In the Heart of Europe - The Dow Chemical Company

In the Heart of Europe
For the People. For the Region. For the Future.

Dow Locations
in Germany
Düsseldorf
Wesseling
Manufacturing
Technical service
Sales office
Bremen
Ibbenbüren
Ahlen
Schwalbach
As of January 2010
Speyer
Rastatt
Rhine Center
Ohrensen
Stade
Frankfurt / Main
Baltringen
Hamburg
Bomlitz
Teutschenthal
Schkopau
Munich
Rostock
Bitterfeld
Leuna
Böhlen

Dear reader, any map of Dow locations in Germany would have
featured a lone dot in 1960: the first sales office in Frankfurt/Main.
Today, we are operating in more than 20 locations in 11 federal
states: several large production sites, application labs, and service
facilities for our customers. Dow Germany is now an important
player in the German chemical industry and a competent partner
for our customers.
Today, we can look back at five decades of a very prosperous development.
Our major milestones include the foundation and growth
of the integrated sites in Rheinmünster and Stade as well as the
integration of many highly productive smaller sites. The acquisition
and modernization of the Olefinverbund in Central Germany
ranks among the projects of a particularly large scope. And recently,
our success story added a new powerful chapter through the
acquisitions of Wolff Walsrode and of Rohm and Haas.
Our manufacturing sites set new standards in environmental protection
and safety. As an employer and important economic player,
Dow acts as an esteemed partner in the respective regions. And our
relationship with the people in our communities is very important
to us.
The company is in transformation. Change will accompany us even
throughout our anniversary year. We seize this opportunity to better
position our strengths in the market. We will continue to deploy our
know-how and understanding of the markets to improve the quality
of life through innovation. At the same time, we are working hard
on the global challenges we face with regard to energy supply,
transportation, housing, nutrition, and health. We are therefore
looking ahead with great confidence. Dow in Germany will continue
to be a key pillar of The Dow Chemical Company.
Ralf Brinkmann
President
Dow in Germany
Contents
Page 4
A Company
in the Heart
of Europe
Page 20
Solutions
for a Better
Living
Page 26
Responsible
Care
Page 34
The People
at Dow
Page 38
Dow in the
Community –
We Are Part of It
1

Dear reader, it is exciting to look at the humble beginnings from
which The Dow Chemical Company gained a foothold in Europe and
in Germany. Fifty years after its start in Frankfurt, Dow in Germany
represents our largest production base and the most important
market outside the United States.
This brochure traces the very beginnings when Dow pioneers
established themselves and prevailed on the German market – one
of the most demanding markets in the world. Today, Dow enjoys
great respect in the field of chemistry, among our customers, and
among the people in the communities around our sites.
The commitment of our employees in Germany made this success
story possible, as did the quality of our products and the countless
technological solutions we continue to provide our customers with.
Dow employees around the world are proud about what our
German colleagues have achieved in Germany over the last 50 years
and we are committed to making Dow the leading advanced
materials and specialty chemicals company. I am confident that we
will succeed and that Germany will continue to play a crucial role
in our success.
I congratulate our colleagues in Germany on their anniversary
and I am looking forward to a successful future.
Andrew N. Liveris
Chairman and CEO
The Dow Chemical Company

Dear reader, Germany has a very special relevance to me. When I
held the role of finance director for Dow in Germany in the eighties,
I was living in Stade and Frankfurt/Main for three years. A few years
later, in the mid-nineties, I was privileged to be part of a very exciting
milestone in the company’s 50 years journey: the privatization
of the Central German Olefinverbund. After long negotiations with
Treuhandanstalt a viable plan for the comprehensive modernization
of the locations had been developed and implemented. Today,
Dow Central Germany is one of the safest and most efficient Dow
sites globally.
The development of Dow in Germany is very impressive. Billions of
Euro have been invested within only a few decades, a highly efficient
network of manufacturing sites has been set up and excellent
customer relationships have been built. There have been years when
the main portion of Dow’s global capital was invested in Germany.
Thus, the company laid the cornerstone for the excellent reputation
it has gained in Germany, the “cradle of chemistry,” over time. To
stand our ground next to the big German competitors has only been
possible through the efficiency, creativity, accuracy, and persistence
of our German colleagues. I have always been impressed by their
dedication and constructive response to change.
Dow has often faced significant change over the last 50 years –
as it does today. The company’s strategic focus on more innovative,
more market-driven solutions is of great benefit for Dow in
Germany. The nation provides impressive know-how, leadership
in many future technologies, and continues to invest in research
and development to help drive its role as a hotbed of innovation.
This is why Germany is highly attractive to Dow.
As the largest market in Europe and leader in industrial manufacturing,
Germany offers unparalleled potential to our business units.
This country plays a key role in my vision for Europe, Middle East,
Africa.
Geoffery E. Merszei
President – Dow Europe, Middle East, Africa
Executive Vice President
The Dow Chemical Company
2 | 3

A Company
in the Heart
of Europe
It was in 1952 that The Dow Chemical Company
(Dow) sets its sights on Europe. Since it was
founded in 1897 in Midland, Michigan, Dow has
grown into a large chemical company and made
a name for itself as a producer of chlorine, dyes,
magnesium, synthetic resins, and plastics.
However, activities were mainly limited to North
America. In the year 1949, the value of product
exports to Europe hardly reach $1.5 million.

Now, the time has come for a foothold
on the continent. Europe is recovering
from the destruction suffered during
the 2nd World War as the US Marshall
Plan for reconstruction is showing positive
effects that translate into a massive
economic boom.
The first European Dow office is
opened in 1952 in Zurich. The location
is, selected for its international airport,
its globally operating banks, and
because of its direct telex connection
to the USA – the only one in Europe
besides Brussels. In those days, the teletypewriter
is critical for rapid business
communication across long distances.
The beginnings are difficult. The
company unit “Dow Europe” initially
consists of three people. By 1958, there
are ten. Thanks to a joint venture starting
in 1955, the first European Dow
production site starts up in Wales while
the global market for plastics is growing.
Little by little, the company begins
opening its own sales offices in the
most important European markets. In
April 1960, the first German branch
opens in Frankfurt/Main.
The “German Economic Miracle“
Frankfurt/Main is situated in the heart
of the Federal Republic of Germany.
With the introduction of the German
Mark and a social market economy in
1948, the cornerstone was laid for a
phenomenal economic boom. Soon, the
economy is actually growing at doubledigit
annual rates. The whole world is
talking about the “German Economic
Miracle,” however it is limited to Western
Germany which was founded in
1949. Germany is Dow’s most important
market in Europe with the “Big
Three” of the chemical world are all
headquartered there: Bayer, BASF, and
Hoechst.
A Company in the Heart of Europe
4 | 5
Into the future with knowhow
and technology:
50 years after its launch
in Germany,
Dow has grown to be
a vital corporate entity.

Frankfurt
on the Main
with the “Römer”
city hall
During the early sixties, the entire
western hemisphere is living in a time
of new beginnings. In the USA, President
John F. Kennedy leads his nation
to the moon; everything seems possible.
In Germany, the economy is breaking
all records. Wealth enters ever-broader
societal levels as full employment and
lack of manpower dominate. The economic
historian Eric Hobsbawm will
later call the era between 1950 and 1973
the “Golden Age”. It all ends in 1973
when the OPEC, the cartel of oil-exporting
nations, artificially curtails the production
of oil following the Yom Kippur
War. The price of oil explodes and the
Western industrial countries are thrown
into a recession. Unemployment becomes
a constant phenomenon. This
“first oil crisis” makes brutally clear
that oil, the “lifeblood” of modern
civilization, is not inexhaustible and
that the earth’s resources require more
responsible care.
However, starting in the sixties, Dow
drives a success story in Europe and
particularly in Germany; “one of the
most dazzling shows ever put on in the
chemical industry”, as US historian
The European headquarters
of Dow in Horgen
near Zurich opens in
1974. It is an important
base with resources for
business management
and research & development.
E. N. Brandt notes. The factors contributing
to this success include: top technology,
high efficacy, exclusive commercialization
of products and know-how
that have stood the test of the US markets.
Dow keeps its product range manageable
and invests in an efficient and
flexible organization that can prevail
in diverse markets, varied cultures and
languages as well as legal structures.
Across Europe, the company revenues
soar from almost $151 million
in 1967 to $1.5 billion in 1976. On the
German market, revenues in the same
period increase from $25.7 million to
$225 million. While Dow in Europe
employed 2,000 people in 1967, the
number increases to 11,600 in 1976.
And Germany is Dow’s largest single
European market.
Origins in a Fishing Village
Soon, the thought of not only selling
but also manufacturing products in
Germany appears reasonable. This will
enable Dow to serve its German clients
faster, since up to then Dow products
had to make the long journey all the
way from the USA.
Until 1995, Dow’s
headquarters in Germany
is located in
Frankfurt’s Westend.

