We support selected initiatives that respond to the needs of the communities in which we operate. Our engagement focuses on three broad themes: education, sustainability and community relations. These themes reflect the needs of our communities as well as the fields of expertise within Axalta.

Education

Education is fundamental to the economic growth of the countries and communities in which we do business. A well-educated population is also essential for Axalta’s growth. Given the technologies that drive our innovation and manufacturing platforms, nowhere is education more critical than in the sciences. A number of Axalta initiatives foster education, with a special focus on the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Schools that also are nearby our hometowns are of particular interest.

We are proud to support top universities that promote STEM disciplines and career paths. In the US, Axalta hosted Penn State University business and engineering students at the Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway. Students saw first-hand the impact that engineers have on racing and learned about the disciplines that support automotive engineering and the business skills needed to operate a racetrack year-round. 

Axalta’s collaborative university engineering programme began in conjunction with the Engineering School at Texas A&M University, USA. We unveiled a special paint scheme, Aggie Brilliance, which raced in the Duck Commander 500, a major race in the US NASCAR circuit. The collaboration kicked off the start of an internship programme between Axalta and Texas A&M. 

Near our office and manufacturing facilities in Sabanci, Turkey, Axalta sponsors internships that provide Sabanci University Business School students with first hand opportunities to apply their education in a real life work environment.  An internship programme affiliated with Oviedo University in Toledo, Spain offers students positions in Finance, Procurement and Human Resources at Axalta’s offices in nearby Asturias.

In a partnership with the Philadelphia Eagles football team, Axalta sponsors All-Pro Teachers. The programme honours 6th through 12th grade teachers for their hard work and dedication to their students in the Greater Philadelphia area. Throughout the football season, ten teachers - chosen by nominations from their students, parents, and peers - win a donation to his or her school in addition to various other prizes. One teacher, selected at the end of the season, receives an additional donation and an Eagles pep rally at his or her school. View Highlights

We partner with the Science Leadership Academy (SLA) in Philadelphia and provide funding for new and replacement equipment. SLA provides high school students from across the city with an enriched exposure to STEM disciplines to prepare them for college and careers.

STEM enrichment happens outside of the classroom. The Young Men and Women in Charge Foundation (YMWIC) near Philadelphia focuses on providing STEM enrichment programmes for students who are economically disadvantaged. To see theory put into practice, YMWIC students shadow Axalta chemists and research associates at Axalta’s nearby Coatings Technology Center (CTC).

Axalta’s contributions support the 2015 Girls STEM and Leadership Camp, the 2015 Elementary School Robotics and a scholarship fund.  In Mexico, the Axalta Mexico Science Award is awarded at the State of Mexico’s annual Science and Engineering Fair to students judged to have prepared an outstanding scientific project. 

Sustainability

Sustainability is as integral to society as it is to our business. Axalta supports organisations and projects designed to educate and empower stakeholders in our communities and beyond to understand and respond to environmental challenges. Where appropriate, we will build on our own expertise in adjacent disciplines, looking for opportunities to apply our experience in technology and innovation, product stewardship and in environment, health and safety disciplines to locally significant issues and organisations.

Axalta has pledged its support to Ducks Unlimited with a five-year, US$10 million donation to support wetlands conservation. Ducks Unlimited is the largest non-profit organisation in the US, and also operating in Canada and Mexico, engaged in wetlands maintenance and restoration. Projects that will benefit from Axalta’s support include those that are adjacent to the company’s major manufacturing facilities. Ducks Unlimited programmes align with Axalta’s environmental goals, our dependence on water, and the contributions that our coatings make to resource conservation by increasing the durability and productivity of our customers’ products. 

A tree planting ceremony for the “Axalta Forest” launched Axalta’s support of China’s Mother River Protection Program and a multi-year grant to the China Youth Development Foundation. The purchase of trees, seeds, and fertiliser to plant and maintain 11,000 trees will expand the Xiahuayuan forest area near Beijing. The expansion provides “green lungs” in the area in addition to preventing soil erosion and reducing the force of the winds carrying dust and sand into north China. Local schools support the project and students are introduced to a curriculum in which they learn about eco-systems. 

Community Relations

In our hometown communities, Axalta engages with local organisations, helping us to better understand community needs and how we can support local projects. Where feasible, our approach is to share our expertise in the sciences, sustainable technology, and in ways to protect the environment. We also share our expertise in environment, health, and safety (EHS) procedures with local emergency service organisations. 

Axalta also supports community-based activities when help is needed to promote important projects that affect our neighbours where we live and work. 

Axalta supports the Detroit-based Michigan Science Center, which engages children in science.  In Philadelphia, Axalta works with the Franklin Institute and participates in the annual Philadelphia Science Festival, a week-long celebration of science which includes exhibitions on how science and industry can come together. 

We proudly sponsor the EyesOn Design awards at the annual Detroit International Auto Show. EyesOn Design is an automotive industry fundraising initiative to support the visual research programme at Henry Ford Health System’s Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology. Axalta’s Innovative Use of Color, Graphics and Materials award is given each year to automotive designers exhibiting their concepts displayed at the Auto Show.

Our Mt. Clemens manufacturing centre outside Detroit, Michigan, USA, participates in the Michigan Values Veterans (MV2) which encourages employers to hire veterans and provides coaching to help prepare them for jobs in their communities.

In India, the Akshaya Patra Foundation fights hunger and malnutrition throughout India and develops educational programmes for over 1.4 million children from 10,845 schools across 10 states in India. It is the largest non-profit mid-day meal programme in the world. Axalta’s support helps provide more than 550 children with freshly cooked meals in schools neighbouring Axalta facilities in Savli, Gujarat State. We take pride in our association with Akshaya Patra and its contributions in building a sustainable society for future generations.

Also in India, Pardada Pardadi Education Society (PPES) has been improving the lives of women in rural India through its mission of empowering women from the poorest sectors of society. PPES provides free education for girls and job opportunities for women. Axalta’s donation helps PPES create new generations of self-reliant and educated women capable of breaking the cycle of poverty in the region. We are excited to expand the efforts of PPES in the communities surrounding the national capital region of Delhi in the vicinity of Axalta’s operations in North India. 

For the fifth consecutive year, Axalta has taken part in a 1,000km bike ride to raise money for Kom op tegen Kanker, a leading Belgian cancer charity. Employee-raised funds support research of organ- and tissue-sparing treatment strategies for cancer patients. 

The Axalta Wuppertal, Germany, manufacturing centre supports the Social Sponsoring initiative in Wuppertal that contributes to several local social initiatives including programmes for disabled or disadvantaged groups and individuals in the community.

Employee volunteers from Axalta’s Jiading plant in Shanghai regularly visit the Jiading Zhuqiao Primary School and provided fire safety training to children through a series of activities. These activities are aligned with our one of our core operating principles -- safety. Axalta in China has also produced pocket-sized books with general knowledge on fire control for communities near the company’s Changchun plant in northeast China and at Jiading.