Today we visited a company that I had never heard of before but whose products I use regularly. Nouryon produces chemicals that are used to create various end products including shampoos, detergents, paints, surface cleaners, sunscreens, flooring, food, and so many more. Despite the fact that the company provides for large companies such as Proctor & Gamble and Sherwin-Williams, Nouryon is not commonly known by the average person. It sells to businesses (not final customers) and sources from businesses, so it is in the middle of the supply chain.
The employees of Nouryon’s Deventer location, including one Pitt alumnus, told us all about their company and showed us 3 of their research laboratories. During the introductory presentation, we learned that Nouryon uses both push and pull marketing strategies, meaning that they promote their existing products to customers and create new products according to customers’ wants and needs. The company strives to determine the value of their product by its application rather than the properties of the product itself.
We also discussed the company’s sustainability initiatives and how it is imperative that Nouryon become carbon neutral as soon as possible. Because Nouryon supplies to many other businesses, their carbon footprint affects that of all of those businesses. If they are not sustainable, their customers cannot be either, even if they make changes to their own manufacturing processes. This means that if their customers set a goal of carbon neutrality (and they are) and Nouryon is not carbon neutral itself, their customers will have to turn to a competitor to achieve their own goal.
Luckily for Nouryon, they have already started on their mission of minimizing their effect on the earth. Five out of their sixty manufacturing sites are already carbon-neutral, and they’re striving to increase that proportion in the future.
After a delicious lunch provided by Nouryon, we put on lab coats and safety glasses before heading into the laboratories, which test their products’ effectiveness. My group started off in the safety lab. The employees there conduct experiments to ensure the safety of their products. They demonstrated the flammability of some of their chemicals in a very entertaining manner! In the second laboratory, we got to see some very expensive and complicated machines, which I, as business major who has not taken chemistry since ninth grade, struggled to understand. Lastly, we visited a laboratory in which an employee tests laundry and dishwashing detergents made from Nouryon’s products for effectiveness. I thought it was very interesting that he told us that Nouryon does not strive to be the best; they’re content with being good enough. This visit was very informative and engaging. I wish I could include some pictures, but safety comes first!
After our day at Nouryon, we met some Pitt alumni living in Amsterdam for a chat. I talked to a woman who works for Nouryon, a man who is the CEO of his own startup, and about 8 other alumni! These Pitt graduates gave us a lot of great advice about living and working abroad, and it was very interesting to hear their impressive stories. Although I’m not sure that I would want to live in another country, these Pitt alumni did make it seem pretty appealing!
We finished the day off by visiting a local food festival, where I got some delicious churro fries. There were so many people and lots of music and food; it was really cool. This festival made me feel kind of like a local for the first time. See you tomorrow for some cultural visits, Amsterdam!
