Tag: 3BL

New Holland, a brand of CNH, was the big winner of the ABX (Automotive Business) Award 2024 in the “Collaborative Innovation” category with the Accessible TL5, the world’s first accessible tractor.

The award highlighted projects with high potential for positive impact, with an innovative proposal and capable of delivering new value to the automotive industry, mobility and society.

“It is with great honor and pride that we receive this award. People with reduced mobility in the lower limbs, including those who live and work in the countryside, want to have autonomy to be able to carry out their activities on their own. And the Accessible TL5 meets the main premise of inclusion, which is to enable people to exercise their numerous skills and abilities, eliminating barriers that today make it impossible for many farmers to access the operating station of a machine”, says Eduardo Kerbauy, vice president of New Holland for Latin America.

As a brand that cares about improving the customer experience, this accessible tractor arose from the real need of many farmers. The development of the Accessible TL5 even had the participation of a New Holland customer, who is a wheelchair user.

Read more here at: New Holland is winner of the 2024 ABX Award (cnh.com)

October 22, 2024 /3BL/ – Ceres welcomes a long-awaited agreement between both chambers of the Massachusetts Legislature to advance critical energy legislation that builds on the state’s legacy of leading climate action. The legislation, which both chambers are expected to vote on this week, includes essential reforms to the state’s permitting and siting procedures to responsibly accelerate the buildout of clean energy infrastructure and secure new investments in clean power, transportation, and buildings.

“Ceres and the businesses we work with are grateful that House and Senate negotiators were able to reach a deal and today advance legislation that fortifies Massachusetts as a climate leader,” said Rishi Reddi, senior advisor for Northeast state policy at Ceres. “By investing in clean power, clean transportation, and clean buildings while protecting ratepayers and communities, this legislation will position the Commonwealth to fully capitalize on the nationwide clean energy boom by deploying the crucial technologies that will support our economy and protect our climate.”

Ceres helped organize business support for the climate omnibus throughout 2024. In July, Ceres joined an effort led by the Environmental League of Massachusetts to convene 28 leading businesses and institutions to call for passage of the climate omnibus bill in a letter to lawmakers. In the letter, companies including Akamai Technologies, Amalgamated Bank, Eastern Bank, Form Energy, Trillium Asset Management, and VHB joined institutions such as Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston Medical Center, the Museum of Science, and UMass Lowell urged legislators to pass the law and “enable communities across the Commonwealth to take action to meet our statutory clean energy and emission-reduction goals for 2025 and 2030.”

And in September, Ceres CEO Mindy Lubber published an op-ed on WBUR’s Cognoscenti website, calling on lawmakers to hold a special legislative session to pass the climate bill, as well as economic development legislation that would include $1 billion in clean technology investment. The two bills, she wrote, would capitalize on the nationwide boom in clean energy and allow Massachusetts to harness “strong economic tailwinds that the high-tech and life science sectors delivered the state in previous generations.”

About Ceres

Ceres is a nonprofit advocacy organization working to accelerate the transition to a cleaner, more just, and sustainable world. United under a shared vision, our powerful networks of investors and companies are proving sustainability is the bottom line—changing markets and sectors from the inside out. For more information, visit ceres.org.

Media Contact: Helen Booth-Tobin, booth-tobin@ceres.org

Veolia North America Sustainability Report 2024

In many parts of the U.S., seasonal drought and water scarcity are creating problems for communities, and water scarcity is expected to accelerate over time due to the impact of climate change. 

We work to protect water resources in the communities in which we operate through efficient use of water, smart growth strategies and implementing water reuse and recycling technologies.

ORADELL RESERVOIR DAM CELEBRATES ITS CENTENNIAL

In 2023 we celebrated the Centennial of the Oradell Reservoir Dam. Constructed in 1923 to serve a growing population, the dam continues to ensure that Northern New Jersey thrives. Over 885,000 residents and businesses depend on the 35 billion gallons of drinking water drawn from the reservoir every year. Because superior-quality water begins with a clean environment, the company’s watershed team is promoting biodiversity projects and pioneering water management methods to protect 4,162 acres of watershed at its reservoirs in New Jersey. Meanwhile, the company’s lab ensures the water pulled from the Oradell and treated at the Haworth Plant meets or surpasses all water quality measures. A trusted water provider in New Jersey for 154 years, we continue to make substantial improvements on behalf of residents and businesses.

