At Henkel, our pioneers are driven by an unwavering spirit to explore, create, and transform possibilities into progress and improve life for generations to come. Learn their stories.
Story
Meet L.D.: Investing in the Future Beyond Himself
In this story, you will discover:
- Growing What Lasts: What beekeeping and environmental engineering have in common and how those skills led him to Henkel
- Leading by Example: How L.D. approaches his role as part teacher, part coach, and part trainer
- Future? Ready!: How L.D. helps prepare the next generation to build a better future
Introducing L.D. Pierce
L.D. Pierce, Senior Manager Environmental and Sustainability, Henkel Consumer Brands in the Americas, supports factories and warehouses in ensuring environmental compliance and advancing sustainability efforts. From helping teams drive lasting sustainability progress at Henkel to beekeeping, he brings the same commitment to sustainability to every part of his life.
L.D. shares what inspires him to be a pioneer for good
Growing What Lasts
After 15 years as a beekeeper, L.D. Pierce understands that caring for pollinators is about more than honey; it’s a way of protecting the biodiversity of the planet and resources we rely on today while working to improve them for the future. L.D. cares for 70 beehives and has planted acres of natural prairie grasses and flowers to help provide nectar and pollen for his bees. The key to his success over the years is knowing that the work requires patience, steady attention and a commitment to building the right conditions over time because healthy systems take time to form.
That same sense of patience and care shapes the way he thinks about environmental work across Henkel sites too. Early in his career, L.D. learned that meaningful outcomes in sustainability do not happen overnight.
“A lot of the things that I wanted to do with my career in environmental engineering, I would never see the results because it’ll take 50, maybe 75 years, for those things to take root and become standard in the world,” he says.
That steady perspective is partly what drew him to Henkel. When L.D. interviewed for his role, he was struck by the depth of information the company shared publicly about sustainability. He quickly realized he had found a company that shared his commitment to doing the right thing and understood the seriousness of the work it would take to see results. Henkel’s clear sense of purpose and willingness to invest in initiatives whose full impact may not be seen for years, made a lasting impression.
We are not doing sustainability for profit. We’re doing it because it’s the right thing to do. That commitment, from the highest level of the company to the factory floor, speaks volumes. It makes me proud to be here.
L.D. Pierce, Senior Manager Environmental and Sustainability, Henkel Consumer Brands in the Americas
Leading by Example
That same sense of purpose and passion for environmental work inspired L.D.’s daughter to also pursue environmental engineering. She began her career at Henkel in a role at the Bowling Green, KY factory—applying without telling her father. Her path reflected more than a shared profession. It showed how a commitment to caring for the environment can be passed from one generation to the next and the importance of establishing your career at a company that shares your values.
Motivating those around him is also how L.D. shows up at Henkel. He focuses on guiding teams and helping people build the confidence, knowledge and capability to move forward. “You can’t teach someone to do their job by doing it for them,” he says. “I really work to be a support function of coach, a trainer, a teacher to the factories.”
One example L.D. points to is his support of the Dial® brand’s GreenCircle certifications at Henkel’s West Hazleton, PA site, partnering with manufacturing, innovation, sales and marketing teams to help validate sustainable production practices for a select range of Dial® soaps. For L.D., the certification demonstrates the kind of collaboration and follow-through that sustainability efforts require daily.
Future? Ready!
As Henkel celebrates its 150th anniversary, the company looks back with pride and looks ahead with confidence to continue to reimagine and shape the future. L.D. takes that to heart ensuring sustainability is built into his work and life every day and helping the next generation carry it forward.
L.D. does that as an adjunct professor at The University of Toledo, teaching environmental engineering. He draws on his real industry experience to connect lectures to the practical challenges students may face in their careers.
If we don’t pass on our knowledge to the next generation, they won’t be able to grow, innovate and learn from everything we’ve done. It’s really about preparing people to be better than us in the future.
L.D. Pierce, Senior Manager Environmental and Sustainability, Henkel Consumer Brands in the Americas
For L.D., teaching is one more reminder that meaningful progress happens over time. The changes set in motion today, whether at the farm, at Henkel or in the classroom, may take years to fully take hold. That is exactly the point: creating something now that future generations can take further.
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Views of LD’s beekeeping.
Views of LD’s beekeeping.
Views of LD’s beekeeping.
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Shaping a sustainable future
Our sustainability strategy is inspired by our purpose: Pioneers at heart for the good of generations. With our pioneering spirit, our knowledge, our products and technologies, we want to enrich and improve the lives of billions of people every day – and shape a viable future for the next generations.
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