News Release

MBA grad’s innovative idea earns Bayer Corporation award

July 17, 2008

Daniel P. Mueller’s late spring and early summer turned out to be very successful.

In May, Mueller completed his MBA studies at Penn State Harrisburg and in June, his innovative idea regarding aspirin earned an award from his employer, Bayer Corporation.

Mueller, manufacturing superintendent of product supply/customer care at Bayer’s facility in Myerstown, Pa., was presented the corporation’s Triple-I award for his idea by Dr. Attila Molnar, the company’s president and CEO.

Mueller’s knowledge of the aspirin product, combined with his knowledge of gardening and plant care, created a strong idea for the Bayer Crop Science business to consider. His idea was to use salicylic acid in liquid form for crop and plant protection from stress factors.

“There is nothing dependable on the market for preventing shock when planting new or transplanting trees or shrubs. The cost of trees and shrubs dying after transplanting can be high for consumers and for the nursery that sells the plants,” Mueller is quoted in a Bayer news release. “My idea is to investigate the use of an aspirin-based liquid to apply to either the soil or the leaves of plants to prevent transplant shock by suppressing the plant’s induced systemic resistance.”

Triple-i is a global employee initiative that sets out to motivate all employees to actively contribute to innovation at Bayer. The company offers an opportunity for each employee to submit his or her innovative business idea directly to a team of innovation managers. The Triple-I team, together with experts in the business divisions, then pursues any promising business ideas.

“Bayer is a company that listens to you and provides you with the right environment to develop your creative skills,” Mueller said. “Triple-I provides employees with a tremendous opportunity to play a proactive role in the company.”