Near the Rhine waterway,
the first Dow production site is being set up
in Rheinmünster-Greffern.
In 1965, Dow breaks ground
on its first German site at
the newly acquired premises
in Rheinmünster. Local
politicians welcome the
new industrial complex:
Rheinmünster is still a quaint
fishing village at this time.
On June 8, 1967, Dow officially
inaugurates its production site in
Rheinmünster. Prominent guests
attend (from left to right):
US Ambassador George McGhee,
Dr. Milan F. Ondras, CEO of Dow
Germany, the President of Dow
Europe S.A., Zoltan Merszei,
Minister President Dr. Hans
Filbinger, and Bishop Karl Gnädiger.
A Company in the Heart of Europe
6 | 7

Rheinmünster quickly
develops into a modern
production site – this is
a picture of the facilities
as of 2006.
The quaint fishing village Greffern
(later merging into the Rheinmünster
municipality) seems an ideal location –
situated in the Rhine river valley in
Baden-Württemberg with the new
“Autobahn” from Frankfurt/Main to
Basel nearby. The local politicians assist
in the establishment of industrial operations
and Dow soon buys real estate:
420 individual plots from approximately
250 owners. The German magazine
“Der Spiegel” violently condemns the
purchase while the Greffern community
is not deterred. In 1965, initial construction
work starts on the company
premises. On October 22, 1966, a facility
producing the insulating material
STYROFOAM starts operations. Dr.
Milan F. Ondras, CEO of Dow Deutsch-
land GmbH (and first director of the
Frankfurt sales office in 1960), welcomes
the guests of honor such as the
Minister President of Baden-Württemberg
and the US Ambassador in Bonn:
“We have dreamt of this day and
worked hard to get here.” Over the following
years, the Dow Rheinmünster
site grows quickly.
Dow also gains a foothold up north
in Germany. When searching a location
for the large chlorine-alkali complex,
the company identifies Stade. This city
of 45,000 residents is situated west of
Hamburg on the Elbe river. Stade is a
hanseatic city with a rich history, but
plenty of economic problems. The state
of Lower Saxony acts quickly and wants
to transform Stade into a modern industrial
city. It therefore supports the settlement
of companies in the new industrial
park of Stade-Bützfleth on the Elbe
bank. In addition to Dow, an aluminum
factory becomes domiciled here, as well
as a nuclear power plant supplying its
first electricity in 1972. Nuclear energy
is not yet a point of contention. The antinuclear
movement in Germany starts
in 1975, during protests against a power
plant project at Kaiserstuhl in Southern
Baden.
In Stade, Dow wants to use electrolysis
for producing chlorine – the chemical
industry’s workhorse and a base
substance for countless products of
everyday life. Dow, one of the largest
In 1967, the site in Rheinmünster
is connected to
the railway network only via
a narrow gauge branch
terminal line. In Rastatt, the
site wagons are pulled onto
railroad carrier trucks which
are transported to Greffern
on the narrow gauge stretch. In 1989, the new dispatching center just outside
Rheinmünster-Greffern is inaugurated.

producers of chlorine and
chlorine derivatives in the
world, also favors Stade because
of the Elbe as a waterway
and the rich salt deposits
in nearby Ohrensen. The
rock salt from local salt
domes is the raw material for
chlorine production. In 1969,
Dow breaks ground at the
Stade site on Bützflethersand.
Production at the glycerine
On October 22, 1969, the
groundbreaking ceremony for the
Stade site takes place in the presence
of Deputy Minister President
of Lower-Saxony, Minister of
Education Lange. The President
of Dow Europe S.A., Zoltan
Merszei, welcomes over 200
guests and confirms the intended
investment amount of over
1 billion German Marks.
facility starts on April 13,
1972. Here, allyl chloride is
produced from chlorine and
propylene. Chlorine production
starts in the very same
year, and various other facilities
as well as a power plant
soon follow.
“From the Cow to Dow“
The site is officially inaugurated
on May 17, 1973.
A special train transports the
numerous guests of honor
and journalists from Hamburg
to Stade. Renowned German
TV journalist and US expert
Thilo Koch gives the inauguration
speech that spans
from the benefits and dangers
of the technical civilization
to the joint responsibility
of Germans and Americans.
He characterizes the site
Two representatives of the approval
authorities (left in photo)
hand over the operation permit
for the construction phase
one facilities in Stade to Dow
representatives Max Anacker,
Site Director Terrance Walker,
Otto W. Schnetzler, and Wolfram
P. Rittershausen.
A Company in the Heart of Europe
May 1970: the area of
the first construction
activities at the Stade
site has been embanked
and filled with Elbe sand.
It is only now that construction
of the facilities
can begin.
8 | 9

Chemical production
never sleeps – The Stade
site in 2006.
Salt is the raw material for producing
diverse basic and specialtychemicals
at the Stade site.
This photo shows a drilling rig
at the Ohrensen mining site.
location by choosing the following
words: “At the moment the most perfect
machine in the world for the chemical
recovery of salt”. And since this is literally
being developed on a green field,
Koch remarks laconically: “from the cow
to Dow.”
Dow and the other industrial companies
are not welcomed without reservation
by everybody in Stade. Until now, the
city was mainly an administrative hub
and had no experience in dealing with
industrial production right outside their
On June 1, 1972,
the first product is
shipped out of Stade:
it is a tank wagon
with hydrochloric acid.
front door. In an open dialogue over
time, however, Dow succeeds in winning
over the majority of the population.
The city, which has previously
hardly had any funds for modern hospitals
and schools, benefits from the enormous
tax revenue from industry and
becomes one of the wealthiest communities
in Lower Saxony. This is how,
for example, the renovation of the picturesque
old town becomes possible.
It subsequently develops into a gem
and a tourist magnet.

* E. N. Brandt, Growth
Company, Dow Chemical´s
First Century,
page 414
The chemistry is right between Dow
and local politicians – in 1989,
The City Director of Stade, Dr. Jürgen
Schneider (left) and the Minister for
Economic Affairs of Lower Saxony,
Walter Hirche (2nd from right) visit
the Stade site. Site Director Bernhard
H. Brümmer (2nd from left) and Kurt
Leutert, General Director of Dow in
Germany, explain the planned construction
of the MDI and polycarbonate
plants via models.
Dow Earns Respect
In the German chemical industry, Dow
operates for a long time in the shadow
of the “Big Three”. “They haven’t yet
accepted Dow as a full member of
the club”, recalls the former Stade Site
Director Bernhard H. Brümmer*. But
with a continuously growing presence
in Germany, “they accepted and respect
Dow for Dow’s performance”. In particular,
the results in the field of occupational
safety are considered exemplary
in the industry.
In the seventies and eighties, additional
plants go on line and production
capacities are rapidly expanded. Labs
for research and development, training
centers and biological water treatment
plants facilities are added. Dow invests
in the infrastructure, e.g. for its own
port facilities on the Rhine and Elbe
rivers, making it possible to shift more
freight from the road to the water. The
number of employees increases as well:
Dow welcomes its 1,000th employee in
Stade in 1977.
In 1993, Rheinmünster becomes
the venue of an ambitious project – the
cross-border Dow Rhine Center with approximately
1,000 employees. The Dow
site on the German Rhine bank and the
Dow site in the French city of Drusenheim,
six kilometers away (where Dow
AgroSciences, the business unit for crop
protection, is located as well), are inte-
A Company in the Heart of Europe
grated and organized under a common
management. Legally, they remain part
of the respective country’s entities. The
Rhine Center is unique in Europe and
many believe the project is destined to
fail. But, it works and takes its impetus
from the fruitful mix of French and Germans,
complemented by many other
nationalities. At times, over 30 nations
are represented here. The former head
of the Rhine Center, Bart J. Groot, summarizes:
“Bringing together diverse cultures
generated ideas and values much
richer than if every site had worked for
itself alone.”
Headquarters in Schwalbach
Until 1995, Frankfurt/Main is the central
location in Germany for departments
such as Human Resources, Legal,
Tax, Marketing/Public Affairs as well as
In 1993, the crossborder
Rhine Center
is being set up from
the Rheinmünster
and Drusenheim
locations.
10 | 11
The direct dialogue
with the public decisively
contributed to the high
level of acceptance and
trust in the neighborhood
of the German sites.

