• Viopar Energy SA, member of Ravago Greece Group

Ravago Group

Ravago Group

When Raf Van Gorp founded Ravago in 1961, he was given the opportunity to buy the premises of a dynamite company in Arendonk, Belgium. This enabled him to work out the luminous idea he had: recycling production waste from the plastics producing petrochemical companies. From there, the company grew into a successful service provider to the petrochemical industry as a
distributor and reseller of plastic resins. Diversification towards production and distribution of building products guaranteed a second revenue line in Europe. Today, the Ravago Group is the
number one service provider in the global market of plastics, rubber, and chemicals.

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Our vision

To be at the Heart of your Life

We constantly aspire to have a positive impact at every stage of people’s lives. By that we mean all people connected to us in any possible way: employees, customers, suppliers, partners, communities & society. Ravago will therefore invest in and develop businesses that have a noticeable presence in, and a positive impact on as many people as possible. Such as: improving everyone’s lives with our materials, from diapers at birth to medical equipment in hospitals. Going digital to make our customers’ lives easier. Creating a flexible, responsible and connected workplace for employees. Working hard to minimize the environmental impact of our materials. Being engaged towards the communities we’re active in.

Our mission

Committed to our partners to create and deliver the most indispensable materials and services

In each role in the company, we put our partners first, as we believe they are key in what we do. Partners are our suppliers and customers, and all other organizations with whom we collaborate to achieve our mission and vision.

We recycle and manufacture materials to complete our portfolio and offer a state-of-the-art infrastructure for distribution through efficient supply chain, technical expertise, and business support.

We recognize that our materials can harm the planet. However, we have a sustainability pledge, and we communicate on the initiatives we do to improve and the aspiration we have in the coming years.

We also commit to investing in our diversified businesses and the partners we work with – we look at long term when developing the business, not short-term win. We acknowledge that increasing employee diversity is crucial for our future and that we are not there yet, our commitment is to be transparent on the initiatives.

We reassure continuous investments in respect for ethnicity, gender balance, and supporting different generations. We won’t judge colleagues and partners by what they look like, where they come from or what they believe in. Instead, we envision each colleague enriching the Ravago family and contributing to the diverse community that we represent.

We want to fulfill our mission with and through our people, by providing our people every day with a context in which they can learn, feel good and grow.

Our values

The values that
define us

During its evolution, Ravago has always put relentless emphasis on its values: human focus, professionalism, entrepreneurship, and humility. These are not just buzzwords, but the company’s core principles that define who we are, what we stand for, and how we want to be perceived. For us, staying loyal to who we are is crucial. Not only because this was Raf Van Gorp’s vision for the company, but because it has proven to be the foundation of Ravago’s success, and because it will define our future.

Human Focus

Our human focus involves a respectful and thoughtful approach toward people, both internally and externally. Every single employee contributes to creating a trusted, safe, and collaborative environment that incorporates ethical behavior, caring for each other’s well- being, and respect for all aspects of diversity. The personal approach toward employees and other stakeholders enables the long-term relationships on which the company is built.

Professionalism

By our professional value, we combine sharp and entrepreneurial decision-making by not compromising our structure and professional attitude towards colleagues and important stakeholders. Professionalism implies holding yourself accountable for your actions, words, and thoughts, never jeopardizing your moral compass along the way. This value is one of the foundations for long-term partnerships.

Entrepreneurship

Our entrepreneurial value is based on the opportunity for each employee to create value for the company. Employees should be able to take initiative and go beyond their assigned scope of work to improve their professional environment, and they should feel empowered to do so. For entrepreneurship to work, failures should be viewed as learning opportunities in the professional scope. We only fail if we don’t try.

Humility

Humility is based on two interconnected principles: external discretion and internal pride. Ravago’s below- the-radar strategy is not only a personal choice of our family shareholder, but also a strategic decision. Also, this value recognizes internal successes and initiatives, encourages an environment where our people can thrive. Ravago’s business is based on long- term partnerships, and this means that everyone should welcome others’ opinions and perspectives, where successes are celebrated together.
Sustainability pledge

"We want to give back to the world what it has given us."

During its evolution, Ravago has always put relentless emphasis on its values: human focus, professionalism, entrepreneurship, and humility. These are not just buzzwords, but the company’s core principles that define who we are, what we stand for, and how we want to be perceived. For us, staying loyal to who we are is crucial. Not only because this was Raf Van Gorp’s vision for the company, but because it has proven to be the foundation of Ravago’s success, and because it will define our future.

Recycling excellence

Giving waste a second life, that is how it all started for Ravago. When our founder Raf Van Gorp saw the potential of discarded products, he started recycling avant-la-lettre. Today, as one of the leading plastics recyclers, Ravago continues to push the boundaries in recycling technologies and applications. Step by step, Ravago is working towards solving the plastic waste issue and making plastics truly circular.

Community engagement

Since the early years, giving back to the community has been embedded in Ravago’s DNA. We organize and support non-profit initiatives in all the local communities in which we are present and encourage our employees to be actively engaged. Ravago donates to charities across the globe every year, with a specific focus on medical research, education, and community building.

Environmental footprint

Our entrepreneurial value is based on the opportunity for each employee to create value for the company. Employees should be able to take initiative and go beyond their assigned scope of work to improve their professional environment, and they should feel empowered to do so. For entrepreneurship to work, failures should be viewed as learning opportunities in the professional scope. We only fail if we don’t try.

Strategic partnership

Being the intermediary between the chemical industry and product manufacturers puts Ravago in a unique position to partner with both sides to develop effective and innovative solutions for sustainability. We are working with suppliers to introduce recycled pallets and bags into the supply chain, and to devise forms of logistical integration to eliminate truck transports. Together with our customers, we’ve developed ways to reduce the weight and thus the environmental impact of their products, to incorporate recycled plastics or bioplastics in them, or to make them easier to recycle after use. In our entrepreneurial and impact-driven spirit, we will continue to innovate along the value chain to make our industry valuable for society.

Facts & Figures

Today, the Ravago Group represents over 6,600,000 metric tons of annual polymer sales serving more than 50,000 active customers through 325+ locations across more than 55+ countries worldwide. Ravago’s production competence consists of 45+ manufacturing facilities of which 19 recycling and compounding plants in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa with a combined annual capacity of over 775,000 metric tons; 13 production plants in Europe that are offering finished product solutions for the building sector and 7 plants and 6 application laboratories for our Chemicals business. This all would not have been possible without the help of its 8,000 employees.

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