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Autumn 2015 Nº 34 Magazine of the Solvay Group in the UK Solvay Safety Days Manufacturing Excellence Solvay One Connects

Connects - Solvay Connects...Solvay Connects, the magazine for Solvay’s employees in the UK, their families and our many business partners. I have had some invaluable help in preparing

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Autumn 2015Nº 34

Magazine of the Solvay Group

in the UK

Solvay Safety Days

Manufacturing Excellence

Solvay One

Connects

Focus on Safety

Magazine Editor: Julie Hitchin. Lostock Co-ordinator: Julie Evans. Specialty Polymers Co-ordinator: Helen Plant. Novecare Co-ordinator: Andrew Baud. Contributors: Wayne Allen, Diana Anderson, Craig Barraclough, Jean-François Berthiaume, Frédéric Bouchat, Valérie Braut, Abby Hitchin, Erica Kornijenko, Guillaume Peron, Chloé Pellegrini, Taunya Renson, Adrian Waine, Charlie Qin, Vic Walters, Steve Waltho. Design Layout: Paula Lang. Contact us at: Solvay Connects, Solvay House, Baronet Road, Warrington WA4 6HA E-mail address: [email protected] Website addresses: www.solvay.com and www.solvay.co.uk

Magazine of the Solvay Group in the UK. Quarterly nº 34 Autumn 2015

Hello

3 New Site Director

4 Halifax

5 Oldbury

6 Safety Days

CoverWarrington Process Heat Recovery Unit. Photograph by Adrian Waine, Photography for Industry

8 Solvay One

10 Sustainable Mobility 12 Strategy

14 Manufacturing Excellence

edito

rial

Welcome to the autumn edition of Solvay Connects, the magazine for Solvay’s employees in the UK, their families and our many business partners.

I have had some invaluable help in preparing Issue 34 from Chloé Pellegrini, a French intern who is working at Warrington for a few months as a Communications Trainee. Chloé is currently studying Translation and Communication at ISIT Intercultural School in Paris and I have invited her to share this editorial with me.

“Hello everyone! This is my first (and I hope not last!) experience as co-editor and I have to say I’m really excited and pleased to have been part of the creation of this issue. The main topic this quarter: Safety. It’s only been two months for me in Solvay, but it was definitely enough time to understand the importance safety possesses inside these walls. But let’s talk about what you are about to read.

The front cover shows Warrington’s shining Process Heat Recovery Unit standing against the elements being inspected by Martin Griffiths, HSEQ Manager. Autumn has come but sunny days are not over yet; and with the sun came Warrington’s new Site Manager, Craig Barraclough. Over on page 3 he tells us more about his first impressions and future projects. Let’s

16 World Challenge

17 Project EAGLE

18 Farewell

19 People and Charity

wish him a warm and welcoming start with us. Halifax and Oldbury are on pages 4 and 5 with some community news, again focussing on safety followed by a 2-page spread about our Safety Days.

More details about Solvay One improvements can be found on pages 8 and 9; and if you want to dig a little further to learn about Solvay’s new strategy and sustainable mobility, see pages 10 to 13! You may also have heard of Manufacturing Excellence recently: pages 14 and 15 will enlighten you on what has been done during the two weeks of the diagnostics process at Warrington.

Ever dreamed of riding an elephant in Laos? Such a dream came true for local student Abby; the feedback of her journey is waiting for you on page 16! And if you miss the EAGLES, you’ll be happy to find some words about their Warrington experience on page 17.”

We both hope that you enjoy reading Issue 34 of Solvay Connects and we are always pleased to hear from you with any feedback. From 2016 we will be reducing to two magazines per year, in spring and autumn, with each site issuing their own newsletters in between; so please continue to send us your suggestions for future articles.

JULIE HITCHIN and CHLOÉ PELLEGRINIEditors

2 SOLVAY Connects[ Autumn 2015 ] [ nº 34 ]

In his new role, Craig will be responsible for ensuring that Solvay’s new ‘Life Saving Rules’, which are designed to reduce serious and fatal accidents, continue to be disseminated to all staff via a variety of educational activities.

He will also be rolling out the group’s new ‘Manufacturing Excellence’ programme, which aims to drive sustainable performance improvement in three key areas, namely operating systems (technical systems), physical assets and resources (performance management), and the way staff, think, feel and act in the workplace (mind-set and behaviour).

Regional

Craig said: “I am delighted to have been appointed Site Director at Warrington. The staff have given me a very thorough introduction to the site and they have made me feel very welcome.”

