Social Responsibility
At Hexion, our most important assets are our people. Our associates allow Hexion to meet the needs of our customers in the most efficient and safest manner.
Research indicates that the more engaged associates are, the stronger the business results and the lower the number of safety incidents. Both are critical metrics to our business.
As an organization it is important that we understand our strengths so we can continue to leverage them. It is even more critical to understand our opportunities for improvement. We remain committed to demonstrating how our values guide our actions with our associates and in various communities around the world.
Treating one another with dignity and respect is part of Hexion’s core value of Ethics and Integrity. When we demonstrate mutual respect, we recognize that each of us has a valuable and important contribution in each relationship.
Additionally, at Hexion we are committed to celebrating the diversity of our associates. We celebrate that each associate is unique with individual differences.
One of the primary ways to show our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is to act in a respectful manner by treating associates, customers, vendors and those in our community the way we expect to be treated. We are committed to accelerating our strategic DEI goals worldwide—including our strategy to attract, retain and develop diverse talent and promote an inclusive environment where associates at all levels can perform their best.
In 2020, Hexion began developing the strategy for a formal associate well-being initiative. Coined “Hexion Cares,” the aim is to provide associates the necessary resources to help them manage their mental, physical, financial and relational well-being. Our strategy is as diverse as our population and meant to meet associates wherever they are on their well-being journey, while providing them an inclusive and open environment to learn and grow.
Responsible Chemistry Comes to Life Around the Globe
At Hexion, we are more than just a specialty chemical company whose products are used to enable everyday life. We are creating positive impacts on the communities in which we work.
While 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic did not allow us to serve our communities in-person, teams around the globe developed creative ways to support those in need in their areas—especially those most impacted by the pandemic. From donating PPE and chemicals to help produce sanitizer to supporting organizations through virtual events to looking for creative ways to continue to provide basic needs items, our teams stepped up. In fact, despite the pandemic, nearly 90 percent of Hexion sites participated in at least one community impact event in 2020.
As the Company’s global headquarters, Hexion’s associates were pleased to support the Columbus community through a number of key initiatives, including:
United Way of Central Ohio
Since 1996, Hexion has donated more than $6 million from its associates and matching corporate contributions. In 2020, our participation rate soared to the highest level in recent years.
American Heart Association
Since 2009, Hexion has joined with the AHA in fighting heart disease and stroke by raising raised nearly $225,000 in support of the mission. In 2020, Hexion served as the Start Line sponsor of 2020 American Heart Association Central Ohio Virtual Heart Walk. The AHA is also focused on addressing heart disease and stroke among diverse populations.
Columbus Early Learning Center
Hexion has supported this organization focused on providing family services and childcare services for more than six years through various activities.
Pelotonia
Since 2012, with nearly 200 associates volunteering or riding, Hexion has raised more than $500,000 for cancer research.
Rising to Meet the Challenges of COVID-19
Not only did our associates endure a challenging year personally, they went above and beyond to address COVID-19 relief and show Hexion’s resilience as a Company. Early in the pandemic, Hexion responded by leveraging its global manufacturing footprint and the collective resources of its associates to help combat the challenges associated with the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Throughout the year, Hexion has contributed its chemical products or donated personal protective equipment (PPE) wherever possible for COVID-19 relief, including:
- Two Hexion manufacturing sites produced large quantities of hand sanitizer by repurposing mixing machines typically used to produce other products
- Hexion’s Application Development Center in Shanghai donated masks to a local hospital
- Our manufacturing sites in Springfield, Oregon, and Pernis, The Netherlands donated PPE to medical centers in their respective cities
- Hexion’s Lakeland, Florida site contributed several drums of isopropyl alcohol, which can be used as a surface disinfectant, to local law enforcement
- Hexion’s Iserlohn, Germany facility provided fresh food to the trucking companies delivering to the site
- The Morganton, North Carolina site donated glycerin, a key raw material in the production of hand sanitizer, to a local distillery