“Dow – a respected
partner.”
Elmar J. Deutsch was in
charge as CEO of Dow
Deutschland Inc. during
the 1990s. His most impressive
experience: “That
was on September 28,
1994, when the Letter of
Intent for acquiring the
Olefinverbund was signed
in Böhlen in the presence
of Chancellor Helmut
Kohl. From this moment
on, at the latest, Dow
was a recognized, highly
respected partner in
the German chemical industry.”
parts of Sales and Customer Service. The
German headquarters then moves to
nearby Schwalbach/Taunus, which also
becomes the European headquarters
of Dow Automotive. Other teams from
various Dow business units settle here
as well.
In 1986, a smaller site in Ahlen/
Westphalia becomes part of the Dow
network in Germany. Ahlen manufactures
polyurethane systems and components
for the processing industry. Particular
focus is on the automotive industry.
Special polyurethane formulations
are created for the individual needs of
the clients – from small amounts to
large volumes. This particular business
model has earned Ahlen the nickname
“pharmacy”.
In the same year, Dow acquires
the crop protection division of Wacker
Chemie in Munich. This business
becomes Dow AgroSciences (DAS) in
1998, an 100 % subsidiary of Dow. DAS
is the first company in the world exclusively
dedicated to crop protection.
‘Small but mighty’ – this motto applies
to Dow subsidiary SAFECHEM,
which is founded in Voerde on the Lower
Rhine in 1992. The increasing public
pressure regarding chlorine chemistry
and especially chlorinated hydrocarbon
compounds (CHCs), sets the scene for
this new company. For a long time,
In 1995, Dow in Germany
moves its management and
other central units to Schwalbach
on the Taunus.
CHC solvents proved to be wonderful
agents for cleaning industrial parts and
chemical cleaning of textiles. However,
potential hazards to health and the environment
put them in the spotlight for
criticism in Germany and Switzerland.
Via SAFECHEM, Dow provides an innovative
technology to ensure a closedloop
management system: safe handling
of CHCs in safety containers including
return and recycling. This concept is
accepted and SAFECHEM gains more
and more customers in Germany and
beyond. Today, SAFECHEM Europe
GmbH headquartered in Düsseldorf
does business across the continent.
Decision in the “Chemistry Triangle”
In 1989, the German Democratic Republic
(GDR) abruptly collapses 40 years
after its inception. It is economically
and politically broken and no support
can be expected from the USSR which
is in transformation itself. In 1990,
Federal Chancellor Kohl seizes the historic
opportunity and negotiates reunification
with the victorious powers of
the Second World War. In October 1990,
the new federal states of the former
GDR join the Federal Republic of Germany.
For a long time, the GDR was listed
as the “10th largest industrial nation in
the world”. However, the official statistics
are deceptive and large parts of the
economy are antiquated and not at all

competitive on the world
market. This soon becomes
evident following the monetary,
economic, and social
union of the two parts
of Germany on July 1, 1990.
A trust company (Treuhand)
takes over the federally
owned companies in order
to integrate them into the
private economy according
to the Western model. The
transformation of a large
economy such as the GDR’s
is without precedence in economic
history and represents
an enormous challenge.
Companies located in the
traditional “Chemistry Triangle”
around Halle, Leipzig,
and Bitterfeld in the federal
states of Saxony and Saxony-
Anhalt have to face this reality.
Until the end of World
War II, large parts of the
chemical company IG Farben
operated here. IG Farben,
founded in 1925, was of
global significance but became
part of Adolf Hitler’s
war machine during the
Third Reich where it was intrinsically
involved in the
crimes of his regime. After
1945, the Allies dissolved the
company. The employees
The “pharmacy“
with its many
specialties – the
polyurethane plant
in Ahlen is part of
the Dow network
since 1986.
in the successor companies
across the Chemistry Triangle,
now situated in the GDR,
did an outstanding job despite
the inefficiencies of
a planned economy. The
chemical industry is deeply
rooted in the people of this
region and many families
have worked in those companies
for three or four generations.
However, the facilities
are antiquated beyond hope
and the environment has suffered
greatly.
In 1991, Chancellor Kohl
gives the Chemistry Triangle
an official guarantee that an
industrial core will be safeguarded.
But the Western
German companies are very
hesitant to commit and show
little interest in the East
German resource potential.
Instead, they lobby for a
shutdown. The Buna site in
Schkopau is a significant center
of plastics and rubber production.
The nearby chemical
site in Böhlen has ethylene
production capabilities.
Taken individually, the sites
do not seem to have any
future, yet eyes are set on
the newly founded Buna Sow
Leuna Olefinverbund (re-
ferred to as “Olefinverbund”
below). This affiliation brings
together the former state holding
companies Sächsische
Olefinwerke Böhlen, Buna, as
well as Leuna Polyolefins (now
merged with Buna) – in the
hope of attracting a financially
strong investor.
Eyes on Eastern Europe
In the autumn of 1994, Dow
announces a business interest
in acquiring Olefinverbund.
The privatization negotiations
with the Treuhand begin.
Dow has a strong world
market position in the basic
A Company in the Heart of Europe
“Plastics and elastics from
Schkopau” was an expression
known around the world
during GDR times.
12 | 13
In May 1991, Chancellor
Dr. Helmut Kohl visits the
Buna site in Schkopau
and gathers information
from the employees. At
the occasion of his visit,
he promises to safeguard
the industrial core of
the Chemistry Triangle.

chemicals ethylene and chlorine
which might be a good
fit for the company. In the
medium term, Dow anticipates
favorable opportunities
for supplying the markets in
Eastern Europe from Central
Germany.
After lengthy negotiations,
Dow acquires the Central
German Olefinverbund
by signing the privatization
contract on April 4, 1995.
One of the largest restructuring
programs in the history
of the chemical industry is
about to begin. An enormous
challenge awaits: the ecological
burdens of the past need
to be remediated, the noncompetitive
production
plants have to be demolished
and new, efficient yet environmentally
favorable plants
shall simultaneously be erected.
In addition, the Olefinverbund
acquired from Treuhand
needs to be integrated
into the Dow organization
while employees embrace
a new company culture and
modern organizational structures.
In retrospective, this
transformation process from
the GDR planned economy
The Schkopau site in 1990.
Olefinverbund in the spotlight: In 1994, the head
of IG Bergbau/Chemie, Hermann Rappe, Treuhand
CEO Klaus Schucht, Chancellor Helmut Kohl and
the Minister President of Saxony, Kurt Biedenkopf,
visit the Böhlen site (from left to right). Right photo:
Eberhard von Brauchitsch, chairman of the Supervisory
Board of Buna Sow Leuna Olefinverbund
GmbH (BSL), and Bernhard H. Brümmer,
CEO of Olefinverbund, welcome the guests.

into a western-styled modern
economy plays out in exemplary
fashion.
Restructuring
The restructuring process is
estimated to take five years.
Already in 1996, construction
of a new polyethylene
production plant has taken
place. In 1997, the modernization
of the cracker in
Böhlen is completed and a
new feedstock pipeline from
Rostock to Böhlen goes on
line. Before the millennium,
Dow demolishes and decontaminates
60 old production
facilities while building 15
new manufacturing plants
In April 1995, the public is being informed about
the signing of the privatization contract.
From left to right: Dr. Johannes Ludewig,
Federal appointee for the new states,
William S. Stavropoulos, CEO of The Dow Chemical
Company, Dr. Heinrich Hornef, president of the
Federal Agency for Asset Related Special Assignments,
and Elmar J. Deutsch, CEO of Dow Deutschland Inc.
A Company in the Heart of Europe
and modernizing another
nine. Regarding productivity,
the sites make a quantum
leap and soon form a competitive
state-of-the-art Dow
subsidiary.
Up to 2000, a total of 2.7
billion Euros are invested in
the manufacturing facilities
14 | 15
Demolition and reconstruction
– within
a few short years,
Olefinverbund develops
into a competitive
company.
1997: The feedstock
pipeline from Rostock
to Böhlen, a raw
material tank farm
and the Dow shipping
embarkation
point at Ölhafen
Rostock go on stream.