“Having worked with hazardous chemicals, such as liquid chlorine and phosphine gas, for many years, I have gained a lot o f e x p e r i e n c e i n r i s k management. My mantra for all new staff is ‘always respect the chemical’ by maintaining the highest level of focus in every task.”

“This approach is at the heart of Solvay’s new Life Saving Rules, which emphasise the responsibility that every Solvay employee has for both their own safety and the safety of their co-workers.”

“ I n a d d i t i o n t o b u i l d i n g o n t h e implementation of these new rules at Warrington, I will also be embracing the company’s new Manufacturing Excellence programme, which is designed to ensure that every business within the group is as efficient and profitable as possible.”

Introduction

New Site Director shares his vision for WarringtonLongstanding Solvay employee Craig Barraclough, who has been appointed Site Director at Warrington, says that implementing the group’s new health and safety, and efficiency programmes will be his top priorities.

Craig Barraclough explains how new safety and efficiency initiatives will shape the business

Craig joined Solvay in Oldbury after graduating from Manchester University, with a degree in chemistry, nearly 19 years ago. He initially worked on its Pilot Plant and later moved into production management. His most recent post was Production Manager at Oldbury.

Craig, who has set up home near Warrington with his wife and two sons, is a keen follower of rugby union and has been finding out more about the league version of the game since moving to the area. He plans to attend various Rugby World Cup matches including England v Uruguay in Manchester, and South Africa v Samoa at Villa Park.

3SOLVAY Connects [ Autumn 2015 ] [ nº 34 ]

HalifaxRe

gion

al

HSE winner, John Livsey

(L-R) Holywell Green Headteacher Paul McVeigh, Councillor Chris Pearson, Councillor Marilyn Greenwood, Solvay Halifax Site Director Guillaume Peron, Councillor Malcolm James

Recognition

Solvay Halifax’s 2016 community calendar, which will be distributed free of charge to local residents, will showcase prize-winning artwork by pupils at Holywell Green Primary School, following the launch of a drawing competition.

Pupils at the school are being invited to submit drawings – illustrating how Solvay helps to preserve the local environment – for the company’s calendar competition.

The winning entries, which will be assessed on the basis of their originality as well as their artistic value, will be chosen by members of Solvay staff with help from Calderdale Council members – Councillor Chris Pearson, Councillor Malcolm James and Councillor Marilyn Greenwood.

Solvay Halifax’s 2016 calendar will feature local pupils’ artwork

Solvay Halifax staff honoured in new awards schemeThree Solvay Halifax staff have been rewarded for their dedication at a new awards scheme launched at the site’s annual Safety Day in September.

The winning staff were:HSE: John Livsey, Senior Logistics Supervisor, for going above and beyond his role and responsibilities in the management of HSE.

Quality: Derek Murphy, Production Shift Team Leader, for his constant dedication to the quality of products manufactured on site.

Manufacturing Excellence: Simon Davies, Logistics Operator, for his strong involvement in the design of pre-filmed pallets of drums which took into consideration design, logistics, production and customer needs.

4 SOLVAY Connects[ Autumn 2015 ] [ nº 34 ]

Regional

Oldbury

The team at Solvay Oldbury was put through its paces in early September as it staged a major incident rehearsal in conjunction with the Emergency Services. The rehearsal followed months of planning and coordination meetings, led by Tom Dutton, Health & Safety Manager. During the rehearsal, a leak of fumes was simulated, involving several casualties whose roles were played by actors, including some Solvay employees. This provided the opportunity for the onsite fire service and first aid responders to fully test their procedures and equipment. Tom Dutton said: “As a top tier COMAH site we are required to routinely test our procedures. This rehearsal was based on a very challenging, if highly unlikely, scenario. We were delighted to observe our colleagues respond in such a professional manner and its testament to the huge emphasis we place on health and safety and ensuring procedures are in place should the worst ever happen.”

A week’s work experience at Solvay Oldbury has inspired 15-year-old Sandwell Academy student Kai Marriott-Shaw to consider becoming an electrical and instrumentation engineer, and earned him an award from his school for outstanding achievement. During his time at Solvay, Kai shadowed managers in health and safety, and maintenance and production, and was involved in activities ranging from learning how different plant and equipment work, to watching engineers solve a problem and sitting in on meetings. Kai said: “I’m really grateful to everyone at Solvay who helped to make my work experience so varied and interesting. I learned a huge amount about the company and its processes. It’s really opened my eyes to the world of work and encouraged me to think about pursuing a career in engineering.”

