Covestro LLC, a leading supplier of high-performance polymers, is investing more than $40 million in a series of modernization and technical upgrades across its nine-building campus in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which has been the company’s home since 1958. The site, which employs roughly 700 people, functions as the business headquarters for the North American region and is one of Covestro’s three global research and development hubs along with Leverkusen, Germany, and Shanghai, China.
“We are committed to the U.S. market as a whole and to Pittsburgh as our North American headquarters,” says Samir Hifri, chairman and president of Covestro LLC. “These enhancements to our headquarters and R&D facilities set the stage for long-term growth in the U.S.”
According to a news release, the $40 million investment will go toward renovating Covestro’s existing polyurethane research and development facilities and creating new state-of-the-art laboratories. The investment will also upgrade equipment and machinery to better serve customers in key industries, such as automotive and construction. Additionally, the campus will undergo a refresh to align with the company’s purpose of making the world a brighter place, modernizing its office facilities to strengthen collaboration and workplace culture.
“This represents the largest R&D investment in our facilities in Pittsburgh for decades,” stated Anna Clark-Emerick, Pittsburgh site manager at Covestro LLC. “We recognize that our employees and our customers are two of our most important stakeholders, and, through this investment, we can positively impact them both.”
Company officials said that since the construction industry represents almost 20% of Covestro’s business, the company incorporated its own materials and its customers’ products in many aspects of the campus retrofit, including roofing insulation, interior and exterior paints, and more.
“We consistently see our customers creating the most innovative and sustainable products in their fields, and it is incumbent upon Covestro to make sure we lead the way in the materials sector to help ensure our customers’ success,” Hifri said. “One way we will support our customers is through achieving our own ambitious sustainability goals and our vision to become fully circular, and the investments we are marking in Pittsburgh will help us reach those targets.” The current phase of improvements to Covestro’s North American headquarters is expected to be complete by 2026.