Since 2000, BSL has become
a state-of-the-art site. The Schkopau site
with the ValuePark ® is shown above.
This photo shows the laying
of the cornerstone for a new
polyethylene plant at the
Schkopau site in 1996. In the
photo from left to right: Bart
J. Groot, General Manager of BSL,
Reinhard Höppner, minister
president of Saxony-Anhalt,
William S. Stavropoulos, CEO of
The Dow Chemical Company,
Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
In 1998, the
ValuePark ® opens –
an industrial park
on the Schkopau
site for the strategic
settlement of
plastic converters
and service
companies.

at Olefinverbund. This success is possible
thanks to significant support by the
federal government and the states
of Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony. Manfred
Aumann, the former project director for
the restructuring process, recalls: “The
realization of this large investment program
in a comparatively short period
of time would not have been possible
without the constructive cooperation
with the responsible authorities. Furthermore,
the great acceptance in the
neighborhood of all sites was ultimately
key to the fact that none of the projects
was delayed due to missing permits.”
And Dow also contributed significantly.
More than half of the total order volume
was assigned to companies in the
new states – a crucial kick-start effect for
the local economy. The concept aims at
closely linking the diverse material flow,
supply, and production chains as well as
creating added value in terms of safety
and services for Dow and the resident
companies. This also creates additional
jobs.
Eventually, the restructuring process
itself results in a significant loss of jobs.
Yet it is the only possible way to maintain
a viable core of the chemical industry
in Central Germany. In June 2000,
the site is finally completely integrated
into the Dow network and since 2003,
it operates under the name of Dow
Olefinverbund GmbH. Adding Dow to
the company name is the ultimate ex-
Reinhardt Kranz,
plant leader for ethylbenzene/styrene/
monomer (left), and
Bart J. Groot, General
Manager of BSL
(right), welcome
Minister President
of Saxony, Kurt
Biedenkopf, at the
Böhlen location.
A Company in the Heart of Europe
pression of its successful development
of the company and integration into
the Dow network. With its locations
in Schkopau, Böhlen, Leuna and
Teutschenthal as brine mining and
underground storage area, Dow Olefinverbund
is now the largest Dow site
in Germany and as such, significantly
impacts the economic development
of the entire region.
Commitment to the West
In the meantime, Dow has also expanded
its presence in the West. In 1999,
it acquires ANGUS Chemie GmbH in
Ibbenbüren, Northrhine-Westphalia,
Leipzig-based artist
Otto Berndt Steffen
symbolizes the successful
restructuring
process at the Central
German with a huge
arc plastic 2000.
16 | 17
The naphtha cracker
at the Böhlen location
is the heart of the Olefinverbund
as it supplies
feedstocks to the plastics
production plants
in Schkopau and Leuna.

“Safety regulations
were already very
strict back then.”
Active with Dow for over
four decades – Helmut
Jödicke started at the
Rheinmünster site in 1968
as a Latex Plant Operator.
In 2008, he celebrated
his 40th Dow anniversary
as Senior Technologist
in Research and Development
at the Rhine Center.
He experienced the dynamic
change in plant
technology: “In 1968,
we still used punched
tape for programming,
the plant was manually
operated for the most
part, and chemicals were
also charged by hand.”
But, as Jödicke recalls,
“Safety regulations were
already very strict back
then.” He takes stock of
the situation with satisfaction:
“I had the privilege
of experiencing
the growth of Dow
in Rheinmünster in the
company of friendly
colleagues.”
a leading manufacturer of specialty
chemicals. In 2001, Dow purchases
a state-of-the-art production plant for
polypropylene in Wesseling near
Cologne; as well as the company Haltermann
Products. The latter produces
specialty chemicals at its Hamburg and
Speyer (Rhineland-Palatinate) sites. In
2007, Dow acquires epoxy resin system
specialist UPPC located in Baltringen
(Baden-Württemberg).
The purchase of Wolff Walsrode AG,
headquartered in Bomlitz (Lower Saxony),
is of completely different dimensions.
Approximately 1,500 employees
join the Dow family through the acquisition
of this specialist for derivatives
The green site: In 2007, Dow acquires cellulosics chemistry in Bomlitz
and simultaneously becomes owner of the Walsrode Industrial Park.
ANGUS, a leading
producer of specialty
chemicals, joins
the Dow group in 1999.
from the renewable raw material cellulose.
Wolff Walsrode, founded in 1815,
is merged with the Dow business unit
Water Soluble Polymers to form the new
business unit Dow Wolff Cellulosics.
With this acquisition, Bomlitz is Dow’s
largest research location in Germany.
In January 2009, Dow Wolff Cellulosics
launches the world’s largest production
plant for methylcellulose at the Bitterfeld
location, thus setting the stage
for growth. In 2008, DAS purchases
the Südwestsaat GbR headquartered in
Ra-statt, Baden, a specialist for breeding
new corn hybrids for the European
market. From now on, all European
DAS seed activities including breeding
research are coordinated from Rastatt,
Wesseling near
Cologne – since 2001
a state-of-the-art
Dow production site
for polypropylene.

DAS supplies farmers with its crop protection
products and seeds via the retail
market and its sales partners while simultaneously
expanding the value chain
to the end consumer.
As of April 1, 2009, US based specialty
chemicals, Rohm and Haas, becomes
part of Dow. In Germany, production
and service activities in Marl, Bremen
und Frankfurt/Main enrich Dow’s footprint.
The incipient global financial crisis
in 2008 hits the chemical industry, including
Dow, particularly hard. Signifi-
The Speyer plant:
With Haltermann
Products, Dow
acquires a specialty
chemicals producer
rich in tradition and
innovation.
cant cuts are necessary and headcount
has to be reduced. But even under these
difficult economic circumstances, the
company is determined to implement
its strategy for the future step by step –
to become the most profitable and
respected specialty chemicals company
in the world.
At the start of 2010, 50 years after its
foundation, Dow’s presence in Germany
is that of a dynamic enterprise. 6,000
employees work with Dow at more than
20 locations. Germany is the company’s
largest national market and production
location outside the USA.
UPPC
in Baltringen
is specialized
in epoxy resin
systems.
A Company in the Heart of Europe
18 | 19
Dow Wolff Cellulosics
operates manufacturing
facilities for methylcellulose
in Bitterfeld.
On April 1, 2009,
Dow purchases the
specialty chemicals
maker Rohm
and Haas which is
active in Germany
as well: peek
into the lab in
Frankfurt/Main.

Solutions
for a
Better Living
It has become impossible to imagine everyday life without
chemical products and know-how. They are part of our daily
lives, yet may not be visible at first glance. The products from
the German sites are delivered to thousands of customers
across the globe. These products enable companies of different
sizes and from various industries to produce countless
consumer and investment goods. The spectrum ranges from
pharmaceuticals, consumer electronics, paints and coatings
to automobiles and sports equipment as well as textiles,
films, tools, construction materials, or filtration technology
for water treatment.

Solutions for a Better Living 20 | 21
During the rehabilitation
of the Frauenkirche in
Dresden, completed in
2006, Dow products also
play an important role.
Polystyrene hard foam
boards are used for heat
insulation. Dow Wolff
Cellulosics supplies
additives for special fillers
and mortar.

