Carrie Phillips, the plant manager at Chevron Phillips Chemical in Orange, Texas, is responsible for the performance and culture at the facility and for making sure her team members have the resources they need to do their jobs.
Known for her competitive streak, Phillips said it became a driving force even from her childhood when she spent years as a gymnast, diver and a member of the track team but was also competitive in her schoolwork. "Pretty much every part of my life, I’m competitive in," she said.
CPChem’s Carrie Phillips: Driven by competition, defined by high standards
Carrie Phillips, Plant Manager, Chevron Phillips Chemical Orange
Phillips is a graduate of Texas A&M, where she earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in environmental engineering. She joined CPChem in 2011, eventually stepping into operations and was promoted to her current leadership role in January 2023.
Due to the myriad aspects of leadership "this opportunity has been my favorite job so far," Phillips said.
The Orange plant takes ethylene, which the plant receives via the pipeline, to make high-density plastic used to make milk jugs, detergent bottles and coffee containers, among other things. The polyethylene produced at the plant is also used in the manufacture of pipes for water systems.
Polyethylene pipe is one example of the essential products that CPChem makes. "Polyethylene pipe is the safest way to move water," she said. "These products are things that improve people’s quality of life."
CPChem’s Carrie Phillips: Driven by competition, defined by high standards
Chevron Phillips Chemical facility in Orange, Texas
In 2023, the plant produced more than 1 billion pounds of polyethylene, which made for a record-breaking year.
"That’s the first time this site has ever done that. It’s incredibly exciting, and this year we hope to do even better," Phillips said.
Next door to the 69-year-old Orange plant managed by Phillips, a major expansion project is underway — a JV between CPChem and QatarEnergy called the Golden Triangle Polymers project.
"The JV is in the building phase," Phillips said. "They are ready for a 2026 start which is super exciting for the company."
The two facilities are not integrated — Golden Triangle Polymers will supply ethylene into the grid, while the Orange plant can draw ethylene from it as needed.
The Orange plant focuses on reducing downtime and has made significant improvements to its gas-phase reactor and extruders. "We focus on how to continue reducing downtime, ensuring the best quality products for our customers," Phillips said.
Sustainability is woven into the business, Phillips said.
"We look at it two different ways, and the first is emissions. We implemented a flaring project this year that helps us automate the amount of nitrogen into the flare."
Another priority is sustainability initiatives, with one major highlight for the facility being the installation of a heel vacuum system, which allows the pellets — called heels — that are left in the several hundred returning rail cars from customers to be vacuumed out as resalable dry pellets.
The site previously washed the pellets out. Now, through the heel vacuum system, the plant recovers these pellets.
The Orange plant has also boasted several years of zero reportable injuries, a key metric to measure the facility against others in the industry and other assets across the CPChem portfolio.
"This requires dedication day in and day out," she said.
That success was achieved partly by utilizing stop work responsibilities, which the facility used to refer to as stop work authority.
CPChem’s Carrie Phillips: Driven by competition, defined by high standards
CPChem Orange Plant Manager Carrie Phillips celebrates the rollout of a new hazard recognition system, featuring the hazard-fighting Orange Crush character.
"We look at it as — it’s not that you have the authority to stop it, you have a responsibility to," Phillips said. "We are all a team and all part of that effort. We’re all in for the same thing, good quality, safe work every day, every minute of every day.
"It only takes one minute when you’re not doing what you’re supposed to be doing, and somebody gets hurt."
Being a good neighbor and steward in the community is important at the Orange plant, and one charity employees volunteer with is a nonprofits — Sleep in Heavenly Peace — which provides beds for children and families in need.
"We build them, deliver them and set them up," Phillips said. "You literally leave these children with a brand-new bed that they can sleep in right then. It’s so rewarding to me. We love seeing those kids’ faces and how excited they are. We have delivered over 100 beds in our area."
Phillips said her leadership style centers on surrounding herself with a talented team. A leader sets the tone for the whole team, she said, and poor attitudes can spread.
CPChem’s Carrie Phillips: Driven by competition, defined by high standards
CPChem Orange Plant Manager Carrie Phillips and CPChem Port Arthur Plant Manager Gary Parsley present a check for $265,010 to Buckner Children and Family Services from CPChem’s Charity Golf Tournament. The funds support foster care youth in Southeast Texas.
"I’ve learned over the years that if you can pull together talented, diverse teams and give them a voice in how we work together to accomplish our big goals, you can achieve those goals and have fun doing it," she said.
"It’s the leader’s job to set the weather for the team and if I come in mopey or down then that is contagious … but if I come in with high energy, a smile, and a ‘we can do it’ attitude then that also rubs off on the whole team."
Fostering a supportive culture at the Orange plant is important to Phillips, who said team members are more than just coworkers.
"Many at Orange will tell you they can locate me by just listening for my laugh because it’s big, loud and frequent," she said. "I also like to be out in the field or walking around and chatting with my team on how their work is going, how their family is, and their thoughts on how we could improve. I’m known for finishing most conversations by asking, ‘What do you need from me?’ or ‘What can I do for you today?’"
Phillips didn’t expect to have a career in STEM. She grew up in Colorado and in high school worked on the school newspaper. She imagined that journalism would be her career path. But with a father who had a career in engineering and a mother who was a math teacher, Phillips said she "comes by it naturally."
She mentors several employees and she advises those at the beginning of their career paths to say yes to as many opportunities as they can.
"Every step of a career doesn’t have to be on an upwards trajectory. If you desire to try something new or outside of your current area of expertise, first make your desires known and second, when that opportunity comes, be brave and take it," she said.
"Some great advice I got earlier in my career: If your next move isn’t equal parts exciting and scares the hell out of you, it’s not the right move."
Another thing she tells younger team members is to drive improvements and be open to feedback, and then implement the feedback.
"That 100% effort in your current role is how you earn the right to take that next step," Phillips said.
For more information, visit cpchem.com.
