Covestro is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-quality polymers that can be found in products around the world and in products all around you. Just some examples include the seats in your car, the sofa in your home and the bike in your garage.
The company employs more than 300 people across its two production sites in West Virginia — about 230 people work at the New Martinsville site, and another 70 work at the South Charleston facility. West Virginia accounts for just over 10% of Covestro’s U.S. workforce, according to Barbara Buck, vice president and site manager of Covestro South Charleston.
“There’s a meaningful concentration of talent in our state,” Buck said.
The company has a history that goes back decades. Once a subsidiary of Bayer, it became known as Covestro in 2015.
“We have a long industrial legacy,” Buck said. “In fact, Bayer scientists invented both polyurethane and polycarbonate, both of which are the basis for our products today. We like to say, ‘You’re never more than a few feet from a Covestro product, even if you don’t realize it.’”
The New Martinsville site sits on about 1,000 acres of green space and industrial property. Covestro runs its operations there while also leasing land and providing services to other industrial tenants. It was established in 1954 under the name Mobay, a joint venture between Monsanto and Bayer AG.
It was also the first polyurethane manufacturing site in North America, according to Atul Khettry, vice president and site manager of Covestro New Martinsville.
“Covestro’s roots in West Virginia run deep,” Khettry said. The specialty chemical intermediates Covestro produces at its West Virginia production sites can be found in industries including automotive, construction, healthcare and electronics, among many others.
“The materials produced at our West Virginia sites flow into global and domestic supply chains, becoming essential building blocks in products that millions of people use every day,” Khettry said.
In South Charleston, Covestro produces polyether and polymer polys, and Covestro New Martinsville produces polyurethane-based materials.
“The polys from South Charleston become the foam in the seat of your car, the mattress you sleep on and the couch in your living room,” Khettry explained. “Polyurethane components from New Martinsville go into car interiors, insulation in buildings and appliances, medical devices and sporting equipment. West Virginia is a great place to do business because of its strong industrial base, dedicated workforce and its community that understands and values manufacturing.”
Additionally, the state’s geography provides river access, with the South Charleston site located on Blaine Island in the Kanawha River and the site in New Martinsville on the Ohio River, both of which have historically supported industrial logistics. With its central location on the East Coast, West Virginia is a few hours away from Covestro U.S. headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“West Virginia’s strategic location, industrial heritage, skilled workforce and access to key raw materials and transportation infrastructure made it a natural home for these operations, and that relationship has only deepened over the decades,” Khettry said.
The New Martinsville location is one of three nationwide to have achieved net-zero Scope 2 emissions, meaning it now runs entirely on renewable electricity, accomplished through a virtual power purchase agreement with Ørsted, a global renewable energy leader.
The agreement provides Covestro with 90 megawatts of renewable energy capacity and reduces approximately 90,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually across participating U.S. sites. This is a significant milestone in Covestro’s goal of achieving climate-neutral production by 2035.
In May 2025, Covestro South Charleston received International Sustainability and Carbon Certification PLUS certification, which allows the company to offer products made from recycled and bio-attributed raw materials.
Another recent development is Covestro’s strategic partnership with XRG, a global energy and chemicals investor. XRG’s goal is to become a top-three global investor in the chemicals sector, and Covestro is at the center of that vision, Khettry said.
“We look at the U.S. as a place where there is opportunity to grow, and our footprint here in West Virginia will have a role to play,” he said. “We’re proud of our state, our employees, our technology and our sites here, and we look forward to growing in West Virginia moving forward.”
For more than two decades, Covestro New Martinsville has hosted a community household hazardous waste collection day, partnering with Westlake Corporation and Williams Companies. Recently, volunteers helped safely collect nearly 45,000 pounds of hazardous waste and 227 tires from more than 200 households across four counties. In South Charleston, employees volunteer with and support local food bank operations and participate in Habitat for Humanity’s annual Raise the Roof event.
Buck said the dedication of Covestro’s teams and commitment to safety serve as inspiration.
“From day-to-day activities to complex problems that need a solution, hard work is no stranger to the men and women at our sites,” Buck said. “We’re also proud of our safety culture and people
watching out for each other to ensure everyone
goes home safely every day — that’s a fundamental part of our commitment to our employees and our communities.”
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Amanda Larch Hinchman is a freelance writer and editor living in Hurricane, West Virginia.