Forest Richardson Celebrates 50 Wonderful Years at Monument Chemical!

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Everyone at Brandenburg’s Pilot Plant knows the name Forest Richardson. The Plant Technician is not only a seasoned vet in the chemical industry, but he’s also the longest-serving employee in Monument’s company history. This past December, he celebrated his 50 years, boasting a long history of career advancement, experience, and contributions that have helped make our Pilot Plant what it is today. He’s learned a lot over the last 5 decades — and we’ve all learned a lot from him! Now, he’s sharing his wonderful story with us. Congrats, Forest!

How did your career at the Brandenburg site get started? What roles have you held over the years?

I first started on the team in 1972 when the company was owned by Olin Chemical, working as a Quality control Laboratory Technician at the plant in Niagara Falls, NY. Over 19 years there, my roles evolved to Analytical Specialist, Laboratory Supervisor, and eventually, Plant Training Manager. When that site announced its closure, a few employees and I had an opportunity to relocate to the Brandenburg, Kentucky facility. I was originally expecting to work in the lab there, but during my interview, I was presented with a Plant Technician position at the Pilot Plant and was eager to accept! I’ve been here ever since.

What are you most proud of regarding your growth within Monument over the years?

The best part about my career growth is that it’s so closely tied to the support of others! I’ve enjoyed meeting and working with so many great people over the years, and I can sincerely say each of them has contributed to my growth in some way. I love being able to approach new challenges every day and collaborate with team members to find the best solutions.

It’s been really cool to have so many people rely on me for my experience, whether they’re new to the team or just eager to learn. I’ve even had supervisors come to me for guidance! I receive so much respect, and it’s very rewarding to be able to share my knowledge with the team.

What is something you’ve learned that you’d like to share with team members who are new to Monument?

I’ve learned so many things from my peers — from how to surround yourself with the right people to the importance of contributing to our community. But when it comes down to it, the best teaching I can share is to approach every new challenge with as much information as you can. Do your research! It’s easy to rely on your experience when approaching a new task or process, but the better the understanding you have, the more impact you can make. Monument makes all of that knowledge available to us, but if you want to make a greater contribution, you have to be willing to put in the work.

What do you think has been your key to success throughout your career?

The key to longevity in the chemical industry, first and foremost, is a commitment to safety — for yourself and for others. It affects everything we do and everyone around us. The goal is to go home to your family at the end of the day the same way you came in.

In Research and Development (R&D), success again comes back to doing your due diligence. I approach every challenge with the most knowledge and best understanding of what I’m working with and what the limitations are so I can be as valuable to my team as possible. I never let myself just go through the motions, because if you put in minimal effort, you’ll get minimal results.

So what will the next 50 years bring?

The next big thing for me is retirement! I am enjoying the fact that I have good health, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to travel more when that day comes. I would love to get back to Brazil or visit some of the Caribbean Islands. I plan on putting my passport to good use!

Our Supply Chain and Logistics Organization

Fri, 10 Sep 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Monument Team,

As part of the enhancements throughout our organizational structure to enable increased collaboration, accountability, ownership, and growth opportunities in our strategic focus areas, I am eager to share key updates to our Supply Chain and Logistics teams. These changes complete the important enhancements to Monument’s organizational structure to better align with our business strategy.

Effective January 1, 2022, Adam Pingel will become Global Supply Chain and Manufacturing Leader. Rob Einterz, Supply Chain Manager for Brandenburg, and John Lewis, S&OP Manager for the Houston Area, will report to Adam. Christophe Vergote, Supply Chain Manager for Kallo, will have a dotted line to Adam.

A detailed transition of responsibilities will take place between now and year end – with Adam Pingel leading this effort. These changes are effective January 1, 2022.

Effective immediately, Kyle Tomme, Senior Manager, NA Logistics, will report to Dan Malone, Vice President of Global Products Sales & Procurement. This change will better align the Logistics function with our Customer Service activities – ensuring a higher level of service and connection to our customers and their needs.

Please join me in congratulating our team members on their new roles and responsibilities. Our Supply Chain and Logistics teams have generated countless opportunities to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and satisfy demand – and I thank every member of the team for everything they do to enhance our performance and deliver on our exciting plan for growth.