MILWAUKEE WATER REUSE PROJECT CONSERVES 350 MILLION GALLONS PER YEAR

Veolia North America operates and maintains the Jones Island Reclamation Facility in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in partnership with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. The public-private wastewater partnership is one of the largest of its kind in the United States, serving a population of 1.1 million and treating up to 630 million gallons per day. The facility has been reengineered to use treated wastewater effluent to cool the site’s power generation facilities, eliminating the need to draw Milwaukee River water into the cooling water system. Using treated effluent for cooling eliminated the use of 350 million gallons of raw river water each year and reduced heat discharges back into the Milwaukee River, helping to protect the aquatic environment. The Jones Island water reuse project also eliminates the need to chlorinate the river water, significantly reducing chemical use at the facility.

Continue reading the full report

October 22, 2024 /3BL/ – Lenovo is pleased to announce that it maintains its AA score in the 2024 Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index (“HSSUS”). Among 550 Hong Kong-listed companies, Lenovo received the strongest score in the IT industry for its environmental achievements, which have also been recognized by CDP for leadership in climate change and supplier engagement.  This index is based on a robust process that includes consideration of the results from a sustainability assessment undertaken by Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency (HKQAA), an independent and professional assessment body, using its proprietary sustainability assessment and rating framework. 

HSSUS evaluates a company’s performance on seven subjects under the categories of Environmental, Social and Governance: Corporate Governance, Human Rights, Labour Practices, The Environment, Fair Operating Practices, Consumer Issues and Community Involvement and Development. The methodology behind the sustainability assessment is reviewed annually to incorporate developments within the evolving ESG landscape, with reference to both international and local protocols. The assessment framework is designed to capture both general and industry-specific criteria across the three E, S and G core aspects; each rated equally as a base, with additional industry-specific materiality factors applied.  

Inclusion in the Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Index demonstrates Lenovo’s long-term commitment to driving a more sustainable future for all. Lenovo is on-track to reach its 2030 emissions reduction goals and is in the first group of companies to have its net-zero by 2050 targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative’s Net-Zero Standard. Lenovo continues to increase its participation in the circular economy, increasing use of sustainable materials and asset recycling and disposal, as well as core innovations and sustainability services to support customers’ goals and participation. Since 2017, Lenovo has reused or recycled more than 94,000 metric tons of products¹ through PELM programs² – the same weight as 87 million ThinkPads. Lenovo is focused on sharing its smarter technology with the community and has invested more the US$50M in communities around the world since 2022. With its focus on “Smarter AI for All” and the creation of its Responsible AI Committee, Lenovo is proactively governing its innovation against principles that promote the responsible, ethical, and safe development, deployment, and utilization of AI.

Learn more about Lenovo’s ESG performance on Lenovo StoryHub and in the FY 2023/24 ESG Report.  

¹ Based on CY 2022 product recycling data: https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/sustainability-product-recycling/   
² Consumer and commercial take-back programs 

About Lenovo

Lenovo is a US$57 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #248 in the Fortune Global 500, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver Smarter Technology for All, Lenovo has built on its success as the world’s largest PC company with a full-stack portfolio of AI-enabled, AI-ready, and AI-optimized devices (PCs, workstations, smartphones, tablets), infrastructure (server, storage, edge, high performance computing and software defined infrastructure), software, solutions, and services. Lenovo’s continued investment in world-changing innovation is building a more equitable, trustworthy, and smarter future for everyone, everywhere. Lenovo is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange under Lenovo Group Limited (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY). To find out more visit https://lenovo.com and read about the latest news via our StoryHub.

KeyBank and the KeyBank Foundation announced an investment of $400,000 in the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Toledo to boost its Core City Program.

Using grant funds for the next four years, LISC Toledo and the Core City Program will help cover a development cost gap of up to $40,000 to support development of approximately 15 homes.

The Core City Program focuses on the rehabilitation of previously vacant single-family homes in Toledo’s downtown neighborhoods to:

Address blightIncrease homeownership, especially among families of colorIncrease property values and narrow the appraisal gap 

The program allows more Toledo families to enjoy safe, stable housing and reap the wealth-building benefits of homeownership. 

