Dentsply Sirona’s Ballaigues site in Switzerland has been awarded a Vaud International Business Award in recognition of its contributions to the local economy and community in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. The site has an impressive history of endodontic innovation and has long been a driver of sustainability.

Charlotte/Ballaigues. Dentsply Sirona was one of three winners at this year’s Vaud International Business Award, receiving the “Foreign Company” prize, which recognizes local production of goods or services, economic diversification, local subcontracting, and integration.

“Dentsply Sirona has been an important part of the Ballaigues community for many years, providing local job opportunities and an important center for innovation,” said Isabelle Moret, State Councilor of Switzerland, Head of the Department of Economy, Innovation, Employment and Heritage (DEIEP). “We are pleased to recognize Dentsply Sirona’s contributions and achievements at this year’s Vaud International Business Award.”

Dentsply Sirona was the only dental company to receive an award at this year’s ceremony, which took place on November 22, 2022, in Lausanne, Switzerland. Awarded jointly by the Department of Economy, Innovation and Sports, the Vaud Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Innovaud, the annual prize honors internationally active companies with a presence in Vaud, Switzerland.

“We are honored to be named in Vaud and I was very proud to be able to represent both Dentsply Sirona and our local community at the 2022 Vaud International Business Award ceremony,” said Abdallah Rizki, Operations Director at Dentsply Sirona Ballaigues. “It was a memorable evening for everyone.”

Ballaigues’ long history of endodontic innovation

As the birthplace of the Maillefer brand of endodontic products more than 130 years ago, the Ballaigues site has long been recognized for its endodontic innovation and Swiss precision in manufacturing. Acquired by Dentsply International in 1995 (prior its merger with Sirona), the site is now home to Dentsply Sirona Endodontics and produces more than one million endodontic files per day for dental professionals around the world.

The Ballaigues site is a great contributor to the canton’s work dynamism, with a current staff of more than 700 people. It is a hub for research and development activities, with the site producing more than 500 patent applications. Ballaigues is also home to Dentsply Sirona’s first and largest training center for endodontics, which opened in 1996 to advance clinical education in the field.

Ballaigues goes BEYOND to drive sustainability

The Dentsply Sirona Ballaigues site is designed with a very high level of sustainability standards in mind. It runs on 99.9% green electricity, with a closed water circuit and photovoltaic panels used in production plus solar panels for water heating. In 2021, 77% of waste at the site was recycled. These schemes saw the site’s Jungfrau building achieve Minergie certification in 2016, meaning it is significantly more energy efficient and of a higher quality than a conventionally constructed building.

A number of initiatives are currently underway to make the site even more sustainable, including an analysis to reduce the energy consumption of machines, the introduction of more photovoltaic panels, heating optimization, and packaging improvements to reduce production waste. Sustainability, however, is not only about production. In Ballaigues, Dentsply Sirona also tries to raise awareness on individual carbon emission and how to reduce them. An internal mobility challenge was organized to encourage employees to change their means of transportation when coming to work – one even rode her horse! The success of this initiative triggered the start of a mobility project for longer term impact.

“Our Ballaigues site is a testament to everything we stand for at Dentsply Sirona – excellence, customer-focused innovation, and going BEYOND to create a more sustainable future,” Andreas Frank, Executive Vice President at Dentsply Sirona. “In Ballaigues, we deliver an endodontic file straight to clinicians every 4 seconds on average, to help preserve millions of natural teeth each year. All while taking big steps forward to protect our planet.”