We’ve all seen the feel-good movie or read an inspiring article or book about the  “low man on the totem pole” or the “little guy,” bursting with drive and ambition, who climbs his way up the corporate ladder or charges his way onto a football field (“Rudy! Rudy!”). You naturally find yourself rooting for the person, wanting to see that happy — and successful — ending.

John Martinez, plant manager responsible for several key facilities within Air Products West Gulf Coast franchise, was that guy at one time, with his very own cheering section.

After six years in the Navy as a nuclear reactor operator, Martinez went to work for a cogeneration power company in Northern California. He joined Air Products in 1995 as part of a start-up team for a new world-class scale hydrogen production facility in Martinez, Calif. Hired as a mechanical technician, Martinez attended college in the evenings and was fortunate to have a supportive plant manager who encouraged him to get into operations. 

He was sent to support new plant commissioning activities and in 2001 was promoted to a site supervisor. In late 2003 he was transferred to Air Products’ franchise in Houston, assuming his current role as a plant manager. 

“My progression within the organization is really a testament to Air Products and the corporation’s philosophy of recognizing and rewarding employees based on their performance,” Martinez said. “I started in this company at a truly entry-level position and have never felt that I was not fully supported in achieving any goal or level that I desired.”

Martinez’s well-earned path into management gives him an advantage in his position — he has played a role in so many different aspects of the organization, giving him an in-depth appreciation for all facets of a plant’s operations. 

No. 1 responsibility
As La Porte HyCO plant manager, Martinez’s responsibilities include all aspects of plant operations for Air Products’ La Porte, Texas, HyCO plant; Pasadena, Texas, steam methane reformer (SMR) plant; and several smaller offgas hydrogen plants in the region.

But, Martinez said, a large part of his responsibility is ensuring that Air Products’ corporate safety culture is executed through its safety programs and procedures.

“This is really the first responsibility of every employee at Air Products — something that we all take very seriously,” he said.

Martinez agrees that interpersonal and communication skills play an important factor in any management position but said there is more to it.

“Today, managing is not enough — you have to lead,” he said. “Strong transformational leadership skills are essential to support and execute continuous change as part of what has become a truly global marketplace. 

“And as my father used to say, ‘Attention to detail doesn’t hurt either’.”

History lesson: Innovation and safety
Air Products was founded by the late Leonard P. Pool in 1940 on the strength of a simple but then revolutionary idea: the “on-site” concept of producing and selling industrial gases, primarily oxygen. 

Today, Air Products serves customers in industrial, energy, technology and healthcare markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance materials, and equipment and services.

The La Porte site has been in operation since 1969 and contains two main production facilities — its atmospheric gases facility that produces oxygen, nitrogen and argon, and its HyCO production facility that produces carbon monoxide, hydrogen, syngas and steam. The La Porte facility is connected to Air Products’ extensive pipeline network of more than 400 miles, reaching as far south as Freeport, Texas, and as far east as Lake Charles, La.

From the beginning, Pool also set a standard for safety that has been carried on throughout Air Products’ history. The company is a member of the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care® program and has several plant sites certified under the program. For 2006, the company had a recordable rate of 0.74 and a lost time incident (LTI) of 0.09, both of which Martinez is very proud. 

“That being said, we strongly feel we can improve upon these results and have focused our efforts accordingly,” he said.

Martinez said the company’s success in safety is predicated on the safety culture that Pool established from the onset. Pool was quoted as saying, “Nothing is more important than safety; not production, not profits, not anything.” 

“Our safety culture is what defines us as a company,” Martinez said.

The company continues to focus on this basic principle through the implementation and execution of safety programs, such as Basic Safety Process (BSP), which is a structured system aimed at improving safety through incident prevention that requires all individuals, from plant operators to office personnel to homecare technicians, to work safely.

Requirements of BSP include participation in monthly safety meetings, one-on-one safety contacts with other employees, participation in accident investigations, reporting near misses, and proposing safety suggestions to reduce risks. Employees are accountable for identifying potentially hazardous situations and unsafe behaviors and taking actions to correct them before they cause accidents. At Air Products, these important safety steps are known as Accident Predictive Techniques (APTs).

“We are emphasizing behavior-based APTs where employees who are engaged in a task quickly recognize steps they can take to improve their own and others’ safety,” Martinez said.

Steeped in stewardship
In addition to safety, environmental performance is very important to Air Products and one of the main objectives Martinez established for himself when he arrived at the La Porte site. 

As a company, in 2006, Air Products’ environmental compliance performance improved significantly from the prior year. The total number of environmental incidents was down 33 percent, and the incidents were lower in severity. Locally the total number of environmental incidents in 2007 is down 60 percent from last year. 

“We recognize our role in the environment and continuously work hard to reduce our footprint,” Martinez said. “We also look for ways to bring environmental value to our customers.” 

For example, Martinez said, high purity hydrogen — one of the main products from the La Porte site — plays a larger role in the environment.

“Our customers rely on hydrogen to remove sulfur from transportation fuels, which makes them cleaner burning to meet EPA Clean Air regulations and significantly reduces associated smog and air pollutants,” he said.

Air Products also has a longstanding tradition of supporting and helping the communities where it has a significant presence and the communities where its employees and their families live and work. Corporate wide, Air Products invests approximately $5 million annually in grants to community organizations.

“Our support is through the dedication of our volunteers who give their skills and time to help their communities and through our charitable contributions,” Martinez said.

Taking challenges in stride
From a personal perspective, Martinez said he is challenged in achieving a work/life balance, “something we all struggle with.” (He is also working on his MBA — a longtime personal goal.)

“I am fortunate because I have a very supportive wife and family, and I have support from Air Products’ senior management,” he said.

From a professional perspective, Martinez said he faces not only a continuously changing North American demographic but also a global marketplace that impacts everything the company does. 

One of the greatest challenges is driving the on-stream performance of the company’s plants to meet today’s customer reliability requirements.

“Gone are the days where less than 100-percent reliability is acceptable,” he said. “The on-stream performance of our facilities has a profound impact on the global supply chain, so we are striving to meet reliability metrics that are virtually unheard of in our industry.”

As a result, Air Products has changed the way it approaches even its everyday plant operations. This includes employing the use of a total quality management approach, such as incorporating continuous improvement tools to aid in everything from decision-making to troubleshooting. 

“The good news is we are delivering those results and continue to make progress — we want to make sure that any supply chain that we are an integral part of is never limited by, but only benefits from, our presence and reliable performance,” Martinez said.