Growth Company

Mehr zum Buch

As a focal point of protest against the Vietnam War, this company became one of America's most recognized names in the 1960s. Student demonstrators chanted slogans like "Dow makes napalm, napalm kills babies," and "Dow shalt not kill," highlighting the company's controversial role in producing napalm, the only U.S. firm to do so. Dow soon found itself at the center of other major controversies, including Agent Orange, dioxin, and mercury contamination of the Great Lakes. When the EPA conducted aerial surveillance of its plants, Dow responded with lawsuits. This narrative unfolds the century-long industrial saga from the perspective of an insider connected to the firm and its leadership since 1953. Celebrating the company’s centennial, it chronicles its evolution from humble beginnings in a declining Michigan lumber town to a Wall Street darling, enriching early investors and maintaining a consistent dividend since 1911. Drawing on research from Dow's corporate archives and interviews with over 150 company pioneers, this vivid account highlights the individuals who shaped this remarkable, world-class enterprise, starting with founder Herbert H. Dow and continuing to the current leadership.