The passing of my brother David on Aug. 23 prompted quite an outpouring of comments from employees and friends around the world. I thank you for those heartfelt messages of condolence and for thinking of our family during this time.
David was always pursuing new and better ways of doing things. Like our father, he was an exceptional engineer who was fascinated by the opportunities created by technological change.
It pleases me greatly to see that the company he led for so long and transformed in so many ways is now gearing up for even more transformation. You can read the story of that exciting new journey.
In this issue, you will be introduced to a network of uncommon philanthropists that has dedicated itself to helping transform millions of lives. Stand Together is near and dear to my heart because it has embraced the same devotion to creating virtuous cycles that has led to such tremendous success here at Koch Industries.
Next year is likely to be filled with even more noise from politicians railing against one another rather than devoting their energy to the betterment of their fellow citizens. As a Koch company employee, I believe you can play an effective role in helping them realize there is a much better way.
We all need to set an example by showing that the best path to success and fulfillment comes from finding what we do well, developing those skills and talents, and then using them to help others in a spirit of mutual benefit.
I wish you the very best as we pursue that goal together.
Charles Koch, chairman and CEO, Koch Industries