Solvay Oldbury staff take part in major incident simulation

Virtual site tours for students are shortlisted for awardAn educational project – which has been developed by the University of Birmingham, Solvay Oldbury and Smurfit Kappa SSK to provide virtual, interactive and industrial site tours for students – has been shortlisted for an Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) award. Jean-François Berthiaume, Site Director at

Solvay Oldbury, said: “We have worked with the University of Birmingham for a number of years to enable students to visit our site to see how their theoretical knowledge can be applied in a real life, industrial setting. We look forward to hearing the results of the award entry later in the year.”

Student excels in week’s work experience at Solvay

5SOLVAY Connects [ Autumn 2015 ] [ nº 34 ]

Regi

onal

The event was held over two days, and included a number of activities promoting Solvay’s Life Saving Rules.

Oldbury’s Safety Day

Full programme of events at Halifax’s Safety Day

Those present, including resident contractors, were organised into groups of 10-15 people and directed through a programme of events covering a variety of health, safety and well-being topics. These included an exercise to spot defects in scaffolding structures, a session on the importance of ‘mindfulness’ when working in a hazardous environment, a demonstration of how work is carried out safely on a mobile elevated work platform and a description of how lifting operations are planned and executed safely. Following a carvery meal in the site restaurant, all attendees gathered in the Recreation Hall for an ‘on the buzzer’ quiz played in knock-out format and hosted by Operations Manager Sherriff Nathan Mills! Each round of the quiz comprised questions relating to each of the eight Solvay Life Saving Rules, to help to promote awareness but with the emphasis very much on fun and the importance of participating in the Safety Day activities. This was followed by a summary of nominations put forward for demonstrating good safety practice at Oldbury during 2015. The winner will be decided once the count has been completed.

The day was brought to a close by Site Director Jean-François Berthiaume, who thanked those taking part for their support and commitment.

Handling a chemical spillage and managing pedestrian and traffic risks were among the topics covered on refresher training courses at Solvay Halifax’s annual Safety Day in September. Staff also received updates on safety and quality developments at Halifax – including the site’s new Manufacturing Excellence programme. The afternoon’s activities comprised a variety of practical and table top exercises on health and safety.

Balbir Shergill with Alex Phipps who gave a

demonstration of the “MEWP” Mobile Elevated

Work Platform

Site Director Jean-François Berthiuame and HR

Manager Alastair Cox helping to serve lunch in

the canteen

“Sheriff” Nathan Mills, Oldbury Site Operations

Manager, hosts the Safety Day Quiz

Safety Days Safety Excellence

6 SOLVAY Connects[ Autumn 2015 ] [ nº 34 ]

Regional

Warrington site held two safety days this year, in July and September, in order to give everyone the opportunity to attend.

Warrington Safety Days

Hazard spotting

Even when taking a break, Solvay employees

stay close to the safety rules posted

Both sessions were opened by Len Sharpe, who reminded delegates of Solvay’s Life Saving Rules and the actions we have taken to ensure the site is compliant. Attendees then separated into sub-groups to participate in a carousel of activities throughout the day.

Activities included use of fire extinguishers and emergency plans for the home, hazard spotting in the Engineering workshop, safe handling of Hydrogen Peroxide, performing safety discussions, Display Screen Equipment risk assessments and Emergency first aid and use of defibrillators.

Everyone participated very enthusiastically and feedback was very positive. Thanks to everyone who helped to make the days a success and to Isabelle Gubelmann-Bonneau, Henk Venbrux and Laurent Cardon from the Peroxides GBU who each attended one of the days.

Henk in action

7SOLVAY Connects [ Autumn 2015 ] [ nº 34 ]

Our

Gro

up

Solvay One

Massimo De Vecchi Solweb Manager

Genevieve GourichonSenior Web Communication Officer

Solvay One today and looking towards tomorrowLaunched this summer, the Group’s new intranet portal Solvay One has already placed a wide range of information and applications at the fingertips of Solvay’s global staff. But there is much more to come!

“The launch of Solvay One went very well; we even had 26,000 new users on the first day,” explains Massimo De Vecchi, Solweb Manager. Average session time is around four minutes. Although that sounds relatively short, it’s quite high for any website. “This indicates that employees are thoroughly exploring our new intranet,” notes Massimo. “Already we can tell you that the most popular sections are Employee Services and Corporate News.”

