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Congratulations to the Commercial Team for Multiple Wins with Key Customer Afton
December 11th, 2019
It started as Monument’s first solid lead through our new external website – one simple inquiry from Afton, a manufacturer of petroleum additives. And thanks to the work of the commercial team (and many others!), this flourishing relationship offers exciting new growth possibilities at both Brandenburg and Houston.
The Challenge
“I’ll never forget my first call with Afton’s Commercial Tolling Leader,” said Deb Kovacs, Commercial Development Manager. “I was just about to go through security at the airport, but I moved to the side to make the call. Something in my gut told me that this first inquiry could quickly become a big deal.”
Deb’s gut was correct. The Brandenburg site now produces two important anti wear products that go into a range of oils for Afton. Eventually, Afton asked Monument if the Brandenburg team could take some of the raw materials that KMCO was producing and create a second-generation polysulfide product.
“This request proved how happy Afton was with our services, because it was an investment to ship the raw materials from Texas to the Midwest,” said Umair Virani, Commercial Development Manager.
The deal was almost signed – and then came the really big challenge. In the wake of the KMCO crisis, Afton asked Monument if they could produce the raw material in addition to the second-generation product.
The Approach
Producing the raw material at Brandenburg didn’t make sense, but Virani and Deb saw a big opportunity for Houston – but everything about saying “yes” was challenging. This was new chemistry for Monument; huge investments would need to be made; and the timeline to a decision was tight.
“Virani and I worked together closely – and drew on the expertise of many folks at Houston – to prepare a presentation for the Global Leadership Team” said Deb.
Fortunately, the GLT saw the same opportunity that the commercial team did. After a series of negotiations, Afton agreed to contract negotiations at the ChemSpec trade show in Switzerland.
The Results and Path Forward
The Afton project is a key component of the Houston expansion project – a significant investment with a current aim for completion in Q1 2021. And the Afton partnership in Brandenburg continues to expand as well – with another product launch on the horizon for early 2020. “It’s amazing to think where this relationship has grown from a simple web inquiry,” said Deb. “It’s also incredible to ponder how big the Houston challenge seemed when first presented to us. Our success is proof that you can’t discount opportunities – no matter how overwhelming – or say ‘Heck, no!’ Monument’s culture is to say ‘Heck, yes!’” “Ultimately, it’s our people and their world-class expertise who allow us to say ‘yes’ time and time again,” said Virani. “Our team and our brave culture will ensure that this opportunity – and others sure to come – will keep us busy (and growing!) as we enter the next decade together.”
