Commitment to education & social justice
In Thailand, Messer presented a donation program aimed at strengthening education for children. “Gases for Children” is a simple but effective model in which 1 baht was donated for every gas cylinder sold throughout 2023. Messer has used it to support the construction of a school building for young children at the Ban Khok Kung School in the Na Pho district of Buriram Province, for example. Messer has as well donated sports equipment and food for the children at the Ban Khok Kung school.
In 2023 in Spain, Messer continued the collaboration with the Rovira I Virgili University in Tarragona close to the company’s main production sites. One of the lines of cooperation consists of the “Messer Award” to undergraduate students of chemical engineering and food bioprocesses for the best integrated project for which students of both careers compete in teams. We also present an annual award to the MBA student with the best record. Another specific activity to attract and select talent is the Work Experience award for chemical engineering master’s degree students. The company finances the master’s degree enrollment of the winning student, who has the possibility to do the internship and master’s thesis in the work environment. Messer has also sponsored the URVoltage Racing team project that has participated in the MotoStudent 2023, a race in which universities from all over the world participate. The students designed and built an electric motorcycle to compete in the race.
In 2023 Messer in the Czech Republic focused on the education, research, and science of young talents in the field of chemistry by supporting the event, “Chemistry at Silesian Ostrava Castle 2023”, where participants could see interesting facts from the field of chemistry, physics, mathematics, and technics. Messer also sponsored the conference of the University of Chemical Technology in Prague, which supported students in research activities. Messer was as well an official partner of “The Evening with Czech Chemistry”, which included the presentation of numerous awards and expressions of appreciation in the field of chemistry.
In Bulgaria, Messer supported the 4th edition of the “Science Me Up” competition for middle school students organized by the Uni4Kids research center for young scientists and the University of Sofia “St. Kilment Ohridski”. The aim of the competition is to encourage the research interest of 5th to 7th grade students in four scientific fields - mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology. Under the guidance of academic teachers, the finalists carried out practical application tasks, solved scientific problems and worked on experimental equipment in the fields of mathematics and computer science, chemistry, and pharmacy as well as physics and biology. Uni4Kids is a social initiative of teachers, academia, and businesses with the aim of inspiring students of all ages to discover and develop their talents in various fields of science, arts and crafts.
Primary school children visited Messer in Hungary as part of an annual theme day. Spectacular experiments allowed the little ones to familiarize themselves with gases and their various states in a playful way for the first time. They crushed flowers frozen with nitrogen using a hammer, and they were able to see how dry ice “steams” in warm water. In the plant and laboratory, they learned, among other things, how important it is to check cylinders that have already been filled. Also in Krefeld, Germany, children visited the Technical Center for a career exploration day and learned about the professional fields of media, engineering, production, application technology and logistics.
Science students from Könyves Kálmán High School in Újpest, Hungary, also learned about the many different uses of gases at Messer in Hungary. Topics included the extraction of oxygen, nitrogen, and noble gases from the air as well as the operation of a filling plant, the labeling of gas cylinders and all the special features of industrial gas production. Following last year’s success, BSc students from the ELTE Environmental Science Center, who chose Messer in Hungary as part of the “Chemical Technology, plant visit” course, visited us again this year. During the tour of the air separation plant, the students were able to get to know the technology of cryogenic air separation in practice. They then viewed the operation of the cylinder filling plant and dry ice production. Finally, our colleagues in the gas analysis laboratory presented the processes and our analysis equipment. They also gave practical tips on the calibration of gases and gas mixtures and the safe handling of gases in a laboratory environment.
As part of its commitment to social responsibility Messer in Serbia provided support to the non-governmental organization 'Životna Pomoć' from Vranje with the amount of 30,000 euros. The donation was facilitated through the German organization 'Help' and is intended to purchase the equipment for initiatives in the field of bakery and agriculture for unemployed women from socially vulnerable families. These women are often single mothers and victims of domestic violence, empowering them to become financially independent and self-reliant. The donation to the Association 'Životna Pomoć' is more than a financial contribution for us; it is an investment in the future of many women and families striving to overcome challenging life circumstances. Economic empowerment and independence not only transform their lives but also have an impact on the entire community. Messer in Serbia also donated €5,000 for students of Mathematical Gymnasium in Belgrade for traveling abroad to take a part in mathematics, physics, and informatics competitions.
