OFF TOPIC: new employer question

I've worked for the same company for the last 14 years, the company has been bought and sold a couple of times, but nothing major changed. Still worked for/with the same group of people and the environment was pretty stable.

Earlier this week they sold off a small piece of the company, effects two plants in US, one in Canada, and two in Europe. The buyer is Celanese.

Needless to say, I'm a little curious about the future. Read that as fear of the unknown. It seems that a lot of you guys are in the machine building/automation industry, but I know there are some process control guys here too.

So....has anyone ever had any experience with Celanese? Pay? Benefits?
Work environment?

I apologize for this way off topic question, but I'm very nervous at the moment. I'm currently holding down a degreed engineers job, with a two year degree and a boat load of experience. Former company was very good about allowing people to advance without formal education. Don't know about the new one.

Thanks in advance.

Ken

Well after 14 years with the same company I would say that you would have the edge. Most companies won't shift key long term personel readily unless they are in management positions. The company I work for has been bought on 2 occassions and has gone through changes in management 7 times since I've worked here. Each change reinforced the idea that my expereiences were to valuable to change. I am sure it will be the same where you work.

Celanese used to operate a synthetic fibre manufacturing plant a couple of miles from my workplace. My brother-in-law worked there for 15 years in production. Good pay and benefits, it was considered one of the prime workplaces in the area. They sold the plant to Kosa, major layoffs, my brother-in-law included. I'll ask around to see if anyone I know has experience with them (Celanese) in their technical/engineering areas.

Brian

Hello Ken,

I have been working for Celanese the last two years, recently changed company (Tessenderlo Chemie).

Celanese is now owned by a financial company BlackStone. This company is interested in buying companies strip them through the bad parts away and sell the good parts to the highest bidder.

Celanese is devided in 4 mean groups, I worked for Celanese acetate. This part of Celanese had 5 companies around the world, one in Europe(Belgium), Two in the states, One in Canada and one in Mexico.
BUT Blackstone reorganised and will shut-down two plants one in the states and one in Canada (Edminton). But Celanese has allso three jointventures in China do you see the picture.

For the rest Celanese is known as a very good payer with extra legal benefits. But all depends what Blackstone is up to, be carefull.

May I ask you what is the name if your company and in what line of business is it situated.

For more info follow this Link or do a search on google with Blackstone.

If you would like to have additional info just let me know.

Rudi

Thanks to all for the response, looks like I'll have to wait and see.

Fritz,
I work for National Starch & Chemical Co. which Unilever sold to ICI (Imperial Chemical Industries) in 1998. They just sold thier Vinamul polymers division to Celanese.
I work for the Vinamul division, our main products are emulsion based co-polymers, homopolymers and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) polymer resins. Our main raw material is vinyl acetate which Celanese makes, we also use a lot of PVOH (polyvinyl alchol) which Celanese also makes under the CelVol brand.

On paper it looks like a good fit. They bought us for what I thought was a song, ICI has a lot of debt to service, and we are a high volume low margins business.


Ken