Solvay One is available in seven languages. Although not every page is translated into every language, there are already interesting trends emerging. “As we expected, English and French pages are the most viewed,” notes Genevieve Gour ichon, Senior Web Communication Officer. “However, we are surprised at the popularity of German and Italian. These languages are only just behind in page views.”

8 SOLVAY Connects[ Autumn 2015 ] [ nº 34 ]

Our G

roup

Marie-Ange VazquezCorporate Communications Media Library Officer

Solvay One today and looking towards tomorrowNew features in the pipelineAfter Solvay One’s successful launch, the team is already working on new features. “We have a roadmap for the following months which will see Solvay One become even better,” says Massimo. “Many of these new features will enable users to personalise their Solvay One experience.”

“At the moment, each person’s newsfeed reflects the entities to which they belong,” explains Genevieve. “We are adding the a b i l i t y t o s u b s c r i b e a n d unsubscribe to different entities. For example, you might be interested in the activities of other entities. If so, you can add them to your profile and you will see their information in your newsfeed.”

Staff will also be able to personalise the dashboard by selecting the tiles they want to display on their homepage. “Selecting new tiles is like going to the app library on your smartphone,” explains Massimo. “The tiles library will offer many tiles created by Solvay’s entities so there will be a lot of choice.”

Another new feature is the ability to ‘star’ content as Genevieve explains: “This will be useful if you find information that you want to read at a later time, or if you want to create your own personal library of reference documents.”

The Solweb team is working hard to get all of these new features operational before the end of 2015. A longer term project involves migrating content from the legacy Solvay and Rhodia intranets. “My team is approaching each entity individually to work out a specific rollout plan for them,” notes Massimo. “Our goal is to have all applications

and entity information moved to Solvay One by July 2016.”

Another new feature on the horizon is private spaces. “At the moment, all information on Solvay One is public within Solvay,” explains Massimo. “Creating private spaces will allow entities to store confidential or working information without sharing it with the entire company.” This feature is scheduled for implementation in the first quarter of 2016.

New Solvay Media Library on the waySolvay’s Corporate Communications and Solweb teams are working on the launch of the new Solvay Media Library.

“All the employees of the Group will be able to download different definitions of the media files available (pictures, audio and video files)," explains Marie-Ange Vazquez, Corporate Communications Media Library Officer.

“This selection of media showcases Solvay via its activities, locations and employees worldwide.”

The new media library is powered by Keepeek software. It provides a dedicated repository to store, index and broadcast all Solvay media resources. An additional benefit: all Group digital applications such as the internet, intranet, newsletters etc., will rely on this library to illustrate content. The photos and videos featured in Solvay One today are already stored in the media library.

9SOLVAY Connects [ Autumn 2015 ] [ nº 34 ]

Solvay is a leading player in green technologies which make mobility more sustainable. Many of the solutions the Group has developed are already being incorporated into the cars, trucks, motorbikes and aircraft we use today.

Optimising tyresOne of the simplest ways to reduce emissions from vehicles is to reduce the rolling resistance of the tyres, says Jean-Francis Spindler, Director of the Silica GBU: “Reducing rolling resistance can lead to a 20 to 30 gramme reduction in the amount of CO2 emitted per kilometre. It is the easiest and cheapest way OEMs can reduce CO2 emissions and improve the durability of tyres.”

Solvay invented the Highly Dispersible Silica (HDS) which is a key ingredient in these ‘green tyres’. New national and regional tyre labeling regulations are prompting the vehicle industry to adopt this technology rapidly.

The GBU is now working on the next generation of silicas which will see a further 10 to 20g reduction in CO2/km. They will be easier to disperse into polymers and improve durability. “Tyre durability is a major issue, particularly in electric vehicles,” Jean-Francis notes. “In an e-vehicle, power is instantly available to the tyres. They need to be durable enough to resist this power surge and have low rolling resistance so they can quickly convert that power into momentum. In an e-vehicle, the less energy you lose, the further you can go.” Solvay is also active in the field of synthetic rubbers for improving tyre performance by supplying neodymium precursors that are used as catalysts for the production of butadiene rubber (BR). GBU Special Chem recently launched a new generation of

precursor based on N d p h o s p h a t e te ch n ol o g y t ha t a l l o w s r u b b e r -makers to replace toluene in thei r process. “The switch to solvents wi th lower toxicity is a major gain,” notes Thomas Mathivet, Market Manager, Chemical Catalysis. “The previous Nd phosphate production process created sodium nitrate as a by-product. Solvay’s new process is clean as it only generates water as a by-product. It has eliminated a nitrate waste of 70 tonnes /year.”