4
Innovations and
technical solutions
from Dow can
be found in many
products that
enhance the quality
of our lives.

Customers typically use
Dow’s plastics and chemicals
to manufacture their products.
For these purposes,
Dow develops high-tech solutions,
high-performance materials
and specialty products,
often in close collaboration
with the respective brand
name producers.
During the first decades
of production activity in Germany,
base chemicals are in
the spotlight. They are produced
and sold in large quantities.
Over time, Dow has
shifted its focus much more
toward the world of specialty
products as part of its strategic
transformation. Such solutions
feature smaller quantities
with individual formulations
and, require a high
degree of know-how – while
promising more stable revenues.
Raw materials such as
rock salt, crude oil or cellulose
undergo many processing
steps before eventually
resulting in products for
a better quality of life.
Salt and Crude Oil
Dow produces, for example,
brine from the salt domes
in Ohrensen near Stade and
Teutschenthal in Central
Germany. The brine is electrolytically
separated into hydrogen,
chlorine, and caustic
soda. These intermediate
products are the basis for
further production steps.
Chlorine remains at the site
for further processing; hydrogen
and caustic soda are
refined and some of it is sold
to external customers.
The oil derivatives ethylene,
propylene, and butadiene
produced at the cracker
in Böhlen are other important
building blocks as are
methanol, acetate, phenol,
and aniline. As part of the
global Dow manufacturing
network the path from these
raw materials to finished
product follows a long chain
of complicated and labor-intensive
processes and processing
steps. The German
sites are integrated and crosslinked
along the value chain.
Solutions for a Better Living
Chemistry in the Car
Today’s cars would no longer
be conceivable without
chemistry. Plastics and foams
by Dow are present in the car
body as well as in the interior
equipment including seat
cushions, door panels, dashboard,
stearing wheel, the
coatings of switches and buttons,
and the circuit boards
of in-car electronics. Vehicle
body parts and windows are
glued with Dow adhesives
and reinforced by Dow’s
structural foams for increased
crash resistance. The environmentally
preferred highperformance
tires are made
from synthetic rubber.
Building with Dow
In the construction industry,
Dow’s “blue boards” are
widely recognized. The foam
boards provide effective heat
insulation in family homes
and commercial buildings as
well as for refrigerated warehouses
and vehicles plus in
the construction of airports.
Dow products are also used
for door and window profiles
and as additives in joint compounds,
mortar, and tile adhesives.
22 | 23

The product offering
ranges from seeds
and paints to applications
for electronics
and the automotive
industry.
Nutrition
Dow know-how also plays
a role in nutrition. Breeding
high-yield corn species for
seed is a keyfocus of Dow
AgroSciences. A new emulsion
technology by Dow
Wolff Cellulosics contributes
to lowering the harmful fat
content in food.
Technologies for the Future
The application of Dow products
are diverse in the hightech
sector, such as in the
form of consumer electronics
coating and in the aerospace
industry. Epoxy resins in
carbon fiber reinforced
plastics are very promising
for the future.
Use in Everyday Life
In our everyday lives, we are
surrounded by countless
products containing materials
and solutions produced
by Dow. The light plastic
bottle made from PET has
proven to be save, hygienic
and recyclable. We write letters
on paper refined with
Dow Latex. The address windows
of the envelopes are
often made of Dow films.
Paints and coatings serve to
enhance appearance or protect
products and are also
used in road marking. Dow
products are also used in the
textile and shoe industries.
Plastics such as polycarbonate
enable the production of
CDs or eyeglass lenses. Dow
also has a presence in sports
– represented by building
block substances for sneakers
and surfboards.

Medicine and Health
Dow also makes important
contributions to the medical
field. The pharmaceutical industry
uses cellulose ether
and amino alcohols; medical
tubes and cannulae are made
of synthetic rubber. Methylcellulose
is used for the
formulation of tablets.
Sustainability
Epoxy resins are the raw material
for heavy-duty wind
rotors. Cellulose derivatives,
based on renewable raw ma-
terials, have many applications.
And by providing filtration
technologies for water
treatment and seawater desalination,
Dow contributes
to supplying the world with
clean drinking water. Dow
additives and coatings make
vehicles and airplanes lighter
– fuel consumption and
emissions decrease.
The future focus of the
Dow portfolio will further
shift toward specialty products.
This was also the strate-
Solutions for a Better Living
gic intention behind the acquisition
of Rohm and Haas
with its innovative solutions.
These products and technologies
merge into the global
Dow with customers in approximately
160 countries.
They are solutions for a better
way of living.
24 | 25

Responsible
Care
Environmental protection and safety have played
a central role in Dow for decades. Dow was one
of the first companies in the industry to commit to
the Responsible Care ® Program in 1989. Responsible
Care means “Responsible actions for protecting
human life and the environment.” This voluntary
global program extends significantly beyond
existing legislation. Health, safety, and environmental
protection are the highest priorities in our
company.

Product responsibility is an important
element to achieving this. Against
the backdrop that 95% of global goods
production relies on chemistry and
chemical products, Dow put a great deal
of focus on the safe handling of its
products. All processes upon which the
company has an impact (production,
storage, transport, use, disposal, and/or
recycling of products) always have to be
measured by human health, safety, and
environmental stewardship.
This philosophy is called “Global
Product Strategy.” Dow is a founding
member of this global campaign aiming
at providing understandable safety
assessments while raising awareness for
product responsibility across the globe.
Part of this process involves constructive
dialogue with legislators. Dow is engaging
in this at an early stage in order
to assist with and implement the European
chemical legislation, REACH. The
safe handling of chemicals is the central
goal of REACH.
How It Begins
The topic of environmental protection
finds its way into the consciousness of
the general public when in 1972 the
“Club of Rome,” a joint team of scientists
and industrial manufacturers, highlights
the finite nature of the natural
resources on Earth in the study, “The
Limits to Growth.” Many of the predictions
will later turn out to be exaggerated,
but a new way of thinking emerges.
This also applies to the chemical industry.
As a first step, the exposure of water,
soil, and air to chemical production is
gradually reduced through downstream
cleaning technology (end-of-pipe-principle).
Later, it becomes possible to steer
production in such a way that, from
the very start of the process, as few
emissions as possible are generated
(production-integrated environmental
protection). Energy consumption per
unit produced also gradually decreases.
Responsible Care
Since 1989,
Dow has been
actively promoting
the implementation
of the Responsible
Care goals.
26 | 27

Led by its “Responsible Care”
commitment, Dow sets standards in
environmental protection early on.
In 1975, an “Ecology” department is
founded in Stade to coordinate Dow’s
local environmental protection activities.
At the Rheinmünster site, a two-phase
biological treatment plant for waste
water goes on line in 1977. In 1984,
Stade introduces jet turbines with a
cogeneration system for heat and power
in its own power plant, an efficient
energy concept unique across Europe.
In 1987, Dow management briefs the
media extensively on the environmental
protection projects at the Stade site.
The feedback is exceptionally positive,
and the concept is praised as an example
of “aggressive environmental protection
policies.”
A Site Without Waste
Dow is able to present impressive
progress. In 1990, the energy recovery
plant starts operations in Stade – which
is the core of a concept for a waste-free
production cycle. Dow in Stade is one
of the first large chemical sites almost
entirely independent from external
disposal facilities. Through the recycling
of solid and paste-like waste materials,
steam, hydrochloric acid, and caustic
soda are being recovered. These are subsequently
re-used in the production
process.
In 1992, the Minister President of
Lower Saxony, Gerhard Schröder, visited
the new biology tower of the BIOX
plant at the Stade site. This is one of
the largest waste water treatment plants
of its type in the world. This recycling
technology saves significant amounts of
ground water and salt. Throughout the
entire site, emphasis is placed on waste
avoidance and recycling. Schröder praises
the concept as exemplary for all of
Germany, “Stade produces chemistry
without neglecting the environment.”
Rails and Water
Wherever possible in its logistics,
Dow uses the safe and environmentally
preferred transportation means of rail
and water. As early as 1967, the Rheinmünster
site establishes a branch terminal
line to the public railway network.
Dow inaugurates its own Rhine port
in 1977, which it uses to transport the
majority of its raw materials. Stade has
been using the Elbe port Stade-Bützfleth
since 1972 and by 1985, 600 tanker
ships dock here to supply Dow alone.
In 1995, the company inaugurates
the industrial train station Stade-Brunshausen,
enabling the number of truck
transports to be reduced. In 2002,
a chartered steam train launches the
Intermodal Container Terminal, ICT,
in Rheinmünster. Thanks to state-ofthe-art
technology, the terminal can
easily handle containers of every kind
and switch between rail and road.