Xianggang Messer in Hunan, China, is a well-known company in the region. While expanding its market, Xianggang Messer has not forgotten to take care of the needs of the community and has continuously participated in social activities. In 2023, Xianggang Messer launched the “Help for the People with disabilities” campaign with the help of a local charity institute. Ten people with disabilities and financial difficulties were selected and will receive long-term support from Xianggang Messer in their daily lives by providing them with vehicles, accompanying them to the doctor, helping them to buy essential items online and offline, regularly supplying them with daily necessities such as rice, flour, and oil, or accompanying them to parks and exhibitions.
Messer is supporting a project in Spain to raise awareness of diversity. Messer has been involved in an innovative educational project developed by two special education centers in Tarragona and the GamLab cooperative, which aims to explain the everyday lives of people with disabilities to primary school pupils in an original and encouraging way. For this reason, several learning boxes on different skills have been created, containing materials and challenges so that students can work on these topics in a competent, collaborative, and fun way. The boxes were initially distributed to elementary schools in the neighborhood of the Estela and La Muntanyeta special education centers. Thanks to the commitment of the social and health foundation Xarxa Santa Tecla and Messer, this material is free of charge for all participating schools.
Furthermore, at the end of 2023, Messer in Spain has made financial donations to two local charities to help some of the neediest people in the area. The company has collaborated with the Bonanit Foundation in Tarragona, which cares for the homeless, and with the soup kitchen run by the Joventut i Vida Association in the Bonavista neighborhood of Tarragona.
Messer has donated money to the DRK Children’s Hospital in Siegen, Germany. This will be used to build a new sports field for the children and adolescent psychiatry department (KJP), which will include a multifunctional court with basketball hoops, a soccer pitch, and a tartan track.
Within a charitable team building, the Volunteer Team from Messer in Budapest, Hungary painted a social home for homeless families in the neighborhood of the head office, thus creating a more livable home for families in need. In addition to the volunteering, Messer in Hungary also provided financial help to the foundation home.
Messer supported the Czech Open 2023 para table tennis tournament in the city of Ostrava in the Czech Republic. It was the 17th Czech Open of the international table tennis tournament for athletes with physical and mental disabilities. A total of 285 disabled table tennis players from 29 countries took part. Thanks to Messer Aid, our company was able to financially support the Ukrainian team’s participation in this extraordinary event. This event is one of the world-class tournaments of its kind. In 2023, Messer in the Czech Republic made a total of 11 financial donations either directly to individuals in difficult situations (e.g., to purchase a wheelchair for a little girl or to pay the rent for a person in a wheelchair after a serious car accident) or to charities dealing with people in need in the Czech Republic and abroad, for example, or to support disabled artists drawing with their mouths or feet. Most of these financial donations were directed to areas where our company is active.
Messer in Serbia donated a nitric oxide (NO) inhalation therapy device to the University Children Hospital in Belgrade. The device was donated to the Cardio Surgery Department, including all necessary connecting parts and consumables for one year of use, for direct installation on compatible respirators. Messer also donated two refrigerators for storing pharmaceutical and diagnostic products to the Serbian Gynecology Clinic “Narodni front”. Messer also purchased 35 baby cribs for the maternity hospital of the University Clinical Centre of Serbia.
Messer sites in the US came together to spread joy to children through their collection initiative with the Marine Corps Toys for Tots. Our colleagues rallied together to donate hundreds of toys to help ensure that local children experienced the magic of the holiday season. At the Bridgewater, New Jersey American headquarters toys collected as part of the toy drive were presented to a member of the US Marines at the end-of-year holiday luncheon. Messer Americas President and CEO and Member of the Executive Management Board Elena Skvortsova presented the toys and a monetary donation on behalf of the company to the representative from the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program.
