The Heritage Group (THG) and Monument Chemical are thrilled to host the annual Chemical Innovation Exchange Conference (CIEX) at the THG Center October 24 and 25, 2024. CIEX is designed for C-level R&D, Innovation, and Sustainability experts from the consumer, industrial, and specialty chemical sectors. Now in its 10th edition, CIEX is focused on creating value by bringing together the right people, fostering synergies, and actively facilitating connections among potential partners. (You can learn more about CIEX here.)

We recently sat down with Sibel Selcuk, EVP, Research & Development, THG, and Sarves Peri, VP and Business Leader, Monument Chemical Renewables & Fuels, to spotlight their excitement and insights about the conference, what they hope to share with attendees, and how they envision CIEX as a catalyst for advancing industry innovation. As they prepare for this landmark event, both leaders emphasize that CIEX will be instrumental in building the "runway" for future growth and collaboration in the industries we serve – setting the stage for transformative progress and sustainable solutions.

What excites you the most about the opportunity for THG to host CIEX at our Indianapolis location?

Sibel: I attended CIEX in Europe for the past three years, and I have been very impressed with the level of attendance and engagement, the diversity of attendees and topics, and the collaboration and networking that happens both during and after the event. I’m so proud that CIEX has entrusted THG to host this prestigious event at the Center; it’s truly what the Center was designed for – to nurture diverse connections and purposeful collaboration.

Sarves: From Monument Chemical’s perspective, we’re eager for the opportunity to share our vision and key wins from our new Renewables & Fuels business. It’s an exciting time to work in the chemical industry, particularly because of the sustainable solutions that are driving innovation across industries – construction, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, transportation, electronics, and more. We see the CIEX conference a great opportunity to exchange ideas about how we can continue to deliver positive change.

How does hosting the CIEX conference support THG’s strategic goals?

Sibel: This conference supports two of THG’s “Shared Bets” across our family of companies: Innovation and Sustainability. By engaging in meaningful discussions and strengthening our strategic partnership at CIEX, we can accelerate our progress in both innovation and sustainability – supporting our many efforts to transform ambitious ideas into actionable solutions that benefit our THG businesses and our customers.

Sarves: For Monument, the collaboration at CIEX will allow us to test and calibrate our business strategy with key industry leaders – especially for our Renewables & Fuels business. Sustainability needs and drivers are changing rapidly, and our CIEX connections will help us refine our business strategy to deliver impactful, forward-thinking solutions to our customers.

How are THG and Monument leading the way in sustainable practices, and what can attendees expect to learn from us?

Sarves: Our sustainable innovation and capabilities fit into three distinct areas. First, we go above and beyond across our sites to operate more sustainably by minimizing our resource usage – water, energy, and raw materials – while maximizing efficiency across our processes. As a recent example, thanks to the support of our colleagues in Belgium, we achieved ISCC certification at our Port Arthur facility in Houston. The certification verifies our efforts to reduce Greenhouse Gases (GHG) and establish sustainable production through fully traceable supply chains.

Second, we are investing in circularity – and finding creative ways to repurpose waste into valuable products for our customers.

And third, Monument is playing a key role in innovating bio-based products and green solutions that are much more sustainable than their petrochemical counterparts to support global decarbonization efforts.

Sibel: THG and Monument are uniquely positioned in the market to see both sides of sustainability: as a producer and a buyer. I think that’s a big part of why we were talking about sustainability long before it was “hot.” The Heritage Research Group, as an example, has spent 45+ years solving sustainability challenges for companies across industries.

Our diverse perspectives allow us to speak to many facets of sustainability – and to engage in the conversation from multiple angles to help drive meaningful innovation and change.

Let’s dig into Monument’s sustainability capabilities a bit further. What are some of the most exciting innovations happening across Monument’s portfolio?

Sarves: Let’s start with the launch of the Monument Renewables & Fuels business, which was created to support the fundamental change taking shape in renewable fuels around the world.We all know that many big industry players are setting high-reaching sustainability goals; as an example, most major airlines have committed to increasing their use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) over the next decade – with an ultimate goal of carbon neutrality. These high-reaching sustainability goals are inspirational and commendable, but they will rely on the shared commitment of everyone in the supply chain to make change possible. Monument is well positioned to be a key part of this change, and we are driving innovation that supports these ambitious sustainability goals – whether it’s by developing advanced bio-based products or ensuring a consistent and scalable supply of sustainable fuels like SAF.

As another example, Monument’s Solvents business specializes in a full line of green solvents that go into a wide variety of applications, from personal care to electronics. We’re always exploring new ways to enhance the sustainability of our products without compromising performance – so that we can keep pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for our customers.

Sibel: We’re especially excited that Monument’s CEO, Paul Raymond, is a featured speaker at CIEX, and he will share insights on Monument’s sustainability journey to innovate and commercialize green chemistry. We very much look forward to the discussions that will follow his session!

How do you anticipate the conference will drive innovation and growth in the broader chemical industry?

Sarves: Far-reaching sustainability goals can often seem nebulous – more “blue sky” than a tangible reality. However, as teams and companies start innovating toward those goals, the path forward becomes clearer. Conferences like CIEX are invaluable because they bring together the innovators who can share diverse, concrete examples to help others grasp what's possible. By collaborating and exchanging ideas, we collectively build a clear and actionable “runway” for the industry to drive momentum in sustainability and accelerate growth.

Sibel: CIEX has been – and will continue to be – proof that the old adage is true: together, we can achieve more than we ever could alone. We’re all looking forward to the insights, best practices, tangible wins, and connections we’ll gather at this year’s CIEX event – all of which will undoubtedly contribute to our shared efforts to build our “runway” for the future!

Register for CIEX here. We are pleased to offer you the opportunity to use the THG discount code (THG15) for special pricing.

If you have any questions about the event, please reach out to Heather Willits ([email protected]). We look forward to seeing you at CIEX and building the future of sustainable innovation together!