Paul Raymond

CEO

Our Custom Manufacturing Organization

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Monument Team,

I am happy to share with you some key updates to our Custom Manufacturing organization. Between the recent addition of the Port Arthur site and team and a range of other incredible wins and growth opportunities enabled by our Custom Manufacturing team, we have an exciting path forward in this important growth area for Monument. Our enhanced Custom Manufacturing organization will help us continue to deliver on this vision.

Leadership and oversight of Custom Manufacturing will be shared by Don Phillips, Sarves Peri, and Peter Michielson.

Don will assume new responsibilities as Business Leader, Oxides, while retaining leadership of Haltermann Solutions. Deb Kovacs, Custom Manufacturing Manager, Brandenburg, will report to Don.
Sarves will assume new responsibilities as Business Leader, Solvents, while retaining leadership of Supply Chain & Logistics, as well as the Port Arthur business. Umair Virani, Custom Manufacturing Manager, Houston, and Liam McMillan, Business Development Manager, Custom Manufacturing, will report to Sarves.
As previously announced, Peter will serve as our Business Leader for Europe – and will oversee all Custom Manufacturing sales in the region.

All changes are effective September 1.

Please join me in congratulating our team members on their new roles and responsibilities. I see an amazing future ahead for Custom Manufacturing – and I look forward to sharing more wins on this journey as we continue to explore new opportunities together.

Paul Raymond

CEO

Monument Acquires KMTEX’s Port Arthur Site

Fri, 23 Jul 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Monument Team,

I am pleased to announce that today, we are taking another step forward in our journey as a full-service chemical manufacturer and custom solutions provider. We have finalized an agreement to acquire KMTEX LLC (pronounced chem-tex), a privately owned specialty chemical distillations toller based in Port Arthur, Texas. This acquisition will bring approximately 50 talented new colleagues to our team, and I’m excited for us to explore new possibilities and opportunities as we begin to work together.

Here are a few of the reasons why we’re so eager to bring KMTEX into the Monument family:

Additional Capacity: KMTEX is recognized as the largest, most flexible toll distillation provider on the Gulf Coast and is known for delivering outstanding toll processing services to chemical companies and refineries. The Port Arthur site is MSTA-compliant and has five full-time distillation trains that can process up to 1 billion pounds per year through both batch and continuous distillation processes.
Complementary Assets: KMTEX has more than 40 years of experience separating and purifying several related chemistries, including fuels, aromatic hydrocarbons, glycols, and specialty solvents. Adding these technologies to our portfolio will allow us to offer dual-source options and even more flexibility, both within Monument and for our customers.
Excellent Location: KMTEX’s facility is located on the Sabine River intercoastal waterway – just two miles from the Gulf of Mexico – an ideal location between manufacturing hubs in Texas and Louisiana. This acquisition will enable us to expand our footprint on the Gulf Coast, the most important region within the chemical industry in North America.
Logistics Advantages: Investing in plant and logistics flexibility has been a critical focus of the site in recent years. Today, there are 140 stainless and carbon steel tanks that can store both volatile and non-volatile products, with a total on-site storage capacity of 24 million gallons. The site’s barge dock can handle up to 30,000 barrel barges and offers 24/7 loading flexibility to meet customers’ needs.

As we’ve shared previously, acquisitions are a key part of Monument’s growth strategy. This makes our announcement today even more significant – we’re not just expanding our capabilities; we’re also following through on the goals we’ve set for our bright future.

Please join me in extending a warm welcome to our new colleagues at what will be known as Monument Chemical Port Arthur. I know they share our commitment to continuous improvement, operating with a safety-first mindset, and developing new solutions to serve customers better.

I look forward to seeing what we will all achieve as we explore new possibilities together.

Be safe,

Paul

WELL AWARE: Mark Little’s Fitness Journey - Busting Out of an Exercise Rut

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Under the best of circumstances, most people don’t LOVE to exercise. Surveys have shown that only about 25% of American adults get the recommended dose of exercise each week. (Which, if you’re wondering, is 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, plus two strength-training sessions.)

And the pandemic certainly didn’t make the situation any better. In fact, the latest surveys have shown that about 35% of American adults claim they’re exercising less than they were before the coronavirus crisis began – even AFTER lockdown measures were lifted. (Bad habits are hard to break.)