“At KeyBank, we are committed to investing in initiatives that create lasting, positive change in our communities,” said Dan Dower, KeyBank Norwest Ohio Market President. 

“Our investment in LISC Toledo’s Core City Program is about more than just housing – it’s about empowering families, increasing homeownership opportunities, and helping build stronger, more resilient neighborhoods. By addressing the development cost gap, we’re working to ensure that Toledo’s downtown communities continue to grow, thrive and offer opportunities for wealth-building, particularly for families of color. We’re proud to support LISC Toledo in this transformative work, and together, we will continue to create more equitable, inclusive communities for all.”

In 2023, the Core City Program beneficiaries were 73% Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) and 58% female heads of households, with an average income of $40,000. Notably, the target neighborhoods at the beginning of the program had average home sale prices of $25,000; over time, the average sale prices have risen to $70,000. While still affordable, the increase in price is critical to improving neighborhood conditions.

“LISC Toledo is excited for the opportunity to continue enhancing and building our core city program while strengthening our ongoing partnerships,” said Tom Kroma, LISC Toledo executive director. “We are thankful for KeyBank’s participation and support since Core City’s inception and look forward to continued collaboration as we provide high-quality, stable housing for Toledo residents. We aim for this investment to serve as a catalyst for additional investment and significant impact for Toledo’s affordable housing and neighborhood development.” Together with partners, LISC Toledo has invested more than $1.4 million in the Core City Program. The program has renovated and sold 29 homes to owner-occupants, most of whom are people of color with low-to-moderate incomes, with 13 more homes in the pipeline and more being added throughout the year.

KeyBank and LISC Toledo have a longstanding partnership. Over the last 20 years, KeyBank and the KeyBank Foundation have granted LISC Toledo more than $2 million to help create resilient and inclusive communities across the greater Toledo area.

ABOUT KEYCORP

KeyCorp’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $187 billion at June 30, 2024. 

 Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank Member FDIC.

ABOUT LISC TOLEDO

LISC is one of the country’s largest community development organizations, helping forge vibrant, resilient communities across America. LISC works with residents and partners to close systemic gaps in health, wealth, and opportunity and advance racial equity so that people and places can thrive. Since its founding in 1979, LISC has invested $32 billion to create more than 506,000 affordable homes and apartments, develop 82.5 million square feet of retail, community, and educational space, and help tens of thousands of people find employment and improve their finances.  In Toledo, LISC has focused on a comprehensive approach to community development, investing nearly $275 million since 1989 and leveraging nearly $400 million to fuel economic opportunity and build stronger, healthier neighborhoods. For more information, visit www.lisc.org.

This post was contributed by Giselle Villa, financial analyst at Cadence.

As a member of Cadencia, the Latinx Inclusion group at Cadence, I found the Latinx Mercado Fiesta to be a meaningful and enriching experience, especially working in a tech company where Latinx representation can sometimes feel limited. This event created a much-needed space for us to celebrate our diverse cultures and share the beauty and richness of our traditions with our coworkers.

Walking through the market, I felt a sense of pride seeing the familiar candies I grew up eating, a reminder of my childhood that I was able to explain and share with colleagues from different backgrounds. It was heartwarming to see their genuine interest and curiosity as they learned about the significance of something that held such a special place in my life. The connection made through something as simple as a childhood treat was a reflection of how powerful these cultural exchanges can be.

One vendor that particularly stood out to me was selling a sweater with the phrase “Vaquera Ingeniera,” which translates to “cowgirl engineer.” This unique design resonated with me because it perfectly blended elements of Mexican culture with a professional identity, celebrating both our cultural roots and the ambition we carry into our careers. On the back, it said in Spanish, “Sé la ingeniera de tu vida” (“Be the engineer of your life”), which was a beautiful reminder that we can craft our own paths and futures, all while honoring where we come from. It was a wonderful example of how our heritage can coexist with our professional identities, and seeing that representation in such a creative way filled me with pride.

It’s events like these that remind me of the strength and beauty of our Latinx community. This wasn’t just about enjoying the food, vendors, and performances, like the Aztec dance and empanadas, but also about creating a space for cultural exchange and connection. It reinforced the importance of groups like Cadencia, where we can come together, find common ground, and celebrate our roots in an environment that may not always reflect our cultural experiences.

