Discovery the QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER of KOCH COMPANIES
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JULY 2017 Discovery THE QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF KOCH COMPANIES “Koch Industries’ success has attracted For example, all four of the new ADDED BENEFITS growing interest in what we do and how “Challenge Accepted” television “In addition to telling our story, we believe and why we do it — both from admirers commercials were filmed and edited by these messages will also enhance the and critics,” wrote Charles Koch in members of Koch’s in-house video team. company’s ability to recruit the best and “Good Profit.” They feature actual employees (not brightest candidates,” Lombardo said. That’s why, in 2015, Koch Industries ran actors) at a Koch Agronomic Services “It’s no secret that the better we tell our its first-ever nationwide advertising site in California, a Flint Hills Resources story, the more appealing we become as a campaign, branded with the tagline biofuels site in Nebraska and two potential employer.” “We Are Koch.” The ads featured Koch Guardian sites in Michigan. company employees and products from “These messages are an important way of Whether created for TV or social media, across the U.S. and around the world. sharing and explaining a bit of our culture,” each mini-story illustrates some of the said Dave Robertson, president and chief This year, Koch is launching a new many ways that Koch companies are operating officer of Koch Industries. campaign with a different message — dealing with challenges and embracing ® one that helps explain the company’s technology-driven change. “Our MBM Guiding Principles emphasize unique culture and eagerness to drive the importance of accepting challenge. The ad filmed at Guardian’s SRG Global positive change. The theme for this new site in Detroit, for example, shows how “We believe in embracing change, driving campaign is “Challenge Accepted.” new designs for automotive grilles are improvement and never settling for the The new ads appear online, in social making many popular vehicles more status quo. media and on many U.S. television fuel efficient. “That’s why we’re pushing so hard to stations. They began appearing on “This campaign is part of our continuing innovate and transform by incorporating network TV in July and will continue effort to tell our story and educate the more technology in our businesses,” throughout the remainder of 2017. public,” explained Steve Lombardo, Robertson said. chief communications and marketing “Our new campaign stresses the mindset In business, it can be far more officer for Koch. we must all have if we’re going to succeed challenging to overcome “We’re celebrating what makes Koch — long term.” and our employees — unique. Challenge success than adversity. ChallengeAccepted.com is in our DNA. It is expected of us and – Charles Koch drives us to never settle or rest on our past successes.” HOME GROWN THIS ISSUE... All of the messages in this new campaign 3 A cold furnace Unlike most ad campaigns, which are include either a link to a Koch website, usually developed by advertising agencies such as kochind.com, or the hashtag 4 Challenges accepted — and met but paid for by clients, much of this #ChallengeAccepted. 7 Lessons from a 94-year-old campaign was developed and executed by 8 The challenge of transformation Koch Communications Marketing. Letters and other submissions become the property of Koch Industries, Inc., and may be reproduced in whole or in Postal Pipeline part, including the author’s name, for any purpose and in any manner. Letters may be edited for length or clarity. I am delighted to acknowledge Summer interns are now at Georgia-Pacific for its outstanding work at Koch companies contributions to the University of across the U.S. As they began Washington — especially its recent gift their internships, Koch used and ongoing commitment supporting social media to ask a question: the Washington Pulp and Paper “What advice would you give Foundation Scholarship Fund. these students as they begin For many years, Georgia-Pacific has their summer internships?” assisted countless UW students, but the Be humble and make company’s impact has been most widely the most of this amazing felt through this particular scholarship opportunity to learn inside one of the fund, attracting the best and brightest best-managed corporations in the world! Welcome to Koch. It’s an students in bioscience and engineering. – Greg Donahoe amazing place to work. Be Strong stewardship of our natural a sponge. Soak up all that is offered. environment and forest resources is Process it and when it’s time to Everyone knows you are learning. critically important for UW and we are share, release what you have soaked Don’t be afraid to ask questions! glad to have Georgia-Pacific’s support. up and share the knowledge. – Jennifer Worrel Ana Mari Cauce, president – Russ Eckert University of Washington Seattle, Washington