In 2005, a similar terminal at the
Schkopau ValuePark ® starts operations.
Other companies from the nearby
chemical sites Bitterfeld and Leuna also
use this container terminal.
The transport, handling and storage
of chemical products require specialized
know-how – and not just for handling
potential accidents. Since 1982, the
Transport Accident Information and
Emergency Response System (TUIS)
provides quick and competent aid
throughout Germany in case of transport
and storage incidents. Dow participates
in TUIS along with 130 other
chemical companies by providing site
fire brigades and specialists, such as
chemists, toxicologists and production
experts.
“Lifeline of the Chemical Industry”
The 1,300 km long Dow pipeline network
connecting the Central German
sites with the oil port in Rostock and
the Stade site also speaks to the company’s
environmentally friendly infrastructure.
In 1996 the feedstock pipeline
from Rostock to the Böhlen location in
Central Germany opens. This 430 kilometer
long lifeline of the chemical industry
provides Böhlen and its cracker
with naphtha. For more than 12 years
now, this pipeline network has been operated
safely and without any incident.
Regular employee trainings and joint
seminars with local and state emergency
management authorities, whose territory
the pipelines run through, contribute
to this successful outcome.
Via water, rail or road
– Dow logistics
takes advantage of
the most advanced
technologies for
the safe shipment
of chemical products.
Responsible Care
1992: The Minister President
of Lower Saxony, Gerhard
Schröder, calls the Stade site
an “industrial gem” during
an interview.
28 | 29

The SAFE-TAINER TM Closed Loop System
SAFE-TAINER Closed cleaning SAFE-TAINER
with fresh solvent machine with used solvent
Continuous
internal
recycling
No ground pollution
External recycling
Return of vapour
Used solvent
Closed Loop Recycling Management
Avoid, reduce, recycle: this priority
ranking of alternate options applies
to the waste streams of each manufacturing
process. This also makes sense
from an economic perspective since –
through the eyes of the chemical industry
– waste is always lost material.
An incisive example of closed loop
recycling management, driven by the
spirit of Responsible Care ® , is provided
by Dow subsidiary SAFECHEM. Since
1992, the company has specialized in
the safe management of chemicals.
SAFECHEM enables the safe handling of
highly efficient chlorinated solvents e.g.
in the automotive and aerospace industries.
A successful risk management is at
the center of it all: the SAFE-TAINER TM -
system, a closed loop system for the safe
supply and handling of fresh solvents as
well as the return and treatment of used
solvents.
Ecological Change
When the restructuring process of the
Central German Dow locations only
begins in 1995, occupational safety,
health and environmental protection
are an integral part of the operational
change process. Armed with new systems
and technology, the opportunity is
seized for setting innovative standards
from which Dow also benefits globally.
In cooperation with the authorities,
Dow creates environmentally favorable
construction planning guidelines which
simultaneously take into account the
economic development of the company
as well as the interests of the communities
and the neighborhood.
The clean-up of the soil after a
decade-long injection of chemicals
poses a particular challenge. Starting in
1995, Dow implements a program for
the remediation of contaminated locations.
In Schkopau, it focuses in particular
on the comprehensive remediation
of chlorinated hydrocarbons and mercury
contaminated soil. In Böhlen, areas
must be decontaminated from mineral
oils and aromatic hydrocarbons. The
decontamination program successfully
concludes in 2002.
A task of much greater dimension is
the ground water decontamination at
the Schkopau location, which starts in
2002. Perimeter wells outside the industrial
premises and defense wells at the
former center of contamination shall
In 2005, members of the Planning and Site
Development Association of the Böhlen-Lippendorf
industrial site present the result of their joint
construction planning efforts.

prevent the toxins from entering the
precious ground water reservoirs outside
the premises. Through utilizing these
wells, ground water is drawn, cleaned,
and returned to the natural ground
water system. Projects for decontaminating
the ground water in the vicinity
of the Peres open pit in Böhlen are
planned.
By 2000, the Dow sites in Central
Germany set up an effective and environmentally
favorable closed loop
recycling management system while
the production volume increases significantly.
A new plant for energetic recycling,
similar to the energy recovery
plant in Stade, serves as closed material
circulation system, enabling almost
complete waste recovery.
Safety has Priority
Workplace safety and the protection
of residents constitute a particular focus
of Dow in Germany. Early on, Dow introduces
safety standards even stricter
than those in the highly safety conscious
chemical industry. What might
look like an insignificant incident to
some is considered an accident by Dow,
where the cause has to be remedied. The
safety equipment in the plants is evolving
continuously. Safety experts today
mainly focus on the behavior of employees
in the workplace – safety orientated
behavior should become their second
nature. This is driven by consistent
training and safety programs that are
also mandatory for contractor companies
active on Dow premises.
Responsible Care
30 | 31
Since 2002, ground water
decontamination is performed
in and around the Schkopau
site. The so-called perimeter
wells ditto (picture above)
outside the site premises are
part of this long-term project.

”This is how trust
is achieved“
Günter Armonat, Stade
District Administrator
between 1999 and 2006,
has interacted with the
Stade site since 1977 –
first as head of the Environmental
Office in the
district, then as head of
the Construction Department.
Together with Dow,
he experienced and propelled
the paradigm shift
in environmental protection
– until the greatest
possible degree of protection
of water, soil, and air
was attained. Armonat
recalls the intense discussions
with the people in
charge and “in the late
1970s, the light dawned
on Dow. In the field of environmental
protection,
Dow even became an engine
of technical development
that extended all the
way to preventive environmental
protection.”
Armonat: “Dow favored
autarchy and undertook
immense measures in order
to prevent any waste
water, waste, and emissions
outside the site,
wherever possible. This
philosophy has paid off
since a bond of trust was
created with the authorities
and the people.
Today, the population
around Stade lives
in perfect harmony
with Dow.”
In 2006 for example, all sites start the
“Drive to Zero” initiative. Its ambitious
goal: achieving a zero accident rate.
Site Fire Brigades
The professional site fire brigades provide
safety for employees and the people
around the production sites. They
ensure 24/7 safety for employees, neighbors,
the plants and the environment.
In Rheinmünster, for example, the
Dow fire brigade starts training in 1969
and is officially recognized as the site’s
fire brigade by the authorities in 1970.
It consists of a core of full-time firefighters,
complemented by voluntary
fire-fighters at the site. The site fire
brigade closely cooperates with the local
fire brigades and also intervenes in the
event of incidents outside the site. In
1999, Rheinmünster installs a mobile
training unit for simulating particularly
dangerous fires – the “Fire Dragon,”
in cooperation with a specialized emergency
equipment company. The fire
brigades of the surrounding region also
practise here. By 2009, 9,000 fire-fighters
have undergone training in the “Fire
Dragon.” In the same year, the European
Chemical Industry Council CEFIC
recognizes this exemplary project in
the Responsible Care ® award program
through a commendation.
Ambitious Goals
In 1996, Dow sets ambitious global
goals in order to significantly improve
performance in environmental and
health protection as well as occupational
and production safety.
2005 is the year the German sites
demonstrate they have made aboveaverage
contributions to these goals.
In comparison to the index year 1994,
the accident rate has been lowered by
almost 99%. Energy consumption per
ton of product has been halved, emissions
of the climate-relevant carbon
dioxide per ton of product have been
reduced by 73%. Chemical emissions
have been reduced by 83%, and water
consumption and wastewater quantities
decreased by 76% each.
Bomlitz and Bitterfeld, the locations
acquired in 2007, extend this success
story and achieve a 90 percent improvement
in their accident rate in one single
year.
Even More Ambitious Goals
In 2006, Dow presents the even more
ambitious “2015 Sustainability Goals.”
Under the headline “Sustainable
Chemistry,” the company starts working
on solutions to global issues such as
climate change, energy, health, environment,
and product safety. Dow has set
the bar high in its continued pursuit
of continuous improvement.
The Dow site fire
brigades are being
regularly trained.
This includes fire simulation
as well as rescue
trainings high above
the ground.

In 2009, the team
of the LLDPE plant
in Schkopau
receives an award
for 12 years
of accident free
work.
Responsible Care
32 | 33
The Dow waste water treatment plant in
Bomlitz also heats a communal open air bath.
The Dow Wolff Cellulosics project proves
the intelligent linking of economy and ecology.
The site security employees and
the fire brigade perform preventive
safety work every day. The control room
additionally coordinates emergency
activities. Detailed operational charts
regulate responsibilities and tasks
in coordination with the authorities.