As we look forward to upcoming holidays and events like Día de los Muertos and Posadas, I’m filled with gratitude to be part of our One Cadence – One Team culture that not only celebrates our traditions but also gives us the space to support each other and share our stories.

Learn more about life at Cadence.

October 22, 2024 /3BL/ – Our hearts continue to be with everyone in the Southeast states impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. As of late last week, T-Mobile operations are almost completely back to normal. Our network is fully operating, and our Customer Experience Centers and all stores are open. We were proud to have been on the ground supporting communities in their rebuilding and remain committed to supporting our customers and communities as they continue to recover in the Southeast.

Here are a few stats about our response efforts:

Activated over 600 emergency crew members, field engineers, technicians and others who mobilized as quickly as possible and navigated extremely challenging conditions and destruction.Recovered all but 4% of network sites and restored connectivity for all but 2% of customers within 72 hours of each hurricane.Completed over 3,400 reconnaissance missions to identify site-specific restoration needs.Deployed and maintained over 800 generators and an expansive fleet of connectivity solutions — including SatCOLTs and SatCOWs, Mobile Emergency Operations Centers, heavy-duty Wi-Fi and charging vehicles, VSATs and microwave technology — to rapidly recover impacted sites and restore coverage.Configured around 5,000 real-time performance and congestion mitigation changes and 230 spectrum layer management actions to extend site back-up power run-time and customer service at sites in impacted areas.Conducted 121,000 antenna tilts to continuously and iteratively optimize signals and expand coverage.Visited 46 different Red Cross shelters and points of distribution across the Southeast to provide free Wi-Fi to over 17,000 people who used 9.0 terabytes of data, offer device charging and hand out nearly 5,600 power packs with device charging equipment and other supplies.Broadcast Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) and delivered SMS messages via satellite.Deployed drones to assist local law enforcement and agencies in Western North Carolina with high-resolution and thermal imagery and risk identification and assessment of debris, possible landslides, structure and infrastructure damage and more.Prioritized restoration requests from federal, state and local officials and emergency management agencies to best support critical operations for first responders and public safety agencies, as well as customers, communities and others.

We’re continuing to encourage everyone to donate to our partner, the American Red Cross, which is providing comfort, support and relief. We are also matching our employee donations 2:1 through Benevity.

For more information on T-Mobile’s response following Hurricane Helene, visit https://www.t-mobile.com/news/network/hurricane-helene, and for Hurricane Milton, visit https://www.t-mobile.com/news/network/hurricane-milton.

See more on T-Mobile’s emergency response efforts and tips to stay connected at https://www.t-mobile.com/news/emergency-response. Follow @TMobileNews on X, formerly known as Twitter, to stay up to date with the latest company news.

Media Relations Contact 
T-Mobile US, Inc. 
MediaRelations@t-mobile.com

Investor Relations Contact 
T-Mobile US, 
Inc.Investor.Relations@t-mobile.com 
https://investor.t‑mobile.com

Cassie Ross is a champion of inclusion, with a passion for fostering an accessible and accommodating workplace for people with disabilities. Over the past 10 years, Cassie has translated her local advocacy with community organizations to driving awareness within Henkel.

Our purpose is what unites us at Henkel North America: Pioneers at heart for the good of generations. Our pioneering spirit is reflective of the diverse backgrounds, experiences and talents of our employees and partners. They dare to make an impact on the world by collaborating to tackle challenges, find solutions and open new perspectives.

Their contributions allow us to deliver products, services and innovations that enrich and improve everyday life. We invite you to “meet” our pioneers in our series, “Pioneers for Good.”

Introducing Cassie

Cassie Ross is a Senior Customer Marketing Manager for Henkel Consumer Brands but her most important role is being a mother to a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Daily she ensures that her son is happy, healthy, and loved while advocating for disability awareness and inclusion in all parts of her life, including the workplace.

Cassie’s personal experiences color her approach across her endeavors.

“For those who ‘live’ disabilities it’s an ongoing conversation. In every context I can, I focus my efforts on making people aware of the importance of inclusion for all.”

Cassie Ross, Senior Customer Marketing Manager for Henkel Consumer Brands

Navigating the Unknown with Compassion

While Cassie has always anticipated challenges, little can prepare you for life-changing moments. Cassie’s moment was when her then-four-year-old son was diagnosed with nonspeaking autism. Cassie immediately knew this was her hard moment, this is what she was meant to advocate for.

