In the Heart of Europe - The Dow Chemical Company

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.