Last Wednesday, April 24, esteemed AmCham Patron Member since 1961, Dow inaugurated its new head office for the Benelux, named “Terneuzen Diamond Center,” in presence of Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands and Jim Fitterling, chief executive officer of Dow. Representatives of the community, customers and employees also attended the Grand Opening ceremony of this new facility, which is the largest office building in Zeeland region.
“Terneuzen has been an important site for Dow ever since its beginnings in 1964, and has grown to become our second largest manufacturing site worldwide,” said Fitterling. “Having all customer service for Europe, Middle East, Africa and India centralized in one place enables a better experience and creates new opportunities for our customers and our employees – helping Dow to live up to its ambition to become the most innovative, customer-focused, inclusive and sustainable material science company in the world.”
“This building provides an open and inclusive working environment to about 1,100 employees of more than 55 different nationalities, who aim to deliver the best customer service experience in the industry,” said Anton van Beek, president of Dow Benelux. “We are very proud of this new facility which contributes to the dynamism of the communities where we live and work in the Zeeland region, and has been built using many construction materials based on Dow’s technologies such as paints and coatings, carpets, insulation and silicones sealants.”
The office complies with the latest sustainability and safety standards. It is equipped with solar panels and heat pumps and is not connected to the gas network. Among the many safety features, a ‘light ribbon,’ which has been embedded into the handrails of the stairs, lights up automatically when you hold them – a requirement at all times per Dow’s safety standards. This serves as a reminder that safety always comes first at Dow.
A landmark in the landscape of the Zeeland Flanders region
The building’s earthy colors are a reminder of the Zeeland clay, the blue color suggests the nearby Western Scheldt river, and the red line refers to Dow and its red diamond-shaped logo , which has been the emblem of the company for over a century. The name of the building, “Terneuzen Diamond Center” is a reference to the shape of Dow’s logo.
AmCham warmly congratulates Dow with this grand opening!