The new Nd phosphate precursor enables increased BR productivity and requires less energy during manufacturing. The Neodymium-BR is already being used to produce green and high performance tyres. “The technology increases the abrasion resistance of the tyre tread, improving durability,” explains Thomas. “Safety is improved as the crack resistance of the sidewall (the thinnest part of tyre) is significantly improved. There is much less risk of a blowout while the tyre is moving.”

Increasing efficiencyNOCOLOK® is another Solvay product which improves efficiency. Composed of potassium, fluorine and aluminum, Nocolok is used as flux in the manufacture of the highly energy efficient light-weight aluminium heat exchangers. These are smaller, have less weight, and are more

Technology

Our

Gro

up

Solvay technology drives sustainable mobility

Jean-Francis SpindlerDirector of the

Silica GBU

Thomas MathivetMarket Manager,

Chemical Catalysis

10 SOLVAY Connects[ Autumn 2015 ] [ nº 34 ]

Our G

roup

Solvay technology drives sustainable mobility

solutions which utilise high performance plastics. They enable OEMs to reduce vehicle weight, improve performance, and reduce emissions. The GBU is working with Tier-1 suppliers and OEMs to fine-tune applications for these plastics in aviation and automotive.

An interesting example is the development of all-plastic engine Polimotor 2. “Using our specialty polymers, we can replace up to 10 parts in a motor such as the fuel pump,” explains Umberto Bianchi, EMEA Marketing Communications Manager for Specialty Polymers. “With these plastics we can reduce motor weight by 40 kg. The plastics offer the same or better properties than metal solutions. They are breakthrough products which can resist the heat, chemicals and high humidity found in engines.”

Weight reduction has been a major focus for many vehicle OEMs as they strive to meet government limits on fleet emissions. But they are also battling against consumer demand for better-equipped cars as Peter Browning, Automotive Market Director for GBU Engineering Plastics notes: “Over the

efficient – requiring less refrigerant charge than competing technologies. Therefore, when using NOCOLOK® brazed heat exchangers, weight and space reduction is achieved for the car. Aluminum heat exchangers are used in vehicles, as well as in residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Unlike other products on the market, NOCOLOK® does not contain chlorine and therefore is a non-corrosive flux.

“Using Solvay’s Sustainable Portfolio Management (SPM) methodology, we have been able to verify that NOCOLOK® has important environmental benefits” explains Anja Pischtiak, Global Sustainable Development Manager for GBU Special Chem. “This is an impressive achievement given that NOCOLOK® has been on the automotive market for more than 30 years and is still outperforming the competition by offering a wide range of NOCOLOK® specialties.” Reducing weightGBU Specialty Polymers has developed a number of cost-effective sustainable mobility

past 25 years, the weight of a small family car has gone from 750 to 1,150 kg, an increase of 400 kg, mainly due to additional equipment such as climate control, navigation, and safety systems.”

To reduce weight and improve fuel efficiency, Peter Browning’s team has developed a polyamide-based technology which is already being used to make the mounts which support a vehicle’s engine. “By replacing aluminum or steel mounts with polyamide versions, their weight is reduced by about 40%. With two or three mounts in each vehicle, this can reduce weight by up to 1kg.”

The technology has been deployed in a production vehicle since 2013, and by 2020 there will be almost 10 million cars equipped with this solution globally.”

GBU Engineering Plastics has also developed a new chemical process called ‘Move for Earth’ which uses sophisticated chemistry to recycle the scrap generated d u r i n g a i r b a g manufacturing. “The recycled polyamide can be turned into engineering plastics which have a wide range of applications in the automotive industry,” notes Peter.

The solutions mentioned in this article represent just a small part of the work Solvay is carrying out to improve the sustainability of mobility, with, for example, the impending acquisition of composite manufacturer Cytec promising even more.

Anja PischtiakGlobal Sustainable

Development Manager, GBU

Peter BrowningAutomotive Market

Director, GBU Engineering Plastics

Umberto BianchiEMEA Marketing Communications Manager, Specialty Polymers

11SOLVAY Connects [ Autumn 2015 ] [ nº 34 ]

Strategy

“We want to find answers and respond to the challenges of three major megatrends: evolving demography and consumer behaviour, innovation acceleration, resource constraints and demand for sustainability,” explains Marc. “Solvay wants to build a model of chemistry that will address society’s crucial issues while continuing to drive value creation and profitable growth.”

