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Success Story
Koppers
Inc.
Safety, Health and Environment Progress Report for 2004
Situation
Assessment
Today's chemical companies must follow thousands of
environmental and safety regulations as they make products
that fuel the global economy. To help Koppers Inc. communicate
its commitment to meet and exceed environmental and safety
mandates, WordWrite worked with Wall to Wall Studios Inc.
to create "Living our Values: Innovation, Accountability
and Performance."
This annual Koppers report on its Safety, Health and Environment
(SH&E) program helps foster better relationships and creates
an opportunity for Koppers to open new dialogues with
audiences important to the company.
Need
As a global manufacturing company operating in the 21st
century, Koppers must track more than 10,000 variables
daily to meet environmental regulations. Koppers operates
modern, technologically advanced facilities that meet
or exceed all environmental regulations. It is committed
to helping protect the environment and the health and
safety of its workers and surrounding neighborhoods. Yet
the general public perception is that the chemical industry
operates plants that pollute the air and water.
The Koppers SH&E Report shares the company's SH&E practices.
It helps improve the public's understanding of SH&E processes
and helps Koppers to:
• Create favorable relationships with communities
and local governments,
• Enhance hiring and the corporate culture,
• Foster good vendor relationships,
• Boost its reputation among federal agencies,
• Improve sales revenue and income,
• Promote joint ventures with other companies, and
• Discourage legal actions against it.
Several of the company's largest customers require that
suppliers demonstrate excellence in SH&E management. Koppers
also is working to certify its plants' SH&E Management
Systems under ISO1400 standards. The SH&E report provides
tangible evidence for both efforts.
Meeting these needs required a comprehensive, detailed
and interesting report Ð presented in a manner that would
attract readers and allow for full comprehension of technical
information.
Audiences
Koppers needed an SH&E Report to influence both internal
and external audiences. Because the readers would range
from semi-skilled plant workers to directors of environmental
protection agencies, basic messages were balanced with
more technical data.
In its messages directed at employees, the SH&E Report
encourages safe and environmentally correct work habits
and boosts morale by recognizing employee accomplishments.
The report is intended to help employees and managers
feel good about working for Koppers.
External audiences included local government representatives,
regulatory agencies, environmental activists, community
groups, customers, prospective customers, joint venture
partners, suppliers, prospective employees, lenders, analysts,
the news media, the investment community and stockholders.
The report is intended to improve the company's reputation
among these audiences, who can greatly influence its operations
and revenues.
Goals and Objectives
The goal was to create an exciting report that Koppers
employees and management would share with other audiences,
creating enthusiasm around the company for Koppers and
its SH&E efforts. A secondary goal was to publicize Koppers
SH&E efforts in the media and on the web.
By meeting these goals, the report will help influence
opinion among key audiences, creating greater understanding
and acceptance for Koppers operations and SH&E management.
Project Description
Living Our Values is a 12-page, two-color, 9 x 12 inch
report with a pocket for documents and die cut for business
cards. The press run was 5,000 copies (detailed distribution
information is included in the attached exhibits).
To convey the Koppers commitment to SH&E, new photos were
taken at the Clairton, Pa. plant and the Harmarville Research
center outside Pittsburgh. Though hampered by winter weather
and the tight schedules, high-quality, large-format photos
were obtained, enabling the team to create an appealing
design with just two days of shooting.
Because some statistics on environmental performance had
not been tracked historically, we shared the details of
efforts to improve selected environmental processes and
safety concerns. We also sought a balance of reporting
from worldwide locations and corporate divisions to portray
a complete picture of Koppers. To add objectivity and
credibility, we included information on recent awards
received by Koppers for its environmental and safety achievements,
and quoted outside experts.
Results
The report met its objective by achieving total initial
distribution of 3,500 copies to internal and external
audiences around the world.
WordWrite created a distribution plan for the report,
including memos sent to management. Cover letters were
also developed for various audiences. Nearly 2,000 reports
were distributed to U.S. hourly and salaried employees
for their use. Additional reports were delivered to general
managers, operations managers, SH&E managers, European
Operations and Australasian operations. Four division
administrators -- Railroad Products and Services, Utility
Poles and Pilings, Roofing and Carbon Materials and Chemicals
-- were given reports for distribution to customers and
vendors.
Across the world, response to the report has been enthusiastic
and positive from both internal and external audiences.
Several divisions requested additional reports. and after
publication, the report was honored with a Golden Triangle
award for annual reports from the Pittsburgh chapter of
the International Association of Business Communicators.
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