WACKER sees itself as a corporate citizen, and corporate citizenship begins with a good relationship with one’s neighbors. For WACKER that means being open about what goes on behind the plant gates. With hotlines and central contact persons available, residents living near our sites around the world can turn to us with their concerns and receive fast, clear answers to their questions. We inform the public about our sites through environmental reports and other publications, and through open houses and events such as our environmental fair at Burghausen and our annual neighborhood discussions at Nünchritz.

WACKER participated in the German chemical industry’s nationwide open house in 2014, opening the gates of four of its German sites to visitors. This also served as an opportunity for WACKER to celebrate the company’s centenary together with employees and their families, members of the community, and other guests at Burghausen, Nünchritz, Freiberg and Cologne. Some 27,000 interested individuals accepted the invitation. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Wacker Chemical Corp. in Adrian, USA, held an open house, which attracted 1,100 visitors. On World Environment Day, WACKER Greater China opened the gates of its Zhangjiagang and Nanjing sites, offering visitors an opportunity to learn about environmental protection at the company.

We assess the effects of our business activities on our surroundings both on an ongoing basis and prior to making investment decisions. The assessment process includes analyses of parameters such as anticipated emissions, the regional infrastructure and impacts on the local job market.

WACKER POLYMERS in Allentown, Pennsylvania (USA) has been cooperating with Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley since 2010. This non-profit organization renovates or builds modestly priced houses that are sold to needy families who benefit from loans at favorable interest rates. In turn, these loans are transferred to a fund that is used to build further Habitat houses. WACKER POLYMERS supports Habitat for Humanity by providing both funding and volunteers to help with painting, finishing and tiling. Between 2013 and 2014, employees and WACKER POLYMERS made donations of more than $40,000 to Habitat. Employees mainly helped in building and extending a second-hand store that sells donated goods on Habitat’s behalf.

In 2014, the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) honored three German companies for outstanding site communications projects. WACKER’s Burghausen site took second place with its “Get to Know and Trust WACKER” project. The largest of WACKER’s sites operates a systematic communications program addressed to the company’s neighbors, regional political bodies and non-governmental organizations. WACKER approaches these parties specifically and personally invites them to the site to meet with its key personnel. Direct contact with employees in senior management positions, coupled with in-depth, technical information, go a long way toward developing trust in the company.

Procuring goods and services from local suppliers is another important way in which WACKER supports neighboring communities. We purchase over 90 percent of our technical goods and services in the country for which they are intended. Our two biggest sites are good examples of this regional supply-chain system:

• Burghausen, Bavaria
  In 2014, the site procured 20 percent (€164 million) of its technical goods and services from local suppliers (2013: 18 percent = €145 million). Another quarter came from suppliers in other parts of Bavaria. WACKER’s Burghausen site is part of the Bavarian Chemical Triangle – an area also known as ChemDelta Bavaria – which is home to companies employing some 20,000 people and securing a further 50,000 jobs in the region.
• Nünchritz, Saxony
  The plant, located in the state of Saxony in eastern Germany, sourced 19 percent of its supplies and services from the surrounding region in 2014 (up from 18 percent in 2013). An additional 3 percent of its suppliers were from other eastern German states (5 percent in 2013). In total, these services from Saxony were valued at roughly €86 million (2013: €81 million)