The matrix“We have defined a portfolio matrix in which we can map out our businesses and acquisition targets. Along the vertical axis (ability to extract value from the market), we plot the position of power that the business has vis-à-vis its competitors (i.e. competitive advantages to generate higher value). Along the horizontal axis, we measure the industry’s potential to create value and its exposure to climate change, risks and cyclicality. Our aim is to have a portfolio weighted toward the upper right quadrant – strong in businesses with high competitiveness and high value creation potential,” explains Marc.

The Group also takes into consideration geographic and cyclic balance, and as well favours innovation-driven businesses.

“The location of the businesses plotted in this matrix also help to determine resource and capital expenditure (Capex) allocation,” adds Marc, “with more Capex being granted to businesses in the upper right quadrant, defined as our growth engines.”

Sustainability is another key criteria, as the group wants to improve its exposure to sustainable solutions. The Group’s Sustainable Portfolio Management (SPM) tool helps measure sustainability in business terms. At product level, for example, a GBU can assess the environmental footprint of manufacturing a product by measuring water and energy consumption, impact on climate change, toxicity and so on. Additionally Solvay assesses whether products are used in

applications that meet sustainability needs. “The vast majority of projects we work on today address sustainable solutions,” explains Marc. “This was not generally the case three to four years ago.”

The Group continues to fine-tune its ambitions in this realm. “There is a lot of work taking place, for example, on the topic of materiality; that is defining the most important sustainability topics for the Group (e.g. sustainable business solutions) and establishing indicators and targets for them, aligned with strategic actions.” Major movesMost recently Solvay entered into a definitive merger agreement with US-based Cytec, which it describes as a step-change in the Group’s transformation. With 4,600 employees across the globe, Cytec is among the world leaders in composite materials and mining chemicals.

“It’s a perfect example of a business in the upper right-hand quadrant of our matrix. It’s in a profitable industry, it’s fast-growing, and it is aligned with our sustainability objectives (composite technology brings solutions to light weighting). In an industry where there

Our

Gro

up

What guides Group decision-making? What criteria are used to signal a potential acquisition or divestment? Why and where does Solvay choose to innovate? Together with Marc Chollet, Group General Manager Strategy, we explore Solvay’s strategy, its guiding principles and why it can be difficult to execute in such an unpredictable business environment.

Strategy at Solvay

Solvay’s positioning in the Strategic Value Matrix

12 SOLVAY Connects[ Autumn 2015 ] [ nº 34 ]

Our G

roup

are just a few players, Cytec is a leader,” explains Marc. “It’s also a clear leader in mining solutions.”

Last year, Solvay acquired Ryton PPS, a polyphenylene sulphide business purchased from Chevron Phillips Chemical Company. “A perfect complement for the Group’s growth engine Specialty Polymers, it demonstrates both industrial and commercial strength with innovative applications in transportation – automotive in particular – electronics and filter bags.”

Chemlogics was acquired in 2013 to reinforce growth engine Novecare. A leader in the oil and gas market, Chemlogics delivers solutions to safely extract oil and gas while reducing water consumption.

The agreement to create the INOVYNTM joint venture with INEOS also traces back to the matrix. “The European PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) business was a difficult industry creating little value, so we searched for a solution. The best opportunity for this business was to combine the #1 and #2 in the industry, which increases its strength and raises its position on the vertical axis. The joint venture, however, is still

not enough to move it to the upper right quadrant, which is why we have chosen to exit this business after three years,” explains Marc. The PVC business in Latin America is similarly challenged, which is why Solvay has announced plans to find an external option for GBU Indupa.

Finally, this year the Group decided to combine three businesses – Rare Earth Systems and Special Chemicals and the Fluorine Business of Aroma Performance – to produce Special Chem. “This delivers more power in the market. The businesses have different but complementary products for similar markets, so the creation of Special Chem improves its position on the matrix. It also simplif ies the structure of the organisation.” Staying ahead of the curve“The Strategy Function works hard to balance being connected to both the GBUs and the external world so that we are able to bring new ideas to the Group,” explains Marc.

The Function, alongside the GBUs, is also continuously on the lookout for potential

game-changers. “I don’t think there is a GBU in the Group that hasn’t had to deal with a new technology or competitor changing the way business is conducted. However, we’re not only concerned about disruptive companies or phenomena, like shale gas, we’re also actively exploring opportunities to be the disrupter.”

“In the end, our strategy is a growth strategy, but we must earn the right to grow,” says Marc. “We need to deliver in order to be able to fund growth. And while it’s a challenge to be able to drive value and profitable growth in such a volatile world, it simply must be done.”

