Press release
Company
March 29, 2020

Evonik MEA adapts operations to cater to customer demands through remote offices

Despite the global spread of Covid-19, Evonik MEA maintains business as usual

With the unfortunate developments of Covid-19, many countries across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) have put strict lockdown measures in place that either partially or completely restrict the movement of people in order to contain the spread of the virus. Consequently, Evonik employees in most of the regional offices are advised to work from home. The Hydrogen Peroxide plant in Durban, South Africa, and the Superabsorbent plant in Al Jubail, Saudi Arabia stay fully operational following all applicable guidelines for health and safety.

“I expect the current status to be maintained for about another two to three weeks in most countries in the Middle East and Africa, and it is of great importance for us to establish the balance between keeping our team safe while continuing with our operations to cater to the market demands” said Dr. Hendrik Schoenfelder, Regional President at Evonik MEA.

Evonik’s products and services are often important to sustain customers operations. Despite the obvious restrictions and limitations, the company’s offices in MEA try to comply with the current demands and ensure to keep established communication channels open and process orders from home offices.

Evonik manufactures thousands of speciality chemicals that contribute to most of the vital industries including healthcare, agriculture, animal nutrition, coatings, construction, packaging, consumer care and even disinfectants. While the German based conglomerate operated under the Evonik brand name since 2007, it supplied the global industry for more than 150 years under different names and always was a key player in the modern global industry.

“We consider it our responsibility towards the wider community to do our utmost to continue our business with as few interruptions as possible to prevent shortages of supply” Dr. Schoenfelder added.

Company information

Evonik is one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals. The focus on more specialty businesses, customer-oriented innovative prowess and a trustful and performance-oriented corporate culture form the heart of Evonik’s corporate strategy. They are the lever for profitable growth and a sustained increase in the value of the company. Evonik benefits specifically from its customer proximity and leading market positions. Evonik is active in over 100 countries around the world. In fiscal 2018, the enterprise with more than 32,000 employees generated sales of €13.3 billion and an operating profit (adjusted EBITDA) of €2.15 billion from continuing operations.

Disclaimer

In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this press release or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Neither Evonik Industries AG nor its group companies assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release.