Michelman has been honored as the first-ever recipient of the Innovation Research Interchange (IRI) Excellence Award for Corporate Citizenship. The award acknowledges Michelman’s commitment to sustainability within its operations as well as its leadership in fostering sustainable practices across various sectors, including digital printing, packaging, composites, technical textiles, agriculture, and architectural coatings. The IRI Excellence Award was presented on May 24, 2023, at the IRI Awards Dinner in Philadelphia.

This accolade celebrates companies displaying outstanding dedication and leadership in corporate social responsibility and community engagement. To earn recognition, a company must establish effective and meaningful sustainability frameworks, exhibit a robust commitment to corporate responsibility practices, enable leaders to actively participate in and drive these initiatives, integrate pertinent societal concerns into their core operational strategies, and adopt social responsibility as a fundamental value for their enterprise.

“I am thrilled to present the inaugural Excellence Award in Corporate Citizenship to Michelman. There are many companies who have made major strides in the past year-many of them will be highly significant. But Michelman is not only a leader in sustainable chemistry, they incorporate good corporate citizenship in every aspect of their products, research, and culture. Being a good corporate citizen is in their DNA. It defines Michelman, and it is an honor to recognize such excellence,” said IRI Executive Director and NAM Vice President, Ed Bernstein.

Portia Yarborough, Michelman’s Chief Science & Sustainability Officer (CSSO), expressed her gratitude for the award, saying, “We are very pleased to be the first recipient of IRI’s Corporate Citizenship Award, which acknowledges our steadfast commitment to sustainable chemistry. We strive to create a planet-positive footprint by manufacturing planet-positive products and solutions. With a stated purpose of ‘Innovating a Sustainable Future,’ everyone at Michelman, from our executive leadership through our chemical operators, understands the need to make operational decisions that will support our ongoing efforts. Whether it’s assisting in the expansion of water reclamation projects, celebrating with colleagues for earning an EcoVadis Gold rating, or even, locally, disposing of organic food waste in our on-site composting bins, it is gratifying to be part of a team committed to moving sustainability initiatives forward throughout the industries we serve.”