Doe Run Peru Sponsors Global Project to Improve Local Industry

The Doe Run Company recently announced that its subsidiary, Doe Run Peru, will fund a global market research study in conjunction with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Universidad Del Pacifico of Lima. Doe Run Peru is donating funds to cover the research, logistical and administrative costs for the study, which aims to help the region's silver artisans increase productivity while opening up channels for technical assistance and exports.

The project is designed to promote communication and organization among the silver artisans of La Oroya, Peru, and surrounding communities. Project participants will receive guidance and basic training on how to make their pieces more attractive to the U.S. and other import markets, with a goal of helping the artisans develop new revenue streams that will help them and their families improve their quality of life.

Doe Run Peru's support of this global educational endeavor is a testament to its commitment to collaborating with others to improve the local community and economy, said Dr. Len Lodish, senior director of the Wharton Global Consulting Practicum at the Wharton School and professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to Doe Run Peru's financial commitment, the company is devoted to helping these students understand the dynamics of the region, its economy and the naturally occurring metals. The study itself is a crucial step in transforming a locally thriving art into what may become a promising industry on a larger scale.

During the approximately six-month study, university students will work closely with Doe Run Peru and local silverworkers to gather data, develop a work plan, attend trade shows and more. Doe Run Peru will also help cover related lodging and travel expenses for the incoming students. Upon completion of the study, students will present strategic and tactical recommendations for improvement to the participating entrepreneurs.

With these kinds of Social Impact Management projects, our goal is to help the community develop sustainably by giving these microenterprises access to larger export chains that will link them in to the much larger demand of the U.S. import market, said Professor Gina Pipoli, associate country manager in Peru for Wharton's Global Consulting Practicum.

Doe Run Peru officials underscored the company's commitment to supporting this and similar projects that benefit the people of La Oroya.

As a global provider of premium metals and services, we strive to enhance life's8211;-whether through the important products we provide or the expertise we possess about metals, said Dr. Juan Carlos Huyhua, president and general manager of Doe Run Peru. Silver artistry is a vital and growing business for the people who live and work in the region, so we are pleased to support the industry's sustainable growth by sharing our knowledge and being a proud sponsor of the program. We look forward to hearing the findings and how they might improve local commerce.

This real experience contributes to the continuous development of skills of our MBA students as they learn how to negotiate in different cultural environments, solving specific problems between the companies and the surrounding communities using a social corporate responsibility approach, added Professor Alejandro Flores, Dean of the Universidad del Pacífico Graduate School.

About The Doe Run Company

Based in St. Louis, The Doe Run Company is a privately held natural resources company dedicated to environmentally responsible mineral production, metals fabrication, recycling and reclamation. The company and its subsidiaries deliver products and services needed to provide power, protection and convenience through premium products and associated metals including lead, zinc, copper, gold and silver. As the operator of one of the world's only multi-metal facilities and the Americas' largest integrated lead producer, Doe Run employs more than 5,000 people, with U.S. operations in Missouri, Washington and Arizona, and Peruvian operations in Cobriza and La Oroya. Committed to sustainable development, The Doe Run Company has helped bring electrical power, business training, educational opportunities and improved telecommunications to rural communities in Peru and the U.S. For more information, visit http://www.doerun.com.

About The Wharton Global Consulting Practicum and The Wharton School

The Global Consulting Practicum (GCP) is a cross-functional, globally oriented course designed to educate MBA students in the problems of international business and the skills of consulting. Global teams, comprised of Wharton MBA students with MBA students from another leading international business schools, work with the top managers of their international client firms under the guidance of faculty from both schools. Students apply the concepts, tools, and paradigms they learn in their classes to develop a strategic plan that is grounded in market research and a detailed implementation plan (including financial and operational plans) for medium-sized or entrepreneurial clients. For more information, visit http://mktgweb.wharton.upenn.edu/gcpcourse/.

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania 's8212; founded in 1881 as the first collegiate business school 's8212; is recognized globally for intellectual leadership and ongoing innovation across every major discipline of business education. The most comprehensive source of business knowledge in the world, Wharton bridges research and practice through its broad engagement with the global business community. The school has more than 4,600 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students; more than 8,000 annual participants in executive education programs; and an alumni network of over 81,000 graduates.

About The Universidad del Pacífico, Lima 's8211; Perú

Universidad del Pacífico (UP) is a private university established in 1962 by a group of Peruvian entrepreneurs supported by the Jesuit community. Today it is a university specialized in the areas of economics and business administration. UP has been ranked as the most prestigious higher education institution in its fields of specialization in Peru, and among the leading institutions of its kind in the Latin American region. The Universidad del Pacífico Graduate School was set up in 1977 with the aim of training professionals in its MBA program, specifically in the areas of business and finance. The MBA program has been a partner with the Global Consulting Practicum since 2003. For more information, visit http://www.up.edu.pe/postgrado.

Contact:

Christi Dixon

314-469-3500

http://www.doerun.com

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may be significantly impacted, either positively or negatively, by various factors, including without limitation, the Company's ability to satisfy its debt and environmental obligations, regulatory compliance with local state and federal governmental agencies, financing sources, potential and actual litigation, weather, permits, raw materials cost, competition and business conditions in the mining and recyclable industries. As a result, the forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the statements herein. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, see the risk factors set forth in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year.

↑ Grab this Headline Animator

This article has been robotically scanned and tagged by Prnewsnow with the following search tags. No human manipulation of these tags take place.
| Month | Per Month | net self employment |

4946 readers online...

, Local News

Subscribe in a reader