Braskem is the leading producer of polypropylene in North America, with six production plants located in Texas, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Its recently completed polypropylene plant in La Porte, Texas, is the largest polypropylene production line by volume in the Americas.
Mark Nikolish, CEO, Braskem America
"North America has not seen any new polypropylene plants since 2008, so we saw a direct need to bring vital additional production capacity to help meet rising client demand for the long term," Nikolich explained. "It is an incredibly interesting time for the polyolefins industry right now, and while COVID-19 has challenged our nation and economy, the long-term opportunities are moving the industry forward in very positive ways."
Braskem also has a new Global Export Hub in the Port of Charleston, South Carolina, targeted to open in the third quarter of 2020 to support exports of polypropylene and specialty polymers to Braskem clients worldwide.
During the recent shutdowns due to the pandemic, Braskem maintained polymer manufacturing operations as it was considered an "essential business."
"As CEO, I had to ensure we delivered on two critical priorities," Nikolich said. "First and foremost was protecting the health and safety of our team members, and second was keeping the supply chain open to support the nation's critical needs for polymers."
Maintaining production was vital for America's front-line medical workers. Medical manufacturers depend on polypropylene as the primary raw material in N95 respiratory masks and medical protective gear such as medical gowns, so it was vital for Braskem's operations to stay open. To make things easier, Braskem had manufacturing resiliency through "livein" teams who volunteered to reside at key manufacturing plants for 28 straight days, working in 12-hour shifts as manufacturing ran 24/7. There were more team volunteers than requested, and Nikolich said their camaraderie during the pandemic was inspiring.
"The way our team has come together during COVID-19 has been amazing," he said.
Braskem also provided increased wages to all team members supporting the "live-in," and the company achieved its goals of team safety and meeting the need for critical supplies.
'Opportunistic adventures'
Although he was born in Nashville, Tennessee, Nikolich spent 10 years living overseas in Switzerland, Germany and England before the age of 23. He has since been a long-time resident of Wilmington, Delaware.
Nikolich earned a Bachelor of Arts in business management, marketing and finance, as well as a minor in German, at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. He subsequently completed executive leadership programs at Columbia University's business school and the Wharton School. Once out of college, Nikolich's first job was with Himont/Montell Polyolefins in Wilmington. He credits this role with breaking him into polyolefins and specialty plastics.
Braskem's newly completed La Porte, Texas, polypropylene plant is the largest polypropylene production line by volume in the Americas.
"I spent my early career in commercial, supply chain and product management roles, providing valuable experience across multiple polymer chains and vertical market segments," Nikolich said. "Seeking out positions across multiple disciplines and regions gave me learning opportunities that provided a great foundation of industry knowledge as well as intercultural and interpersonal skills.
"I attribute my success to multiple factors. I didn't have the technical knowledge when I first started in this industry 32 years ago, which drove me to learn and utilize other skills."
Nikolich also credits his career achievements to two mentors who challenged, guided and trusted in him.
"They were both very tough, provoking, and pushed me to learn and improve, while always being there to support me when I most needed it. They helped me understand my weaknesses, allowing me to grow," he explained.
For those just starting their careers, Nikolich recommended having a goal while also realizing there are limitless ways to achieve that goal; his career is an example of that.
"My career has had fewer calculated moves than those that have been opportunistic adventures," he elaborated. "In many cases, I feel people should follow their instincts instead of sticking to a structured plan."
Another word of advice he shared was to "remember that up is not always the best direction."
Creating a sustainable legacy
As leader of Braskem America, Nikolich aspires to take not only the company to new heights, but also the industry as a whole.
"Our industry comes from a structured, hierarchical, antiquated and complex work environment that lacked diversity," he said. "The industries and businesses that are agile, diverse, collaborative and flexible will win over the next 20 years. We need to continue to change in these dimensions to attract and retain the best talent to be successful.
"I would like my legacy to be that I influenced a fundamental and necessary change in our business in the areas of diversity and inclusion, a progressive work environment and digitization."
While COVID-19 has brought difficulties all around, Nikolich believes it has also created long-term opportunities for the industry, driven by advances in sustainability and innovation. Among those opportunities, Braskem recently committed to be a lead founding member of the Polypropylene Recycling Coalition, an initiative of The Recycling Partnership whose ultimate goal is for 100 percent of all plastic packaging to be reused, recycled or recovered by 2040 - supported by the view that post-consumer plastic is not waste, but instead a valuable resource.
"With that goal in mind, Braskem recognizes that there's also more work to be done to develop end-markets for recycled polypropylene and recycled polyethylene," Nikolich added.
The industry's biggest hurdle now, he explained, will be moving toward a more sustainable future - not only for the industry, but also for society at large. Braskem is deeply committed to driving its operations toward a more sustainable future through the company's vision for a low-carbon circular economy.
"We began our journey by establishing Braskem as the worldwide leader and largest producer of plant-based biopolymers," Nikolich explained. To create these "I'm Green" biopolymers, Braskem uses sugarcane and a process that actually removes carbon from the atmosphere. For every ton of "I'm Green" sugarcane-based biopolymer produced, Braskem captures 3 metric tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. The biopolymers produce plastic, which can be fully recycled through traditional community curbside pickup, helping to create a more circular economy.
For more information, visit www.braskem.com/usa.