In the US, employees from the Bridgewater corporate office also came together in true Messer spirit to make a positive impact on the lives of at-risk youth at a local youth shelter. The home, which helps abused, neglected and homeless youth and serves as a refuge for this vulnerable population, is facing increasing challenges to meet the needs of its residents due to limited resources and a growing demand for its services. The Corporate Communications team launched a collection campaign as part of the company’s 125 Year celebration. Employees were given a wish list of the items they wanted most and donated an impressive number of items, including hygiene products, school supplies, recreational items and household products. The response was more than impressive with over 1,000 items donated, underlining our commitment to making a positive impact on the local community.
One of the key pillars of the community relations framework in the US is addressing food insecurity. With a significant part of our business serving the food and beverage industry, we are committed to addressing food insecurities in the communities where we live and work. Employees at the Bridgewater office donated canned goods to the local Somerset County Food Bank in New Jersey. Messer hosted a “SOUPer Bowl” food drive, collecting canned goods to support the local Somerset County Food Bank. The food bank assists local residents and helps feed and care for those in need until they can provide for themselves. Messer delivered over 160 pounds of canned goods including beans, fruit, meat and more to benefit the local community. Employees at the National Operating Center in Stewartsville, New Jersey, also helped people in their local community by hosting the “Let’s Take a Bite Out of Hunger” food drive for the River of Life Food Pantry, an organization that has been serving the community for more than 20 years. Over a three-week period, the team collected 40 bags of non-perishable food, personal hygiene items and pet food.
Messer Canada employees at branches and plants across Canada donated non-perishable food items to various charitable organizations throughout the country. Messer Canada matched the value of the donations by presenting a corresponding check to the Breakfast Club of Canada, Messer Canada’s charity of choice. Throughout 2023, the team held multiple fundraisers to benefit the Breakfast Club and proudly donated a higher sum to the charity whose programs ensure that all students have reliable access to nutritious food to positively impact health and learning.
In Colombia an earthquake and its aftershocks caused widespread damage and destruction on August 17, 2023, including a landslide that closed the main road between Bogota and the city of Villavicencio. Villavicencio is located in central Colombia, about 45 miles from Bogota, and is the main commercial center in the Llanos Orientales region with a population of about 532,000. The road closure is much more than just an inconvenience, as it has disrupted the road that supplies medical oxygen to regional hospitals. The local authorities, together with the Red Cross, responded to the situation by quickly organizing and leading a humanitarian caravan to bring the necessary supplies to the affected region via alternative routes. Messer Colombia was able to supply clinics and hospitals with vital oxygen supplies while the main road was cleared. The rapid support is largely thanks to the dedication of Messer’s logistics teams, who worked tirelessly for the whole weekend, Messer’s drivers and the specially equipped trucks, which were prepared for the challenges of the alternative routes.
On two separate occasions Messer Americas employees participated in the Build-A-Bike® program to assemble and donate bikes to children in need. In Colombia, for the annual sales meeting Messer employees gathered 12 assembled bicycles for children and collected private donations from employees to purchase protective bicycle helmets for the children. Later in the year the US Bulk Sales Team’s Annual Meeting, attendees participated in a similar event. The team built a total of 16 bikes for donation to students who attend New York Avenue School in Atlantic City, NJ. The activity provided an opportunity to network with colleagues, collaborate for a good cause and embrace Messer’s sustainability values. The best part of the activity was watching the students walk through the row of blue and red bicycles to select the one they wanted. The children were very happy, and their parents were also very appreciative.
On April 6, 1978, Dr. Hans Messer and his family established a private charitable foundation, today’s Dr. Hans Messer Foundation. The independent foundation is a shareholder of the Messer Group and promotes education, science, and research throughout Germany.
In 2004, Ria Messer established a second charitable foundation in the area of social and healthcare in memory of her husband Dr. Hans Messer, today’s Ria Messer Foundation.
Both charitable foundations operate independently of Messer.