A small plant grows from a circuit board Sustainable growth (c) AfB gGmbH

Our History

For more than 18 years, AfB has been campaigning for ecological action in the IT industry and for inclusion in the labour market.
Please have a look at our milestones.

Athlete smiles in camera with thumbs up

2023

IT supplier for Special Olympics World Games

IT supplier for Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag  (German Protestant Church Congress)

IT Distri Award Gold for Refurbishing & Remarketing

2022

Gold for Refurbishing & Remarketing, IT-Distri Award 2022

Leading Employer Award 2022

290 jobs for people with disabilities

AfB Managing Director Yvonne Cvilak is one of the Top 100 Women in Social Enterprises

10 years as Microsoft Authorised Refurbisher, 500,000 WIN licences installed

Black Lion Business Award Baden-Württemberg 2022, 1st place in the category "Diversity Human Resources"

 

Schwarzer Löwe / Kunstobjekt / Geschäftsführung der AfB gemeinnützigen GbmH
Preisstatuette Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis, Foto: Frank Fendler

2021

AfB wins the German Sustainability Award 2021 in the category "Society & Fairness"

Recruitment of the 500th employee

Expansion of the refurbishment centre in Sömmerda from 600 to 3,200 sqm

Opening of the new AfB location in Strasbourg

2020

AfB wins the Inclusion Award of NRW 2020 in the "Work and Social Purpose" category

AfB wins the Digital Leader Award 2020 special prize "Social Purpose"

AfB is awarded as " Sustainability Hero 2020" in the category "Circular Economy"

AfB is awarded with the SFE CEFEC AWARD as "Europe's Social Firm of the Year 2020"

AfB is nominated for the German CSR Award

AfB is nominated for the CSR Prize of Germany

Yvonne Cvilak becomes Managing Director

AfB-Zentrale in Ettlingen

2019

Opening of the 20th AfB location in Slovakia

Award as Project Sustainability 2019

Recruitment of the 400th employee

Closure of the AfB-Shop Stuttgart

Winner German Local Sustainability Award ZeitzeicheN 2019

3rd place at the SIGNAL IDUNA Environment and Health Award 2019

Move to new AfB headquarters at Carl-Metz-Str. 4 in Ettlingen

2018

Organization of the first in-house IT symposium "AfB-Forum" in Ettlingen

Groundbreaking ceremony for the new AfB headquarters in Ettlingen

Start of the cooperation with Jesuit-Worldwide-Learning

AfB is honured with Rudolf Freudenberg Award in the category "overall entrepreneurial performance"

Opening of the shop in the Köln-Arcaden

2017

Opening of the recycling center in Paderborn

Opening of the logistics location and shop in Paderborn

Opening of the shops in Caen and Grenoble (France)

Joining the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC)

Paul Cvilak is honored with the Medal of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany

2016

3rd place in the Deichmann Promotion Award and 5,000 euros in prize money in the category "Career promotion by companies"

Kick-off of the collaboration of AfB, Fujitsu and Diebold Nixdorf

Relocation of the store in Essen to Steinmetzstraße 

Ehrenbild zum Deichmann Preis 2016  / Ehrenurkunde / Verleihung der AfB gemeinnützigen GmbH

2015

Recruitment of the 300th employee

AfB shop Hannover moves into new premises in Meelbaumstraße in Hannover-Hainholz

First declaration of compliance with the German Sustainability Code (DNK) as a social enterprise

2014

Innovation Award of the German Economy 2014 in the category "Innovative Personnel Concepts

Opening of the first Swiss AfB shop in Urdorf

Awarded with the “Impact Label” by the non-profit analysis and consulting firm PHINEO

Empfangnahme zum Innovationspreis / AfB social & green IT Geschäftsführung
Stiftung / Geschäftsführung der AfB gemeinnützigen GmbH überreicht Urkunde zur Zusammenarbeit

2013

Founding of the AfB Foundation in Switzerland

Second AfB shop opens in Vienna

2012

German Sustainability Award in the category:  “Germany’s Most Sustainable Future Strategies".

First AfB subsidiary in France

10th branch store opens in Berlin.

First hardware pick-up from Spain and Italy

Übergabe des Nachhaltigkeitspreises / Gewinner / Kunstobjekt / Ansprache / Applaus / Lächeln
Gebäudeansicht des AfB - Ladens der Niederlassung in Wien

2011

In October 2011, the AfB site in Jülich moves to neighboring Düren

Warehouse and office in Ettlingen move into the new building next to the salesroom

First AfB store outside of Germany: opening in Vienna in August 2011

2010

Recruitment of the 100th employee

Hannover location moves to “Lange Laube.“

Einführung zu den Ideen für Deutschland / Gruppenbild / Würdigung / Ehrung des Konzeptes der AfB gemeinnützigen GmbH zur Deutschlandweiten Wirkung der Geschäftsidee

2009

Cologne store moves into the new offices in Köln-Ehrenfeld.

