At Monument, we talk often about our “get it done” mindset. About stepping up. About finding a way.

Recently, our Brandenburg team showed exactly what that looks like in action.

For many years, the Oxides business has provided ChampionX with surfactants used to separate mud and dirt from oil during production. In 2023, we delivered significant volume for this key customer, building strong momentum together.

In 2024, however, the nature of the work changed.

ChampionX needed a partner to support pilot-to-production (P2P) development because they didn’t have a pilot plant of their own. The Brandenburg team stepped in to provide that capability. The pilot activity was steady and technically successful, keeping the Pilot Plant full; however, much of the work wasn’t translating into sustained production volume.

And while development work is important, Monument’s assets are built to run! For the partnership to be successful long term, the plant needed to see that pipeline move from pilot into full-scale production.

“We had to have a candid conversation,” said Don Philips, Business Leader, Oxides. “If we weren’t going to move meaningful volume into production, we couldn’t continue investing resources the way we were. We need our pipeline flowing.”

At nearly the same time, ChampionX initiated a competitive bid, looking for a partner who could help them accelerate a range of new products to market. It was clear that speed and execution would determine the outcome — first and best would win the contract.

The Brandenburg team didn’t hesitate. They aligned quickly across functions, sharpened their plan, and committed to delivering at a pace that would set us apart.

And they won.

13 Products. 4 Months.

What happened next was nothing short of spectacular.

In just four months, the Brandenburg plant commercialized 13 ChampionX products.

To put that in perspective: their annual goal was three new products per year. Typical lead time per product? Six to twelve months.

“We slowed down to speed up with our intense planning,” said Tom Parcell, Site Leader, Brandenburg. “The first few were definitely challenging. But by the time we hit number 13, it had become second nature. From SAP setup to production coordination — we knew exactly what needed to happen.”

Today, the plant is shipping 15+ trucks per month — well beyond the original 10-truck target discussed in those tough early conversations with ChampionX.

Cross-Functional Collaboration — and Then Some

“We talk about cross-functional collaboration a lot, but this was different,” said Alexandra Bledsoe, Production Manager. “This time, it really meant everybody.”

Process technology, manufacturing, supply chain, R&D, purchasing, accounting, sales, and operations were all engaged. Training was rolled out across the plant to ensure operators were confident and prepared. Communication cadence evolved; what started as weekly sales-plant alignment meetings has now become a valuable monthly rhythm — which has been valuable beyond this project.

“At first, it felt overwhelming,” said Alexandra. “There were so many moving parts. But once we aligned on priorities and improved communication, things started to click. We figured out how to move quickly without overwhelming the unit.”

Alexandra also emphasized the role of the operators.

“They were incredibly receptive and eager to make this work. Their willingness to adapt and execute made all the difference.”

Innovation Inside the Win

As production ramped up, the team identified another opportunity. Initially, we were purchasing key raw material precursors for these surfactants. But the team saw the potential to manufacture those internally.

That shift significantly increased margin and strengthened supply control.

“We’re still optimizing, but we’ve successfully produced batches internally,” said Brian Cooper, Principal Engineer. “That’s a major value win layered on top of the volume growth.”

Products that were new break-in batches just last quarter are now being ordered regularly, and two more are in progress.

A Partner That Can Win in the Ring

“When plant, technical, and sales teams are this aligned, customers feel it,” said Deb Schofner, Sales Director. “We didn’t just meet the opportunity — we demonstrated that Monument can help a partner race to market with confidence.”

At Brandenburg, the team has been rallying around 80s-inspired “Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out” visuals — a reminder that in the Oxides business, we’re ready to fight.

This win shows what that mindset looks like in practice. It’s about having the hard conversations. It’s about aligning across functions. It’s about protecting safety and quality while moving faster than we thought possible.

Most of all, it’s about proving that when the opportunity is in front of us, Monument doesn’t hesitate.

We step into the ring.

And we deliver.