Tag: ThyssenKrupp

Let’s all Welcome ThyssenKrupp to Chicago

As ThyssenKrupp plans to dramatically increase its presence in Chicago it’s finding out just what life here is really like:

… [T]he German-based ThyssenKrupp manufacturing company is facing allegations that company supervisors in the city created a hostile and intimidating work environment for an African-American employee.

A superintendant at ThyssenKrupp used the N-word “routinely” around African-American sales representative Montrelle Reese, according to a November finding by the state Department of Human Rights.

Another supervisor applied brown make-up to his face to make his skin tone darker during a skit at a sales conference in Indianapolis, according to the report, which concluded that there was “substantial evidence” that Reese was harassed because of his race.

Though the supervisor later claimed he was impersonating a rapper of Asian descent from the musical group Linkin Park, the skin-darkening showed the company “fosters an environment of accepted racial intolerance,” the report states.

via Chicago Tribune.

It goes without saying that there’s just no room for this.  We don’t care what flies in Germany; welcome to America.

That said… doesn’t it just seem like every time there’s some good news it’s immediately followed by a story about some moron doing something stupid?  We’re going to have to keep an eye on this story to see where it ends up.  If ThyssenKrupp is found not guilty in the end then it stands to reason that this Reese guy should get run out of town.

ThyssenKrupp (w/ 100 jobs) Coming to Chicago

We actually rock (and we kinda know it.)

Germany-based ThyssenKrupp, a diversified manufacturing company that makes elevators, auto components and carbon steel, will establish a regional headquarters for  North America in Chicago this summer….

The company did not seek financial incentives as it considered more than 20 cities around the U.S. for the regional headquarters.

“We’ve learned not to run where the incentives are or where there is the lowest tax rate,” Gessner said.  “We need the overall picture.  “Weighing in Chicago’s favor are its extensive air service and a highly skilled profession labor pool, Emanuel said.

via Chicago Tribune.

Any way you want to twist this it’s good news.  But sometime we forget the Chicago is a major player globally.  Yes, we have a political problem; and a pension problem; and a crime problem; and a few other little problems.  But so does every other major city on the planet.

… ok, our political and pension problems exceed anywhere else.  But sometimes we need to be reminded that we live in a global city with talent and opportunity that simply doesn’t exist anywhere else.  Well, that and it helps to be located in the middle of the country and have a really really big airport.