New location in Essen (8th branch office)

Award won in the “365 Towns in Germany  – Land of Ideas 2009“ competition under the auspices of Horst Köhler

AfB opens site in Unna

2008

6th AfB branch opens in Hanover

 

2007

Opening of an AfB branch in Cologne

Opening of an AfB branch in Stuttgart

Inauguration of the first AfB branch outside Baden-Württemberg in Nuremberg

2005

Relocation of warehouse and office to the new premises in Ferdinand-Porsche-Straße in Ettlingen

Kunst im Hauptgebäude

2004

Foundation of AfB gemeinnützige GmbH on October 4 with the office in "Erlengraben" in Ettlingen and the warehouse in Emmendingen near Freiburg

IT supplier for Special Olympics World Games

IT supplier for Deutscher Evangelischer Kirchentag  (German Protestant Church Congress)

IT Distri Award Gold for Refurbishing & Remarketing

Athlete smiles in camera with thumbs up

Gold for Refurbishing & Remarketing, IT-Distri Award 2022

Leading Employer Award 2022

290 jobs for people with disabilities

AfB Managing Director Yvonne Cvilak is one of the Top 100 Women in Social Enterprises

10 years as Microsoft Authorised Refurbisher, 500,000 WIN licences installed

Black Lion Business Award Baden-Württemberg 2022, 1st place in the category "Diversity Human Resources"

 

Schwarzer Löwe / Kunstobjekt / Geschäftsführung der AfB gemeinnützigen GbmH

AfB wins the German Sustainability Award 2021 in the category "Society & Fairness"

Recruitment of the 500th employee

Expansion of the refurbishment centre in Sömmerda from 600 to 3,200 sqm

Opening of the new AfB location in Strasbourg

Preisstatuette Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis, Foto: Frank Fendler

AfB wins the Inclusion Award of NRW 2020 in the "Work and Social Purpose" category

AfB wins the Digital Leader Award 2020 special prize "Social Purpose"

AfB is awarded as " Sustainability Hero 2020" in the category "Circular Economy"

AfB is awarded with the SFE CEFEC AWARD as "Europe's Social Firm of the Year 2020"

AfB is nominated for the German CSR Award

AfB is nominated for the CSR Prize of Germany

Yvonne Cvilak becomes Managing Director

AfB-Zentrale in Ettlingen

Opening of the 20th AfB location in Slovakia

Award as Project Sustainability 2019

Recruitment of the 400th employee

Closure of the AfB-Shop Stuttgart

Winner German Local Sustainability Award ZeitzeicheN 2019

3rd place at the SIGNAL IDUNA Environment and Health Award 2019

Move to new AfB headquarters at Carl-Metz-Str. 4 in Ettlingen

Organization of the first in-house IT symposium "AfB-Forum" in Ettlingen

Groundbreaking ceremony for the new AfB headquarters in Ettlingen

Start of the cooperation with Jesuit-Worldwide-Learning

AfB is honured with Rudolf Freudenberg Award in the category "overall entrepreneurial performance"

Opening of the shop in the Köln-Arcaden

Opening of the recycling center in Paderborn

Opening of the logistics location and shop in Paderborn

Opening of the shops in Caen and Grenoble (France)

Joining the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC)

Paul Cvilak is honored with the Medal of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany

3rd place in the Deichmann Promotion Award and 5,000 euros in prize money in the category "Career promotion by companies"

Kick-off of the collaboration of AfB, Fujitsu and Diebold Nixdorf

Relocation of the store in Essen to Steinmetzstraße 

Ehrenbild zum Deichmann Preis 2016  / Ehrenurkunde / Verleihung der AfB gemeinnützigen GmbH

Recruitment of the 300th employee

AfB shop Hannover moves into new premises in Meelbaumstraße in Hannover-Hainholz

First declaration of compliance with the German Sustainability Code (DNK) as a social enterprise

Innovation Award of the German Economy 2014 in the category "Innovative Personnel Concepts

Opening of the first Swiss AfB shop in Urdorf

Awarded with the “Impact Label” by the non-profit analysis and consulting firm PHINEO

Empfangnahme zum Innovationspreis / AfB social & green IT Geschäftsführung

Founding of the AfB Foundation in Switzerland

Second AfB shop opens in Vienna

Stiftung / Geschäftsführung der AfB gemeinnützigen GmbH überreicht Urkunde zur Zusammenarbeit

German Sustainability Award in the category:  “Germany’s Most Sustainable Future Strategies".

First AfB subsidiary in France

10th branch store opens in Berlin.

First hardware pick-up from Spain and Italy

Übergabe des Nachhaltigkeitspreises / Gewinner / Kunstobjekt / Ansprache / Applaus / Lächeln

In October 2011, the AfB site in Jülich moves to neighboring Düren

Warehouse and office in Ettlingen move into the new building next to the salesroom

First AfB store outside of Germany: opening in Vienna in August 2011

Gebäudeansicht des AfB - Ladens der Niederlassung in Wien

Recruitment of the 100th employee

Hannover location moves to “Lange Laube.“

Cologne store moves into the new offices in Köln-Ehrenfeld.

New location in Essen (8th branch office)

Award won in the “365 Towns in Germany  – Land of Ideas 2009“ competition under the auspices of Horst Köhler

AfB opens site in Unna

Einführung zu den Ideen für Deutschland / Gruppenbild / Würdigung / Ehrung des Konzeptes der AfB gemeinnützigen GmbH zur Deutschlandweiten Wirkung der Geschäftsidee

6th AfB branch opens in Hanover

 

Opening of an AfB branch in Cologne

Opening of an AfB branch in Stuttgart

Inauguration of the first AfB branch outside Baden-Württemberg in Nuremberg

Relocation of warehouse and office to the new premises in Ferdinand-Porsche-Straße in Ettlingen

Foundation of AfB gemeinnützige GmbH on October 4 with the office in "Erlengraben" in Ettlingen and the warehouse in Emmendingen near Freiburg

Kunst im Hauptgebäude

Learn more about the AfB and be a part of the success story.

Becoming a partner References