Communities
We aim to be a good neighbor, wherever we operate. We have around 25,000 permanent employees (as of the end of March 2023), with principal operations in Europe, Japan, North and South America, China and South and South East Asia.
The local communities throughout the world in which NSG Group operates are the foundation of our business and the lives of employees. Without a relationship of mutual benefit with these communities, the Group as a whole could not sustain its operation.
The effects of necessary investments in our communities are generally beneficial, bringing additional employment and economic benefits. For every investment we make, an impact assessment is conducted to ensure we understand and manage the likely effects on the community, the environment and the local economy.
As a responsible and often prominent member of the communities in which we operate, we believe it is important to be involved actively by leveraging our core business and management resources to help to address local issues.
Aims and objectives
We want our operations to function in healthy, thriving communities and to be seen as a good neighbor to those communities. We know that if we want to operate effectively and to be able to expand or change when the time is right, we need the goodwill that comes from being an active supporter of the community.
In addition to our business investments helping to sustain local operations, we also invest in the communities in which we operate. We aim to help - through direct cash donations to charities and other projects or through in-kind resources, to improve the health of the community or tackle specific social issues. We operate programs that assess and manage the impacts of our operations on communities, including operations and logistics.
We also involve our staff in providing a lead in developing our relationships with the communities in which we operate. This can take the form of matching contributions raised by staff or allowing staff time to make personal contributions of time and effort in local projects.
Luckey and Rossford opened their doors to celebrate glass in North America
From the newest plant in North America to the oldest, the Luckey and Rossford, Ohio facilities opened their doors to help celebrate the International Year of Glass (IYoG) last year.
The Luckey plant, which opened in 2020, held their open house in June with great turnout of 580 employees and family members along with local business partners and government officials. Tours of the new plant, food and refreshments and activities for the children were provided. The feedback was positive, and the families enjoyed it especially the slushy truck!
The Rossford plant has a long history of glass making (facility began in 1898). The plant is proud of its history and held three separate events in 2022 for employees and community members to celebrate the International Year of Glass.
The first event for Rossford employees and their families was also held in June with 400 people in attendance and included comprehensive guided tours and family fun activities for everyone. The celebration continued in June when the plant hosted the Stained-Glass Art Association with around 100 artists attending. The final event was held in August and was open to the public and was linked with the Rossford Stroll the Street event and the official International Year of Glass Day on the 2nd of August. Over 500 people attended including NSG employees from other facilities, retirees, and community members. Guests were given a guided tour of the facility to learn about glass making. “It was exciting to be part of the celebration of glass and we were proud to host in a city that was founded by Edward Ford,” said David Imbrogno, Plant Manager.
Recycling of vegetable oil in South America
In Brazil, 1 billion liters of vegetable oil are incorrectly discarded every year. This practice causes serious environmental impacts and many other problems. To reduce this impact NSG has launched a project to recycle the oil used at its installations.
1 liter of used vegetal oil can contaminate 20.000 liters of water
NSG initiative to reduce the impact on the environment
- The first phase of this project is already in place and consists of sending the vegetable oil generated in our plant (AGR BRAZIL) to a company that transforms it into a bio-diesel;
- The second phase is also already, which is the extension of this project to the home of our employees.
- A supplier specific container was delivered to collect the oil brought from our employees in PET (Poly Ethylene Terephthalate) bottles;
- This container is located on the site and is collected whenever necessary;
- The family and community participation will enhance even more this project.
Involvement of employee families and community on NSG Group's site.
Contributing communities at San Salvo in EU
The NSG Group Automotive and Architectural businesses in San Salvo Italy has for several years embraced its position as a major employer in the Abruzzo area with several initiatives that support and engage with local organisation and communities.
For example, the site has a large canteen providing around 600 meals of good food to its employees every day, but as with any food business there is waste. The team at the plant looked at how it could support a local charity (CARITAS) that provides meals to people in need in the local area. The project has started in 2019 and since implementation the team has provided over 6000 meals through the scheme. This initiative not only contribute communities but also reduce the amount of waste.
The San Salvo site also continues to support the local media facilities by organising a donation involving unions and all the employees. This initiative has been quickly extended to other local companies and citizens that wanted to participate, including San Salvo mayor. The team with the contribution of more than 500 external donors raised €210,583; this money was then used to purchase sophisticated equipment for the local hospital, continuing to benefit the community today.
In 2016 a terrible earthquake hit central Italy and the village of Civitella del Tronto, in the north of Abruzzo, was part of this natural disaster. The team in San Salvo launched an initiative fully supported by the unions and the employees that allowed the rebuild of a school. The project continues today giving priority in new initiatives for children in an inclusive environment (new library, disability center, school equipment).
In addition, other initiatives support children of all ages through more than 250 student scholarships, a school work programme with five schools in the region and invitations for children to attend NSG Safety Day.
These programs to engage, support and embrace the community in San Salvo is something that the NSG Group encourages in all its operations around the globe, and we will continue to challenge our leadership teams to understand and engage without communities.
NSG Group Safety Day initiatives in Asia
A total of 900 local children and students were invited to a safety education programme at the Vizag site in India on 13 October 2022, NSG Group Safety Day. Several programmes, including age-appropriate drawing contests, video-based training and classroom lectures on advanced expertise, were organised to provide opportunities for children and college students to think and learn about safety, thereby contributing to community safety. Safety activities at the Vizag site have maintained zero non-conformities in audits conducted by various government agencies, making it a benchmark for neighbouring plants. Other activities, such as blood donation at the site, which has been ongoing since 2019, were also organised, and with the cooperation of many employees, it was a meaningful day for deepening communication with the local community.