It takes determination and inspiration to get moving again. Mark Little, Safety Specialist, Bayport, is happy to help provide some inspiration by sharing his unique fitness journey…

___________________________

Fitness has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, from childhood sports to weight-lifting in my teen years. In high school, I discovered a talent for throwing shot put and discus, as well as running track. I even got a scholarship for shot put and discus thrown to the University of Houston. When that venture was over, I did my best to stay fit throughout adulthood as well (with some lapses here and there).

BUT…when I got to be 50, that lapse had lasted a LONG time. I had gained weight, and I wasn’t doing much in the way of regular physical activity.

So, I got moving again. I started working out and eating healthier (not a secret formula, but definitely effective). Earlier this year, a friend convinced me to start participating a senior track events. For the first time in 35 years, I’ve been competing again! It’s been a lot of fun getting back into that friendly-competition atmosphere.

At 55, I think I’m in better shape than I’ve been for the last 20 years! I’ve competed in two discus competitions – and won both events – setting personal best distances in both meets. I’m still training hard and working toward competing in the Senior State Championship in October in San Antonio.

Through the pandemic, I noticed that a lot of people are struggling with staying healthy, so I’ve been posting workouts on my social media pages to spark some inspiration. Just as inactivity breeds inactivity…ACTIVTY breeds more activity.

My advice to anyone in a fitness rut is just to get moving. Take evening walks. Clean out your house. Start a sports team with your friends. Pick a hobby that involves physical activity. Find an “accountability partner” who is also looking to make a positive change.

The challenges we’ve all faced together since 2020 have reminded us that we can’t take anything for granted, especially our wellness.

___________________________

Thanks to Mark for inspiring us to get moving! Feel free to share YOUR unique wellness journey with us.

Teamwork Enables a Successful Reactor Replacement in Bayport (See Time Lapse Video!)

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Replacing a chemical reactor is a major undertaking during the best of circumstances, but what happens when this needs to be done during a pandemic and multiple teams are involved? Is it possible to safely replace equipment worth millions of dollars expected to last 50 years or more?

As with just about everything at Monument, it is absolutely possible when the right teams come together!

Monument is known for inviting customers to “challenge us,” and the project to replace the R120 reactor at the Bayport, TX site was no different for employees. “The original R120 reactor was built in 1955, and when it failed mechanical integrity tests due to pitting and corrosion, we knew we had to move fast,” said Kris Sturgul, Site Leader for Bayport. “We already had a project underway to evaluate the time, money, and effort required to build a new reactor and determined it made more sense to do this instead of repairing and maintaining the existing unit.”

After securing approval from leadership to move forward with a capital investment of more than $2 MM, the team officially began construction on the new reactor in October 2020, with the goal of having it up and running by Q2 2021.

“We were able to draw on our experience and some of the design elements from building the R140 reactor, which helped accelerate the fabrication process,” said Jerry Traylor, Senior Project Engineer and team leader for the replacement. “Building a new reactor from the ground up allowed us to make some enhancements, such as increases in heating and cooling capabilities, using superior reactor metallurgy to prevent corrosion, and increasing the overall batch capacity by 15 percent. We wanted the new design to be as versatile as possible and added the provision to run the unit as a batch process or CSTR (continuous stirred tank reactor).”

However, making enhancements didn’t come without challenges. Each time the team walked through these changes, considering the flow of the process to be run in that reactor, they encountered minor design flaws that had to be resolved on the fly.

“It was definitely a challenge to go through that exercise with an open mind, not thinking we had already corrected everything and potentially overlooking something else as a result,” said Romain Vidal-Michel, Campaign Team Leader. “Whatever we took to Jerry’s team or our maintenance group, they came back with plans to address them immediately and bring the reactor up to our standard. There is no doubt that R120 is a much safer and efficient reactor as a result of this process.”

Staying on schedule was challenging, given that other capital investment projects were underway at the site, and COVID-19 safety protocols added additional complexities. “Our crews worked seven days a week to finish construction on time, using internal and external resources,” said Jerry. “We pulled in technical expertise from other areas within Monument when we needed to, such as getting support from Jesse Lloyd, whose specialty is rotating equipment and getting things in and out correctly. We had constant audits throughout the project to ensure safety and mechanical integrity.”