The
People
at Dow
Autumn 2009: Over 100 young men and women start
their training at Dow in Germany. They look forward
to taking their first steps towards a profession by participating
in a comprehensive apprenticeship programs
at the sites. They will quickly feel at home in
the world of Dow. They are facing three and a half
years of training in a number of professions: chemical
plant operator, lab technician, electronic technician
for automation and operation technology as well as
industrial mechanic and mechatronic.
To date, Dow has a long tradition
as a training company in Germany.
On August 1, 1975, Stade welcomes its
first five Azubis (trainees). The Rheinmünster
site has been committed to
apprenticeship programs since 1985.
By this time, Dow in Germany has
grown into a significant size. Starting
with its small representation in Frankfurt
in 1960, the workforce grows significantly
during the 1960s and 1970s –
as do manufacturing sites and sales
activities.
Fostering Diversity
From the very beginning, Dow puts a
special emphasis on employees rooted
in the respective regions. In a global
company, they will encounter colleagues
from all over the world and
from the most diverse cultures. Under

the heading of “Diversity”, Dow fosters
a wide range of talent, thus supporting
a special culture open to diversity and
creativity. At the Rheinmünster site, for
example employees from 30 different
nations are working together.
Teamwork, often in global networks,
personal accountability in their respective
professional roles, and life-long
learning are all guiding themes for Dow
employees around the globe. The company
actively supports their personal
development. This applies particularly
to “Empowerment” – the promotion of
taking personal responsibility for your
actions. Employees agree on annual
goals with their supervisor and team
members. These are decisive success
factors for the company.
The People at Dow
People at Dow –
Dow embraces
teamwork.
In September 2009, the “IdeenExpo” (Idea Exhibition) in Hanover inspires more than
280,000 young people in the fields of science and technology. Using the slogan
“We make more out of salt,” Dow points out the manifold products manufactured
by chemical processes using salt as a raw material. Around the salt drilling core
(from left to right): the Minister President of Lower Saxony, Christian Wulff, Dow
trainee Gesche Lemke, the Federal Minister for Research and Education, Annette
Schavan, and the Lower Saxony Minister of Education, Elisabeth Heister-Neumann.
34 | 35

“The best part
is the people”
Chemical engineer Asuncion
Medrano has been
with Dow for approximately
10 years and currently
works as Technology
Specialist in the area of
olefins at the Böhlen site.
This native of Spanish
finds that Dow brings the
principles of diversity to
life. In Central Germany,
many colleagues of other
countries, such as Spain,
Poland, the UK and Nigeria,
have recently joined
the Dow workforce .
“It’s a true enrichment
for everyone.”
Asuncion Medrano
started in 2000 an internship
at Dow. She was
immediately won over
by the organisation:
“I liked the work style at
Dow.” She signed an employment
contract in 2001
and since that time has
seized the many opportunities
Dow offered for her
professional and personal
development. What
makes working at Dow
particularly attractive?
Medrano: “The best part
is the people that work
here. We all mutually support
each other. I can talk
to any colleague and I
always get an answer.”
January 1991:
Inauguration of
the training center
at the Stade site.
Frank P. Popoff, Dow
President, plants
a linden tree in front
of the building, as
a symbol of healthy
growth.
Strong Team Spirit
In 1986, when the Ahlen site joins the
Dow manufacturing network, the number
of Dow employees in Germany
increases once again, also thanks to
the acquisitions of a number of smaller
sites across Germany. The number of
employees is boosted again when Dow
acquires the Central German Olefinverbund
in 1995 and Wolff Walsrode AG in
2007. However, intense global competition
and the global financial crisis of
2008/2009 make job-cutting necessary.
Over the years and across generations,
a close link has been established
between the Dow locations and their
neighboring communities. When the
training center in Rheinmünster celebrates
its 20th anniversary in 2005,
46 former trainees are still working on
the site. Many of them have at least one
parent that works or worked at Dow.
There are similar family traditions at
other Dow sites.
In the years 2006 and 2008, Dow
ranks second in the nationwide contest
“Germany’s Best Employer” in the large
companies (> 5,000 employees) category.
This ranking, conducted by the
“Great Place to Work” institute and
“Capital” magazine, recognizes “credible
management cooperating fairly and
respectfully with employees, a high
level of employee identification with
the company, and a strong team spirit.”
In 2008, Dow also wins in the special
category “Diversity.“
“Human Element“
Dow also promotes outstanding individual
performance. In 2006, it launches
the “I am the Human Element“ campaign.
It honors employees who stand
out because of their special commitment
and service which at times is pro
bono. Those selected to receive this
recognition e.g. dedicate a lot of their
time to safety in and around the Dow
sites, develop processes for the efficient
use of energy, or support social projects
in their communities.
The first trainees at Dow in Stade,
1975. From left to right:
Joachim Dede, Raimund Grosser,
Bernd Schumacher, Günther von
Riegen, and Andreas Winkelmann.

“Dow is now a member of the Champions League,”
Federal Labor and Social Affairs Minister Franz
Müntefering said when awarding the 2nd place
as “Germany’s Best Employer 2006,” accepted
by the Head of Human Resources, Uwe Wiechern.
Dow Wants the Best
In order to attract the best employees,
Dow has been cooperating with high
schools and universities for years. In
2007, Dow organizes a “Career Day” in
Central Germany and invites 48 young
academics from all over Europe. The
young people have the opportunity to
present themselves while, in turn, Dow
uses the day to bring together potential
new employees and senior leaders to
match their expectations and capabilities
with the culture and needs at Dow.
Dow devotes a lot of attention to
the employees of tomorrow. In 2009,
a team composed of Bomlitz and Stade
employees host a stand at the “Ideen
Expo” in Hanover. Under the slogan
“We make a lot out of salt,” a 120 m 2
exhibition stand introduces the diverse
world of salt-based (or chlorine) chemistry
to over 4,000 students. More than
30 employees and trainees hold workshops,
demonstrate experiments, and
explain exhibits.
Around 300 young boys and girls are currently in vocational training
with Dow in Germany.
These events also present the manifold
work opportunities which Dow
offers in Germany today. Typical jobs
range from the plant technician operating
complex production plants to the
lab technician and mechanic all the way
to the lab-technicians and engineers,
process technicians and electronics
specialists. Whether in management,
administration, sales, or customer service
– the sheer spectrum of professional
roles is as large as that of nationalities
and cultural backgrounds of the approximately
6,000 employees. What connects
them is the desire to find better
solutions and the ability to work together
in a team with little corporate
hierarchy.
Many Opportunities
Looking ahead, a job at Dow in Germany
will not only provide attractive
occupational opportunities, but also
provide career perspectives around the
globe. It offers a wide range of assignments
and career opportunities while
explicitly welcoming self-initiative.
Talented young professionals enter the
company from all subject areas with
emphasis on chemistry, process technology,
mechanical engineering, business
studies or economics, and chemical
engineering.
The People at Dow
36 | 37
“Water as a basic issue
of mankind“
2006 on a spring day
in the USA: Christian
Pätzold, Application
Technician at the Rheinmünster
site, is present
when Andrew Liveris,
CEO and President of
Dow, presents the Company’s
2015 Sustainability
Goals. Under the headline
“Sustainable Chemistry,”
Dow wants to significantly
foster activities in three
areas: cooperation with
neighboring communities,
contribution to a sustainable
energy supply, and
finding a solution for the
climate issue as well
as providing innovative
solutions to some of the
most challenging problems
facing mankind in
the areas of nutrition,
clean drinking water, living,
health, and safety.
Christian Pätzold has been
invited to Washington
because he is particularly
committed to providing
clean drinking water to
people in the third world.
Proper handling of the
precious resource water
has been a concern to
him for a long time –
beyond his professional
life. He gives lectures and
conducts experiments
at exhibitions, he informs
residents and speaks to
school classes. And he
develops applications that
could significantly improve
the water quality in
developing countries.

Dow in the
Community
– We Are
Part of It
“Being located in a community also means living
with a community,” Yves Crépet*, Director of Dow
France, once said. This, of course, applies to all
locations around the globe. Wherever the company
is present, intense dialogue with the people of
the region is fostered. Many know and value Dow
as an employer and a good neighbor. Many employees
are also volunteers at their places of residence,
i.e. for the Voluntary Fire Brigade or the German Red
Cross. The company continues to supports community
projects of a social nature, dedicated to youth
and education, culture, and last but not least,
to the environment.
This good neighbor relationship only
developed over the years. As with many
other companies in the chemical industry,
Dow also initially had a hard time
positioning itself in the world outside
the company perimeter. Industrial
chemistry deals with complex methods
and technologies. Much of this is not
immediately understood by the broad
public and may create concerns. During
the 1970s, and early 1980s, chemical

