Kickstart: K show's home becomes temporary home for Ukrainian refugees

In October at K 2022, Hall 6 at Messe Düsseldorf in Germany will be filled with global chemical companies and resin makers. Right now, it's housing refugees from Ukraine.

Messe Düsseldorf says it received a request to make its largest hall available to accomodate Ukrainians. The hall covers nearly 270,000 square feet and has its own changing rooms and 40 shower stalls.

The company said in a news release that it worked with the German Red Cross and Düsseldorf Fire Department to set up 1,000 cots on March 7 and used 2,500 meters of partition walls to separate the hall into smaller rooms. The cots were already filled as of March 8.

"We were very happy to accommodate the request," Wolfram N. Diener, president and CEO of Messe Düsseldorf, said in the release. "On the day of construction, a large number of colleagues spontaneously lent a hand to make the accommodation possible as quickly as possible, because we are moved by the fate of the people and because we are deeply moved by the plight of the refugees. Receiving and accommodating them is a matter of course for us."

Catering is being provided by Stockheim, the regular catering partner for the messe. There is also free WiFi to help the refugees keep in touch with family and friends and follow reports from Ukraine.

Austrian machinery maker Engel Group has donated 100,000 euros ($110,800) to aid organizations and is providing apartments for its Ukrainian employees in the Czech Republic so they can house family and friends.

"We are doing whatever is currently in our power to help people," Engel CEO Stefan Engleder said in a news release. "Engel is a family business and also a large global family. This is something we are experiencing very strongly, right now."

The donated funds were transferred to three groups: Doctors Without Borders, Neighbours in Need and the Red Cross. In addition, workers at Engel operations in Germany raised 25,000 euros ($27,800) for the Ukrainian Parish in Hanover within 24 hours, with money still coming in. The parish's network is ensuring that the money will reach the intended recipients immediately and directly.

Meanwhile, companies suspending operations in Russia — such as Solvay, Rehau and Dow Inc. — may be facing complications for any plans to return to smooth operations once the crisis is over.

Reuters reports that a senior member of Russia's ruling party has proposed nationalizing foreign-owned factories that shut down in the country in hopes of adding pressure on Russia to halt the invasion.

In a statement published March 7 on the United Russia website, the secretary of the ruling party's general council, Andrei Turchak, said shutting operations was a "war" against the citizens of Russia, Reuters writes.