Open dialog

Open house days 
Cognis places great value on open communication with its neighbors and, at many sites, occasionally opens up its factory gates for an open day. Such events are usually organized by Cognis in collaboration with schools, universities and parish councils or other local authorities. Visitors can obtain information on the production process, take a tour of the factory site or be guided through our high-tech laboratories. These open days also serve to provide young people closer access to attractive careers in the chemicals industry.

Contributing to neighborhood upkeep
Cognis also supports local authorities in their attempts to attract further investment. One example: Cognis USA played host to a group of foreign trade commissioners at its Kankakee site. This event was requested by the town council to attract business investors from overseas companies to the region.

Best practice: “The Village of Chemistry” in France
In France, Cognis is a pioneer in the training of young people. A team of skilled workers, technicians, engineers and researchers from Meaux and Ponthierry regularly man the Cognis stand during the two-day trade show “Le Village de la Chimie” (the Village of Chemistry) in Paris. It is organized annually by the French national association of the chemical industry and has developed into a major attraction for students, teachers and professionals alike. We use our presence there not only to present Cognis but also to promote chemical industry professions. In Boussens with its 900 or so inhabitants, Cognis is aware of its responsibility as an employer. Employee turnover is particularly low, yet the company continues to train new recruits. A new curriculum for the chemical professions has been developed together with the state education authority and a partner provider. Every year, three to five school graduates are taken on as interns to participate in this training program, which incorporates both theory and practice. The level of interest is high and indeed two successful female interns have recently joined our permanent staff as operators.