* on the occasion of
being awarded honorary
citizenship in
the Drusenheim municipality
on September
13,1986
accidents such as those in Seveso,
Bhopal, and on the Rhine river hit the
front page and damage the public image
of the chemical industry.
It is the 25th of September in 1981
when there is an explosion in the
chlorine-alkali plant at the Stade site
and chlorine gas is released. After 25
minutes the situation is under control
and nobody has been injured. But the
incident causes concern among the resi-
Dow in the Community – We Are Part of It
dents in the neighborhood. Site Director
Bernhard H. Brümmer is under pressure
– one day he even finds dead fish on
the terrace of his home, placed there by
protesters. Dow recognizes how important
it is to inform the people living in
the vicinity about its activities earlier.
Brümmer** later comments: “Stade had
never had industry before … It was only
natural that we had to go through this
period. Today, … we are accepted here.”
38 | 39
Kids Day in Bomlitz:
The original idea for a Girls’
Day was to foster young
girls’ enthusiasm for technical
professions by having
them accompany their
parents to work for a day.
This approach has been
extended and boys have
been invited as well. Plaster
is mixed with products
from Dow Wolff Cellulosics
made from the renewable
resource cellulose. Kids
sawed, drilled, and beveled
in the mechanical service
division.
** E. N. Brandt,
Growth Company,
Dow Chemical’s
First Century,
page 413/414

“Act as a role model”
Dr. Tilo Heuer was
District Aministrator of
the Merseburg-Querfurt
municipality from 1994 to
2007. As District Administrator,
he was closely
involved with Dow Olefinverbund,
particularly
during the approval procedures
for plant construction,
fire prevention,
and safety. Dr. Heuer is
originally a scientist and
feels “strongly connected”
to the chemical industry
in Central Germany.
“This, of course, is true
for many people in the
region.”
The reactions to Dow as
possible investor were initially
quite “ambiguous,”
according to Dr. Heuer.
Matters of debate were a
US company as employer
and reducted employee
rights – “Yet all concerns
turned out to be entirely
unjustified.”
Dow as an employer and
trainer has acted in an
“exemplary fashion”
in its cooperation with
the district administration.
This is also true for its
commitment to the region
with its marketing
campaigns for Central
Germany, support of
universities and also of
local associations and fire
brigades. Dr. Heuer
concludes, “It is for this
reason that Dow reaches
out to the entire region.”
It will take time. Dow in Stade reacts
to the negative feedback and, for the
first time in 1982, it conducts a public
survey on the company’s image. Later
regular surveys will also be conducted at
other locations. Dow wants to approach
the people, listen to their needs and
concerns, and respond to any criticism.
The company clearly understands that it
must explain its activities better – Dow
primarily manufactures products for the
processing industry that are not recognized
by the consumer as final products,
and whose value is consequently not
immediately seen.
Dow Builds Bridges
In the following years, the company becomes
more transparent. A milestone in
the process toward transparency is the
creation of the Community Advisory
Panels in the context of Responsible
Care ® .
The first and only
Herbert-Henry-
Dow-Weg in Germany
was officially
inaugurated at
the brine mining
facility in Ohrensen
in 2006.
“Let’s play
chemistry”:
Dow trainers and
apprentices are
engaged in special
workshops for
5- to 8-year-olds,
a joint project with
the adult education
center.
In 1991, the Community Advisory
Panel “Citizens and Dow” is founded at
the Rheinmünster location. It is the first
in a series of dialog panels that Dow establishes
at its large European locations.
This builds a bridge between Dow and
the local residents. Ever since, regular
meetings take place with the site management
informing the neighbors about
new Dow projects while the citizens can
raise any concerns. The Community
Advisory Panel visits production facilities
at the Dow site and their suggestions
form part of the management’s decision-making
process.
In 1993, a similar committee starts
its activities at the Stade site. Fifteen
local residents – from student to CEO –
meet with Dow representatives on
a monthly basis. The topics discussed
most are environmental and health
protection as well as safety. Residents
learn first-hand about what is planned,
and they can share their worries and
concerns.

The members of the Community Advisory Panel in Schkopau
are being informed about supply and disposal systems
in the context of Energy/Environmental Operations.
The Community Advisory Panel
in Böhlen forms in 1997, the one in
Schkopau in 1999. All groups are soon
firmly established and also meet with
one another in order to share experience.
Be a Good Neighbor
Dow in Germany fulfills the guiding
principle of being a good neighbor in
many ways. In 1989 for example, the
“Stadeum” opens in Stade. It is a charismatic
cultural center with a reputation
extending far beyond the city borders.
The Stadeum is the highlight of a large
project renowned nationwide for the rehabilitation
of the Stade city center with
its beautiful historic core that attracts
many tourists. Up to the end of the millennium,
nearly 100 million German
Marks are spent for renovation and new
construction projects associated with
the Stade city center. Of course, this
would not have been possible without
the support of local industry, including
Dow.
In Central Germany, the company
promotes the renovation of the Multi-
Generation House in Merseburg in
2008. It is one of over 500 multi-generation
houses in Germany dedicated
to facilitate cross-generation dialog.
“Hands-On Chemistry“
Since the mid-1990s, Dow is among
the main promoters of the “Hands-On
Chemistry” project at Merseburg College.
The student labs specifically support
school students interested in
science. In addition to traditional work
techniques, the young can become acquainted
with cutting-edge methods in
chemistry, biochemistry, and biotechnology
in the labs. A cooperation agreement
with the college ensures the longterm
validity of the student project.
The feedback is overwhelming, as is the
geographic outreach: in November 2009
the student lab welcomes its 65,000th
high school student.
Dow in the Community – We Are Part of It
Guided by District Administrator Günter Armonat,
honorary guests leave the recently built flat-bottom
boat “Tidenkieker“ on which school classes
and other interested groups can observe nature
on the Elbe River and its tributaries. To support
this project, Dow provides financial contributions
to a local conservation club.
In 2006, the Rheinmünster plant celebrates
its 40th anniversary. Members of the Community
Advisory Panel congratulate site leader
John Sampson (second from the right).
During the inauguration of the Multi-Generation
House in Merseburg, local associations present
themselves.
40 | 41

“So that nothing
goes wrong”
Since 2006, Heiko
Fehlau is Head of Safety
and Commander at the
Rheinmünster site Fire
Brigade, making sure that
“nothing goes wrong.”
He oversees preventive
fire protection, fire fighting
and site safety. “We
are responsible here for
the safety and health of
the employees and the
people in the neighboring
communities.” Fehlau
enjoys his responsibilities
so much, he can be seen
after work hours equally
active on with the Voluntary
Fire Brigade in his
home town Hügelsheim.
Fehlau has been an active
member in that brigade
for 26 years and he was
awarded the Fire Brigade
Badge of Honor in 2008.
Dow donates to the victims
of the flood disaster in
the Bitterfeld-Wolfen region
in the year 2002.
At all sites employees do their part
to encourage the upcoming generation
to take up scientific or technical occupations.
In 1991, the “Chemistry Project”
starts in Rheinmünster. Once a year,
interested students from the Rheinmünster
Middle School are invited to
the Dow training center. They spend
two days in the site training lab to experiment,
accompanied by theoretical
tutoring. The project has had so much
success that 2010 will mark its 19th
anniversary.
In 2007, Dow starts the project
“Modular education in sciences” for supporting
particularly gifted students at the Georg-Cantor
High School in Halle.
Being open to the community
is paying off. In the year 2005, an independent
polling firm surveyed approximately
3,500 people from around
the Central German locations as well
as the Stade and Rheinmünster sites.
Over 80 percent of those surveyed had
a positive attitude towards the company
as a partner in the region.
Project days
at the Dow training lab
for the Rheinmünster Middle School.

Imprint
Publisher
Dow Deutschland Anlagengesellschaft mbH
Am Kronberger Hang 4
D-65824 Schwalbach
Copy
Alexander Hoffmann,
Frankfurt / Main
Image agencies
Corbis Images, Mauritius Images
Design
büro bockenheim,
Frankfurt / Main
Photos
HAGER press, Horst Fechner,
May Djavadi, Hauke Dressler,
Kunstmann Fotodesign,
Frederic Maigrot, Anne-Rose Reif,
Rhine Center Archiv, Dow Archive
Lithography
Con Composition,
Frankfurt / Main
Print
Henrich Druck + Medien,
Frankfurt / Main
®
® Trademark of The Dow Chemical
Company (“Dow“) or
an affiliated company of Dow
Responsible Care ® is a service
trademark of the American
Chemistry Council in the USA

Dow Deutschland Anlagengesellschaft mbH
Am Kronberger Hang 4
D-65824 Schwalbach
Tel.: +49 6196 566-0
Please visit us at www.dow.com or
www.dow.de for further information.
We would be very happy about your comments
or suggestions. Please contact us via fstinfo@dow.com.
Editorial date: January 2010