As the reactor got closer to starting up, the team – including Jesse Lightfoot, Production Specialist – developed a water testing/batching checklist to ensure it was operating correctly before adding chemicals, many of which are corrosive and highly flammable. They knew they would only have one opportunity to discover and resolve issues safely, so having a comprehensive, thorough checklist was critical.

“R120 is our site’s workhorse batch reactor, so everyone was invested in getting it back online and running as quickly and safely as possible,” said Bob Harbour, Senior Process Engineer. “This project was a great illustration of the power of teamwork, and I’m proud that we were able to finish both on time and without any injuries or illnesses.”

As expected during the commissioning of a new piece of equipment, 24/7 coverage was requested for at least the first few batches of the process to ensure help was available if needed. “The day of start-up, I worked that morning, went home after lunch to rest for a few hours, and came back that evening for the night shift to watch over the first batch,” said Romain. “I can’t say I wasn’t exhausted that morning, but it was also very satisfying to be among the group seeing things work out exactly as planned!”

The new R120 reactor came online ahead of schedule in late March. “We’re already seeing some improved cycle times and increased output, which is great news after having to rely on our backup reactor over the past few months. I’m optimistic that this will continue as production ramps up,” said Dottie Linkugel, Production Scheduler.

Click here to see a time lapse video of the project!

Congratulations to everyone involved in building the new reactor and bringing it online safely!

Take Your Tech Savvy to the Next Level

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Up Your Tech Savvy with ITSS Training

Registering for ITSS training has never been easier!

You might know that ITSS safeguards our company devices and information and can help reset your password or troubleshoot tech issues. But did you know they also develop and deliver learning opportunities?

That’s right! The ITSS training team wants to equip you with skills to boost your efficiency and usage of Microsoft Office 365 applications. From time management to operational efficiency, the benefits of being more confident in our company’s primary tech collaboration tool are endless!

No matter your learning style, there’s something for you, including:

Instructor-led virtual experiences via Microsoft Teams
Pre-recorded classes on MyHeritage Learning
On-demand articles and training on Learning Pathways

Register for an Instructor Led Class Today!

Simply visit the ITSS Training Registration portal, powered by Learning Stream (the same tool you use to register for Learning & Development opportunities). The portal provides a 2-3-month training calendar, course details, online registration, and the ability to track your training history.

Here's how it works:

Navigate to the ITSS Training Registration portal
Log in with your company email and password. (Pro tip: Save the page to your favorites for future use!)
When you log in to the portal, you’ll see a list of current training opportunities that you can view in either a calendar or list view.
Register for one or multiple trainings.
A confirmation email will be sent when your registration is complete (please allow up to 10 minutes).
A link is provided in the confirmation email to add the event to your Outlook calendar.
If the course is delivered virtually using Teams, a link to the join the meeting is included in the body of the calendar invitation.

We look forward to seeing you in a training!

Questions? Check out the Quick Reference Guide or contact Teresa Forrest, ITSS Training Manager.

Turnkey Operations for Customers – Sustainable Solutions for the Industry

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Limit Raised to $10,500

Tue, 30 Mar 2021 04:00:00 +0000

The latest stimulus package included good news from the IRS. For 2021, the Dependent Care FSA contribution limit has increased from $5,000 to $10,500. This means you can save even more by starting or increasing your Dependent Care FSA to pay for eligible dependent care expenses with tax-free dollars this year. The changes allow you to start contributing to a Dependent Care FSA even if you didn’t elect it during Open Enrollment.

To enroll or make changes to your Dependent Care FSA, submit the Flexible Spending Account Change Form to HR Shared Services .

Note: No changes were passed impacting the Healthcare FSA. The maximum 2021 contribution limit remains at $2,750.

New THG Course Catalog - Make 2021 Your Year to Grow!

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Top News

Forest Richardson Celebrates 50 Wonderful Years at Monument Chemical!

Our Supply Chain and Logistics Organization

Our Custom Manufacturing Organization

Monument Acquires KMTEX’s Port Arthur Site

WELL AWARE: Mark Little’s Fitness Journey - Busting Out of an Exercise Rut

Teamwork Enables a Successful Reactor Replacement in Bayport (See Time Lapse Video!)

Take Your Tech Savvy to the Next Level

Turnkey Operations for Customers – Sustainable Solutions for the Industry

Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) ﻿Limit Raised to $10,500

New THG Course Catalog - Make 2021 Your Year to Grow!

Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Limit Raised to $10,500