Strategy at Solvay

Marc Chollet General Manager

13SOLVAY Connects [ Autumn 2015 ] [ nº 34 ]

Manufacturing Excellence

Three excellence initiatives were carried out in parallel: Solmax looking at maintenance activities; Solwatt for Energy Efficiencies and OEE/working solution to improve production efficiency and minimise solvent losses.

Update

Loca

l

The Peroxides GBU has launched a Manufacturing Excellence (ME) transformation programme in conjunction with Solvay’s team of Excellence experts. Every H2O2 plant in the group will benefit from the programme over the next 2-3 years. Warrington was selected as the first plant to undergo a Diagnostic and this took place at the end of September.

Diagnostic feedback to Peroxides’ Business Management

14 SOLVAY Connects[ Autumn 2015 ] [ nº 34 ]

Local

Between them the teams visited all areas of the site including the laboratories, product loading, plant and workshops. They interviewed at least 20 people and had 4 focus groups and 29 different workshops. It was a very busy few weeks but all the ME teams commented on the openness and positive safety culture of the site.

Over the coming weeks and months we will all hear in more detail about the findings of the diagnostic and the potential improvements it has identified for the site. We will also be participating in shared workshops with other plants next year to review the findings of all the diagnostics and to share ideas and best practice.

Thanks to everyone for their input into this process.

How does Manufacturing Excellence work?

One optimised motor delivering high performanceOne skilled

driver and motivated

One cockpit and one GPS measuring the performance and drive to the right direction

Mindset & Behaviour

Reducing car fuel consumption can only be made through working on the three following cornerstones: the Technical System (engine optimisation), the Performance Management (dashboard proficiency) and the Mindset & Behaviour (driver’s will and decisions). Likewise for chemical facilities, such cornerstones remain essential.

Performance Management

Technical System

Manufacturing Excellence Diagnostic – What it is and what it is not

What it is What it is not

• Rapid assessment of the potential trough combination of bottom up and top down logic (including extrapolation)

• Identification of key improvement areas and levers

• Definition of preliminary ideas and quick wins

• Setting the aspiration for a transformation journey

• Establishment of a fully validated list of ideas

• Precise and verified P&L impact quantification of each idea

• Detailed feasibility check and prioritisation of ideas

• Development of detailed measures and action planning

• Full commitment of the site to the overall potential

Team dinner Maintenance workshop H2O2 Process Improvement workshop

15SOLVAY Connects [ Autumn 2015 ] [ nº 34 ]

us flowers, it was so lovely! Our project was to help build the foundations of a school by carrying heavy buckets of sand from the riverbank to the school. We played games with the children: musical chairs, ball games and duck duck goose. They really enjoyed it and picked it up really fast. They were even playing duck duck goose by themselves later on. It was so rewarding!

For our main trek we travelled to Ratanakiri, Cambodia which took four days. I really enjoyed the walking but not so much the food which consisted of rice and noodles. I got used to the hammock, so it was a lot more comfortable. On the trek there were lots of leeches, and I got ‘leeched’ which wasn’t nice but definitely an experience.

For our rest and relaxation we started in Siem Reap, Cambodia where we went to the Angkor

Loca

l

Challenge

Penketh High School – World Challenge 2015

After two hard years of fundraising, I started on the month long experience in Cambodia and Laos.

We flew to Laos where we started our acclimatisation in Ban Na. It was a three day trek, helping us to get used to the environment. It was very hot but I enjoyed it. The food was mainly sticky rice and some form of meat for each meal. Each night we slept in hammocks which were uncomfortable because you felt like you couldn’t move in case you fell out.

We then travelled to Hang Khone, 4000 Islands where our project was. On arrival we were welcomed by school children who gave

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Wat Temples. There were lots of elephants and I was lucky enough to sit on one, it was the best thing ever! We went to Phnom Penh and visited the Killing Fields and S21 (security prison). It was really moving to see what happened to the people who were imprisoned by Pol Pot. The surprising thing is that not many people seem to know about it and it didn’t even happen that long ago (1975). I met one of the seven survivors of S21. It was crazy that he had gone back to the place where he was tortured. We also went to Sihanoukville to the beach, which was really nice. On our last night, it had rained that much that our hostel was flooded and we had to walk through knee deep water to get there.

I want to say a BIG thank you to Solvay for your donation towards my trip, without your help I would not have had this opportunity!

Abby hitchin (Aged 18)

16 SOLVAY Connects[ Autumn 2015 ] [ nº 34 ]

The EAGLES have landed – safely!