“My husband and I were so lost,” she says about the years leading up to her son’s diagnosis. “I was a mess for almost two years, looking for every piece of information I could find to help give him a means of communication and deciding how our family would navigate his diagnosis alongside the pandemic.”

Cassie enrolled her son at Sunshine School & Development Center, an education center that provides a range of services to enable children touched by disability. Here, she knew her son would thrive. What she didn’t know was that it would become a home for her, a place where she could put her passion for advocacy into action and encourage her to push for disability awareness and inclusion at work.

Charting a Path of Support for Families

Today, Cassie is a Board Member for Sunshine School & Development Center. “I’ve made it a personal mission to ensure no other family that I come into contact with feels as lost as we did during those first two years.” With support from Henkel, Cassie has been able to further her mission through two grants received from Henkel’s Make An Impact on Tomorrow (MIT) initiative to help fund playground equipment for the school.

Cassie also serves as Vice President and Board member at Autism Involves Me (AIM), a local organization that empowers and supports individuals with autism and their families. In this role, she brings her business experience and financial acumen to help the organization build long-term stability.

Working with AIM and the Sunshine School & Development Center gives Cassie the opportunity to connect with others whose lives are affected by disability. At AIM’s annual AIM Fest in September, Cassie instantly recognized a mother who was experiencing the same struggle her family faced.

“I gave her a hug, then she started crying and I started crying. And I was reassured, ‘This is why I’m here.’”

Transforming a Challenge into a Triumph

Cassie’s experiences as a mother of a child with autism have fueled her passion for promoting disability awareness and inclusion in the workplace. When she wanted to start an employee resource group (ERG) dedicated to this subject, she connected with her colleagues Angie Parker and Patricia Tucker, to bring it to life. 

The Awareness of Visible and Invisible Disabilities (AVID) ERG works to foster an inclusive and supportive environment for employees with disabilities or employees who may be caregivers for a family member with a disability. Cassie appreciates the collaborative nature and the ability to connect with Henkel employees outside of her department who have been affected by disability.

“It is the coolest experience to bring people together from different areas of the company who have common goals and objectives. The AVID ERG has opened this ecosphere of Henkel employees all over the globe who collaborate to drive disability awareness and inclusion in the workplace, in the community and in product design.”

Cassie Ross, Senior Customer Marketing Manager for Henkel Consumer Brands

Cassie also appreciates the overwhelming support from AVID’s executive sponsor, Robert McNamee. “He shows up to every call, is active and very involved in the work we are doing. Our entire executive leadership team members are active participants – they’re in it with you.”

Promoting an Accommodating and Respectful Workplace

Whether at home, in the office, or in the community, Cassie pioneers empathy, compassion, and understanding. She strives to build a more inclusive workplace culture for people with disabilities and their caregivers, for today’s workers and for future generations.

“I want my son to enter a workforce that has jobs with a career path for people with disabilities and a physical work environment that makes it accessible for them to thrive.” Cassie is proud to work for an organization who is well on that journey as Henkel was recently named a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion by Disability: IN and The American Association of People with Disabilities.

In the end, Cassie’s message to us on being a pioneer at heart for the good of generations is simple:

“Practice kindness. Everyone is carrying something with them. Try to get to know your coworkers, what they struggle with, and how you can help them.”

Cassie Ross, Senior Customer Marketing Manager for Henkel Consumer Brands

Originally published in Principal Financial Group 2023 Sustainability Report

Leadership and development

We encourage employees to expand their knowledge, build new skills, and continuously develop by providing a variety of opportunities that best suit their needs. This includes formal development opportunities, experiential and on-the-go education, and professional relationship building.

Our approach 

We offer employees a variety of development opportunities including new hire onboarding and ongoing role-specific training that includes asynchronous and synchronous learning opportunities, simulation and role-play, videos, and e-learning courses.

New leaders in the U.S. experience 20 hours of onboarding related to being an effective and inclusive leader and we offer numerous ways for leaders to continue to refine their leadership skills over the course of their career.

Employees can additionally engage in learning within a broad range of topics, such as growing technical skills, enabling high-performing teams, and building inclusion and career development capabilities. Employees have access to sessions focused on life skills through our EAP provider.

