard!
We Help to Bring the Action to YOU
Now let’s hop from the grocery store to some fresh air outside. Did you know we have relationships with almost every sports league and association you can think of? These relationships include more than a dozen professional and collegiate teams in the MLB, MLS, NBA, NCAA, NFL and NHL. We’re also the Official Marketing Partner and the Official Office Systems of the PGA TOUR — helping to bring you 50 PGA TOUR tournaments year-round!
You might spot our logo dotted around these different sporting events, but the reason we continue to sponsor these amazing athletes and teams is often unseen at first. Of course, the easiest way to describe this is our way to contribute to society and showcase examples of healthy well-being, but it goes even deeper into our commitment to drive innovation. Many of these locations use Konica Minolta-powered technology to embrace digital transformation and become an intelligent connected workplace for people, places, and devices.
Racing Toward Peak Sustainability
Another notable sponsorship includes being the Title Sponsor for the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) WeatherTech sports car racing team, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport. In 2019, I had the privilege to watch the No. 10 take the checkered flag at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and what an incredible event it was.
Commemorating the ninth year partnering with the team, we rolled out the new Acura ARX-06 hybrid this year. In addition to having a hybrid engine, it’s sporting a signature green leaf as a symbol of our commitment to achieving Carbon-Negative status by 2030 — twenty years ahead of our initial goal. We even utilize tires made with recycled products. How cool is that!?
Continuing the intelligent connected workplace approach is the Konica Minolta Business Center, which travels to each of the IMSA races for behind-the-scenes action in the pit and paddock area and runs “off the grid” thanks to rooftop solar panels and battery storage units. It also provides electric vehicle (EV) and plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) charging. If you’re at the track, it’s a must-see!
Resource-responsible: More Than Meets the Eye
How wide are those eyes getting? Well here are some more big stats for you. Did you know that Konica Minolta is listed among the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World? Or that we developed a toner with plant-based “biomass” materials and smaller particles than ordinary toner to cut toner use by 30+ %? (It’s called Simitri V if you’re wondering). Plus, it fuses at lower temperatures for a faster warm-up time and reduces CO2 emissions by 40%! Of course, we’re already thinking about what’s next. To add to those planet-friendly benefits, we’ve invested in a next-generation bioproduction management system to produce high-function materials using microbes. I’d love to check this out!
Coming closer to home, the solar panels in the parking lots at our U.S. Headquarters work hard to convert sunlight into electricity, and we even have our own beehives to keep the environment around us pollinated and biodiverse. We enlisted the help of a local beekeeper to manage the hives, and not long ago a portion of the colony was brought into the auditorium (behind a protective glass of course) for an educational and insightful presentation on the importance of honeybees within our ecosystem. I even purchased a bottle of honey to help support the cause.
It’s Truly About a People-First Mindset
Finally, it would be amiss not to spotlight the people. We are a people-first company and always look for ways to support future generations. In 1990, we started the Konica Minolta North American Scholarship Program to help students pursue the career of their dreams. And to bridge the gap from higher education to employment, we created the Konica Minolta internship program, bringing students with diverse backgrounds to hone their skills across multiple departments and teams. Maybe one day some of them will be leaders here at Konica Minolta!
150 Years is Just the Start
Now that you’ve gotten a glimpse into the lesser-known facts about Konica Minolta, I hope you see how the hard work of our employees, partners and customers helps contribute to a better world.
We’ve achieved a great deal over the last 150 years, but keep an eye on us as the innovation will never stop! You never know, maybe next you’ll see me in a spacesuit…