The Charles Koch Foundation and economic research as well as On behalf of families and residents in Utah — thank you! John Huntsman have made the sponsors conferences, seminars To see this type of funding helping our community is very largest gift in the history of Utah and workshops for students. humbling. State University: $50 million to The Huntsman Scholar Program It is great to be associated with Koch Industries, Koch launch a Center for Growth and gives more than 400 students Business Solutions and all the Koch enterprises. Opportunity, and expand the the chance to learn about David G. Wilkins, managing director Huntsman Scholar Program at principled entrepreneurship Marsh USA, Inc. USU’s business school. and engage with top thinkers Salt Lake City, Utah “This gift will be transformational and business leaders outside of for the Huntsman School,” said traditional academic settings. USU president Noelle Cockett “I am thrilled that John when the contribution was Huntsman and his friend, announced in May. “It represents Discovery Charles Koch, believe in what July 2017 a tremendous expansion of we have done and in what we Volume 23 | Number 3 opportunities for students.” can become,” said Douglas The Center for Growth and D. Anderson, dean of the DISCOVERY ONLINE Opportunity is focused on Huntsman School. KOCHnews.com/media- better scientific understanding resources of how people, businesses and governments interact. It conducts EDITORIAL BOARD Susan Armitage (L-R): Kari Nadeau, M.D., Ph.D., Philip Ellender David Koch, Jr. and Julia Koch. Jeff Gentry Greg Guest Jim Hannan Julia and David Koch are donating Amy Hennes $10 million to establish a clinical Charles Koch research unit for life-threatening Steve Lombardo allergies and asthma at Stanford’s Walt Malone Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. Brad Razook Dave Robertson “We made this gift with the goal of Peter Ventimiglia GoCreate, A Koch Collaborative, celebrated bringing better treatments to more its grand opening in April. Located on children and adults suffering from EMAIL US Wichita State University’s Innovation dangerous allergies,” said Mrs. [email protected] Campus, this community makerspace Koch. The number of people affected provides hobbyists and entrepreneurs of any by severe food allergies has doubled www.KOCHind.com gocreate.com age with a wide range of tools and resources, in the last decade, prompting some © 2017 Koch Industries, Inc. ranging from a metal shop to 3-D printers. to call the problem an epidemic. Koch is an EOE. M/F/D/V. 2 International News Wichita, Kansas – In early June, a group of international MBM® facilitators met in Wichita for a weeklong Market-Based Management® summit at Koch Industries’ headquarters. While in Wichita, the international group discussed supervisory roles, technology, collaboration and compensation. They also attended a two-hour session with Charles Koch. These employees from Brazil, China, Japan, Germany, Switzerland and the U.K. are responsible for teaching MBM to more than 55,000 Koch company employees outside the U.S. Not only do they face the challenge of presenting MBM in different languages, they must also deal with the challenge of different cultures. “In Japan and Korea,” explained Chieko Yamamoto, a Japan-based senior business consultant for Molex, “there is an overall mindset that demands respect for the elderly. This is just as true in a business environment as it is in society in general. “So when we talk about our challenge culture, or teach employees who are significantly older than we are, we must be sensitive to their cultural norms. “We explain that challenge is a way of respecting a person. We also make sure they know that this is an expectation for all employees, regardless of age, title or gender.” “It’s common for international employees to think MBM equals capitalism, and that capitalism equals the U.S. way,” said Elisa Wang, an MBM leader for Molex. “So that’s another one of our challenges; to explain how and why MBM is different from what most businesses teach and do.” “One of the most valuable portions of our trip was the chance to interact directly with Mr. Koch,” added Shannon Tan with INVISTA’s MBM team in Singapore. “Given how much he’s accomplished in his life, his humility and constant quest to learn and develop is inspiring. “It reminds me that I need to continually learn, stretch and grow, and never get comfortable or complacent. It is always possible to improve what we are doing. He is a great example of that.” Thalheim, Germany – To make the glass products most people take for granted, Guardian Glass relies on a series of float glass plants DISCOVERY ONLINE around the world. These facilities get their name from the way KOCHnews.com/media- extruded glass literally floats on a bed of molten tin. resources With 25 plants on five continents, operating 24/7 at temperatures of up to 1100° C (more than 2000° F), Guardian Glass faces a challenging maintenance schedule for those facilities.