Short-term growth assignments are available to learn and apply skills outside their formal role. Additional opportunities exist for role rotations, job shadowing, mentoring, and pursuing further education or skills training.

We also offer a collegiate internship program and a variety of rotational programs for recent graduates.

Learn more on our careers site

Leaders provide feedback to employees and engage them in reflection and development planning annually. We promote a culture that encourages employees to reflect on their performance, provide feedback to their peers, and share development recommendations to their managers.

Our new goals 

We continue to find ways to expand access to and engagement in the core development programs we offer. This year, we’ve set new goals to strive to increase our performance in these areas.

By 2025, we aim to: 

Increase overall employee participation in core enterprise learning and development programs by 15%.Capture and centrally manage engagement data for 100% of our core enterprise learning and development programs in a common location, positioning us to better analyze key business outcomes based on our findings.Make 50% of core enterprise learning and development programming available in Spanish.Cross-train facilitators on 50% of core enterprise learning and development programming.

Our actions and performance in 2023 

Historically, it was challenging for us to collect and aggregate data for training across our organization as different parts of the business utilized different systems. This past year, we implemented a new process to allow us to better track and report training hours.

In 2023, our employees participated in 58,061 hours of voluntary learning and development, which is equal to about 2.9 hours per employee. Leaders specifically engaged in 7,229 hours of voluntary learning and development in 2023.

In 2023, approximately 189 employees participated in our educational assistance program that offers employees financial assistance with their job-related educational pursuits. In 2023, this totaled over $615,680 in investment by the organization.

We hired 244 interns in 2023 and continued our focus on early and mid-level career opportunities and recruiting diverse and underrepresented talent through partnerships like Jobs for America’s Graduates (iJAG), Girls Who Invest, Seizing Every Opportunity, and the International Association of Black Actuaries.

In 2023, 95.6% of global employees received a rating as part of an annual performance review process.

For the breakdown of U.S. employees who received a performance review in 2023 by gender and race/ethnicity, see our appendix to the report.

To learn more, read the Principal Financial Group 2023 Sustainability Report.

Additional information on our commitments to advance inclusion, representation, accessibility, and equity within our workplace, business practices, and communities can be found in the 2023 Global Inclusion Report.

Insurance products issued by Principal National Life Insurance Co (except in NY) and Principal Life Insurance Company®. Plan administrative services offered by Principal Life. Principal Funds, Inc. is distributed by Principal Funds Distributor, Inc. Securities offered through Principal Securities, Inc., member SIPC and/or independent broker/dealers. Referenced companies are members of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, IA 50392.​

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Covia takes time to acknowledge the dedication and leadership of Team Members who have made a significant impact on the job or in their communities by sharing their stories. Today we are happy to recognize two team members from our marketing team based in Huntersville, North Carolina – Natalie King, Brand Activation Manager, and Laura Vasseur, Senior Creative Designer and Digital Specialist. Natalie and Laura have been invaluable members of Covia’s team over the years – working to build relationships with customers through effective marketing. Read on to learn more about Natalie and Laura’s journey with Covia.

Unexpected Paths

Laura earned her undergraduate degree in art with a concentration in design from the University of North Carolina. While she originally went to school to become a physical therapist, she shifted her focus to design thanks to the encouragement of one of her professors. “I think back and realize I am so grateful for their encouragement every day,” Laura said. After finishing her studies, she had a variety of design jobs – working for a yearbook company, thread company, wind instrument company, and as a traveling artist. “I realized everybody needs marketing and design. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in.” Laura took advantage of those varied experiences, further developing the design skills she brought with her to Covia.

Natalie also took a different path to get to her current role at Covia. She earned her BSM in business administration with a concentration in marketing from the University of North Carolina. She started her career in the casino industry in Atlantic City, working on special events and database management. When the company she worked for opened a new casino in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Natalie moved to become their advertising and social media manager. In that role, she worked on ad creation, billboards, commercials, radio spots, and sponsorships with local sport teams. On her unique work experience, Natalie said, “I eventually found my way to Covia – trading in the glitz and glamor of Atlantic City to help sell sand.”

