Lanxess AG : My Office is my Castle!

New Head Office "LANXESS House" inaugurated in Thane, India. Board Member Dr. Rainier van Roessel handed over the building to the 225 employees who will be working there

Thane, India - It was the third inauguration within two days: India is on the move! After Board Member Rainier van Roessel had inaugurated two production facilities in Jhagadia on January 10, the opening of the new Head Office in Thane followed just a day later! Together with the Country Head of LANXESS in India, Dr. Jörg Straßburger, van Roessel visited the opening ceremony at the brand-new office building in Thane close to Mumbai. The building was constructed taking various "green" factors into account. The building is energy efficient and has a built-in wastewater system - underlining LANXESS role as a pioneer in Green Chemistry and the commitment of the company when it comes to Corporate Responsibility.

"India has become one of our busiest and fastest growing markets. This new office will serve as the heart of our rapidly growing operations here. Today all our 13 business units are doing business in India - of which six have production facilities on the subcontinent. With this new home I am sure, that we will make business in India a success!" Van Roessel said at the inauguration ceremony. Among the guests at the new office were also the global BU Heads Dr. Anno Borkowsky (Rhein Chemie) and Dr. Torsten Derr (Material Protection Products), who also run production facilities here.

The new office building has a very light and modern structure. It allows a lot of light to come in and all in all provides a very inviting atmosphere. Some 225 employees will move into the new offices and the excitement is big: "This will be our new 'LANXESS house'", one employee said. "It has a certain look and feel to it that is very motivating and inspiring. In the end LANXESS India outgrew the old Head Office, so we did not have sufficient room to house all the employees. Now we have space and can dedicate ourselves to all the new exciting projects that will come along in 2012 and beyond!"

Jörg Straßburger is also looking forward to the new offices: "Change is the only constant. This office has been designed with an eye on not only environmental benefits, but also safety features and working comfort. We would like all employees to feel at home in our new 'LANXESS House'".

LANXESS currently employs 861 people at its sites and offices in India. The Jhagadia site is a major specialty chemicals hub about an hour flight northeast from Mumbai that not only serves the local market but also the Asia-Pacific region.