Colorful project celebrates diversity at PPG sites in Algeria

Employees across all six of our sites in Algeria were asked to come to work in their brightest, most colorful clothes on a specific day. Months later, they found out why.
 
With the help of a professional photographer, their images were captured in a unique collage that showcases the ethnic, gender and racial diversity of the Algerian sites. In a unique twist, the vibrant clothes in each photo had been perfectly matched with colors in the PPG Chromatic Color chart.

Copies of the collage are prominently displayed at each site in Algeria for employees, customers and visitors to see the diversity of the local PPG team.

PPG joins European effort to attract girls to in-demand fields

In 2016, our Europe, Middle East and Africa operations joined Hypatia, a European organization whose members are working together to attract more students, especially girls, to careers in science, technology, chemistry and mathematics. The consortium includes 19 partners from 15 countries and is led by those in the education, museum, industrial and policy sectors.

Several PPG partnerships in Europe align with Hypatia’s goals. These include the NEMO Science Museum in Amsterdam, Humanitarium science center in Wroclaw, Poland, and ITECH in France, where PPG supports the first chemical engineering paint master’s degree program in Europe.

Celebrating International Women’s Day around the world

To mark the 2016 International Women’s Day, employees at our Sumaré, Pinhais and Gravataí locations in Brazil donated 75 purses and bags containing clothing, makeup and hygiene products to women in need. Interested employees in Gravataí also attended a lecture on women’s health, while employee volunteers from Sumaré held a craft workshop at a facility housing elderly women.

Thirty women from different strategic business units and functions—and supportive male colleagues—celebrated the day at our China headquarters in Shanghai. Themed “The Wizard of Oz,” the event included games and discussions designed to help participants better understand their coworkers’ journeys within PPG.

PPG becomes major sponsor of Women’s Industry Network

PPG automotive refinish coatings became a gold-level sponsor of the Women’s Industry Network (WIN®) in 2016.

Dedicated to encouraging, developing and cultivating opportunities to attract women to the collision repair industry, WIN offers mentorship programs and educational conferences designed to provide members with the skills required for professional success. WIN also works to promote leadership, recognize excellence and foster a strong network among women who are actively shaping the industry.

PPG refinish hosts Women’s Automotive Group meeting

With support from our automotive refinish business in the United Kingdom and Ireland, nearly 50 women from the automotive industry have new perspectives about ways to further their careers in the car business.

The business sponsored a quarterly meeting of the Women’s Automotive Group, where attendees had an opportunity to network, share best practices and learn from experts in the field. Claire Sherwood, PPG human resources director for our automotive refinish business in Europe, Middle East and Africa, opened the event with a presentation on the importance of diversity, inclusion and a work-life balance at PPG.

San Juan del Rio shows diversity can be a short walk away

Sometimes it’s the little things that show a company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Following a parking lot expansion, our San Juan del Rio, Mexico, location created a special area close to the plant entrance for pregnant employees to park for a shorter and safer walk to work.

The parking lot expansion was undertaken upon completion of the plant’s Monarca Project, which added 100,000 square feet of production and laboratory space to the coatings facility and increased the workforce by 30 percent.