Building Connections

Laura’s work at Covia involves frequent research and coordination with the sales team. Laura often works on Covia’s website, updating content about our products and markets, updating layouts and templates, and developing landing pages for upcoming trade shows and product launches. She also helps develop, track, and report on digital ad campaigns. Laura’s work helps ensure Covia’s digital presence reflects our values and meets our customers’ preferences and needs.

On top of her digital work, Laura oversees the design of Covia’s packaging material. For instance, Laura designs the appearance of the 50-pound bags of mineral products that get sent out to customers, adding branding and critical legal information to ensure compliance and uniformity. Her keen eye for design plays an important role in how our customers view and interact with Covia’s products.

Natalie works closely with the sales team and the strategic marketing team to identify focus areas for Covia’s customers and how Covia can help create an innovative solution to support their unique ideas and opportunities. Because Covia serves such a wide variety of markets, Natalie and her team work to be adaptable, creating messages that make a connection with each of those different customers.

Natalie noted, “We need to be able to speak to those different groups – making sure Covia can create a unique solution tailored to those industries. Our golf market is going to have different opportunities than our customers in architectural coatings.” Thanks to Natalie, Laura, and our marketing team, Covia has been able to better understand our audiences, which guides our approach and the services offered.

Natalie and Laura work closely with both Covia’s strategic marketing team, who conduct deep dives into potential applications that can be marketed, and Covia’s sales team. Working with both teams, Natalie and Laura help identify the key solutions that Covia’s marketing campaigns should focus on. They tailor the messaging and creative [____] to resonate with the different end markets and customer segments that Covia serves. Leveraging customer insights from the sales team and market research from the strategy team, Natalie and Laura determine what our customers might need and how Covia can deliver that solution.

Marketing Campaigns that Inspire

Covia delivers more than just high-quality minerals and mineral solutions. We are an industry leader that is constantly troubleshooting and seeking unique ways to support customers’ success. We’re able to deliver these innovative solutions to our customers because team members like Laura, Natalie, and others on the marketing team are great at researching, communicating, problem-solving, and using marketing to strengthen our relationship with our customers.

A great example of this is Laura and the marketing team’s work on the “Don’t Fear the Filler” advertising campaign. The campaign was in response to the growing concern with the use of “fillers” in plastic films, which can result in a cloudy final product. Covia’s mineral fillers are carefully engineered to have very little negative effect on film clarity, providing a high-quality product that our customers have come to expect over the years.

The campaign, which has been running for a year now, was an exciting one to take on. Laura commented, “I had a good time working on the project. ‘Don’t Fear the Filler’ is such a fun tag line, and it was nice to create a campaign that has resonated with our customers.”

From our trade show booth to our digital ads, the powerful message and attention-grabbing headlines and visuals of this campaign successfully connected with our customers and demonstrated why our solutions are different.

Innovations and Personal Projects

Covia’s marketing team is hard at work to find new and exciting ways to connect with our customers. Laura and her team have begun releasing a series of videos that use innovative technologies to remaster older marketing videos, such as a recent one featuring the Minbloc® High-Clarity antiblock additive. “This gives us more opportunities to share our messages in different places without committing to new video shoots,” Laura said. The final product was showcased at our tradeshow booth and on our digital channels. “I’m excited about the possibilities of remastering more videos in the future.”

Natalie, who helped launch Covia’s LUMINEX™ ultrawhite filler and CRISTOBALEX™ ultrawhite reflective filler, particularly enjoys working on product launches.

“I’m excited to see products come to market. It gives us opportunities to create campaigns – helping these products from the ground level to the marketplace,” Natalie said. “Product launches are fun. You get to be creative – come up with names, figure out how to deliver the messages to the public, and find out who the best audience is for a particular product message. It’s very exciting.”

For Laura, who has always been artistic, creativity does not end at work. From photography to painting and graphic design, Laura is always looking for new and exciting ways to practice her craft in her free time. “I would say I’m honing my skills, but it’s more about having fun,” she commented.

Covia provides Natalie more than just a career, but a way to pursue her passion for volunteering. Natalie added, “I may not be the creative guru Laura is, but the emphasis that Covia places on volunteering is near and dear to my heart.” Natalie, an active volunteer in her community, enjoys utilizing Covia’s volunteer PTO program to give back to organizations that matter to her – such as the local nonprofit Angels and Sparrows.