Nordson Corporation - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

Nordson Corporation is Medium Risk.

Nordson Corporation often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. Nordson occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Medium Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	High Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	High Risk
Political Actions	No Data

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Nordson integrates ESG into all of its business practices. The company stated, ESG is “central to Nordson’s culture and [is] embodied in our long-standing philosophy and values” (1). However, the company has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (2).

Criteria:

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Nordson Corporation’s charitable giving guidelines require that organizations abide by its nondiscrimination policy, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, thereby excluding some religious charities (1). The company likely uses Benevity as its charitable giving platform. Benevity vets charities according to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Hate List, which includes mainstream libertarian, conservative, family, and religious advocacy organizations (2)(3)(4).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Nordson implements “Inclusive Leadership” and unconscious bias training across the company (1). However, the company not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (2).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Nordson Corporation’s CEO, Sundaram Nagarajan, signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace (1)(2). The company is committed to achieving net zero scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2050 (3).

Criteria:

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

In 2022, Nordson Corporation donated $50,000 to the Lorain County Urban League and $27,000 to the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland (1). In 2021, the company donated $114,858 to the Lorian County Urban League and $26,000 to the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland (2). In 2020, Nordson donated $50,000 to the Lorian County Urban League (3). In 2019, the company donated $50,000 to the Lorian County Urban League (4). In 2018, Nordson donated $50,000 to the Lorian County Urban League (5).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

N/A

Rationale:

Nordson Corporation does not operate a PAC or engage in lobbying at this time (1)(2)(3).