Local

Project EAGLE team members with Wayne Allen, Mark Sullivan and Len Sharpe

“The positive attitude and the warmhearted people”

“The ability to link theory to reality”

“The experience gained in Solvay Interox Limited”

“The wealth of cultural exchanges”

"Dear all, We all arrived safely back in China, and would like to thank you again for your great support during our stay in Warrington. From the first week of classroom training, shift on job coaching to the last two days test, review, and Q&A session.

From daily operations to HSE responsibilities, we've all experienced and learned more than expected." Charlie Qin

Charlie pictured front row, 2nd left

It was good to hear from the Project EAGLE team and to receive positive affirmations (below) of what they remember.

17SOLVAY Connects [ Autumn 2015 ] [ nº 34 ]

Farewell to John DaviesOldbury site also said a fond farewell last month to John Davies, who retired from the E&I department after a career of more than 40 years on site. John joined Albright and Wilson as an apprentice back in 1970, and went on to spend the whole of his working life at Oldbury with A&W, Rhodia, and latterly Solvay.

John was a popular and well respected figure across site, and will be missed by everyone that knew and worked with him. We wish him a long and happy retirement!Lo

cal

Farewell

Friends and colleagues gathered in the Conference Centre to wish him a fond farewell and presented him with a selection of gifts ranging from a Warrington Wolves rugby shirt to a bottle of Australian red wine labelled ‘England – Winner of the Ashes 2015’ which was accepted in good humour!

We all send our best wishes to Len and his lovely wife, Ethne, for a happy and healthy future when they return to Australia.

Len Sharpe left Warrington site at the end of September after a 34-year career with Solvay.

Len in his new rugby shirt

Len in blue, front row

(L-R) Peter Baker and John Davies

18 SOLVAY Connects[ Autumn 2015 ] [ nº 34 ]

Warrington

Local

Solvay People

New Starters

Craig BarracloughSite Director

David Bentham – 25 years

(L-R) Ged Cassidy, David and Mark Wotham

Alan Hough – 35 years

(L-R) Alan Pritchard, Alan and Ged Cassidy

Chloé Pellegrini Communications Trainee

Belated congratulations to Sarah Colgan who married Paul Timperley on 4th April. The happy couple later honeymooned in Las Vegas, Seattle and New York.

Lostock Halifax

Bryan Crowley – 40 years

Warrington

Yuet Elton – 25 years

Lostock

John Lightfoot – 40 years

Long Service

Steve Waltho, who is a Chemical Plant Shift Team Leader at Solvay’s Oldbury site, recently scaled Ben Nevis in a charity fundraising event held in honour of Dudley hero, mountain climber and peace campaigner – the late Bert Bissell. Steve, who is the Mayor of Dudley, was joined by a group of people including his wife, Jayne, who is the Mayoress of Dudley, local MP Ian Austin and Astley Blake who now runs the Vicar Street Bible Class and climbed with Bert many years ago. The group raised around £7,000 which will go to the charities Steve has chosen to support during his time as Mayor, namely: the Hope Centre in Halesowen, The What Centre in Stourbridge, More Mascots Please in Brierley Hill which supports disabled children and their families, the Georgina Unit at Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, and the West Midlands branch of Lupus UK.

Steve Waltho joins charity Ben Nevis climb Charity

19SOLVAY Connects [ Autumn 2015 ] [ nº 34 ]

Solvay is pleased to donate this page to raise awareness for Cerebra

www.cerebra.org.uk0800 328 1159

Registered Charity no. 1089812 Company no. 4336208

CerebraCharity

[email protected]

Cerebra is a charity giving families

that include children with brain conditions the chance to fi nd a

better life together.

Being a family is about discovering life together. That’s no different for families of

a child with a brain condition – except that there are more challenges to overcome along

the way.

We believe the best way to overcome them is by joining families on that journey – at every step.

First we use what they tell us to inspire the world class research and innovation – from sleep workshops

to behaviour management to understanding legal changes. Then we work with them to make best use

of the knowledge we develop. So that they can go on to discover a more included, fulfi lled

and enjoyable life.

For every challenge, there’s an answer out there. Let’s discover it

together.

We believe the best way to overcome them is by joining families on that journey – at every step.

First we use what they tell us to inspire the world class research and innovation – from sleep workshops

to behaviour management to understanding legal

Registered Charity no. 1089812 Company no. 4336208

to behaviour management to understanding legal changes. Then we work with them to make best use

class research and innovation – from sleep workshops to behaviour management to understanding legal