As an ExxonMobil plant manager, a "successful day" for Bonnie Eckhart consists of everyone staying safe, the environment remaining protected, and operations being conducted reliably to positively affect the community and meet its needs.
Bonnie Eckhart, Port Allen Cluster Manager, ExxonMobil
In July 2021, ExxonMobil announced that Eckhart would be the Port Allen Cluster manager. In this role, Eckhart manages the facilities that make up the Port Allen, Louisiana, site, including the Port Allen Lubricants Plant and the new Port Allen Aviation Plant.
"Being a plant manager for ExxonMobil includes a wide-ranging set of responsibilities," she said. "I'm still getting used to this role. Each day offers many challenges and opportunities related to maintaining safe, reliable, efficient and quality operations."
A native Texan, Eckhart received her bachelor's degree in chemistry from Texas A&M University in 2002. She joined ExxonMobil that year as a chemist at the Beaumont Lubricants Plant. Eckhart served in various regional technical, controllers and Lubricants marketing roles until assuming the role of operations manager at the Port Allen Lubricants Plant in 2015. She returned to Houston in 2018 as Lubricants Automotive Category change manager and assumed the Americas Manufacturing Region Lubricants operations support manager role in 2019.
On a personal note, Eckhart is married to her husband, Richard, also an ExxonMobil employee, and they have one daughter, Kennedy.
With the Lubricants and Aviation Plants, the ExxonMobil Port Allen Cluster provides jobs for more than 200 employees and contractor personnel. The Lubricants facility was founded in 1990 and is the third largest ExxonMobil lubricants facility in the world.
"The modern lube blending, packaging and warehouse operation provides engine oils, industrial lubricants, and aviation piston and process oils to customers throughout the world," Eckhart said. "Sitting on 50 acres west of the Mississippi River, the facility has 8.3 acres under its roof and produces 103 blended products."
The Aviation facility opened in 2015 and began commercial production in 2016. This facility produces 5.2 million gallons of three different types of commercial aviation lubricants annually.
"One of the most exciting pieces of news at our site is the exciting growth opportunities at the Aviation facility," Eckhart said. "ExxonMobil has been named the sole aviation lubricants supplier for Avelo Airlines, and this site will produce the gas turbine lubricants as part of this agreement. Additionally, the Lubricants site is in the process of becoming a manufacturing location of Mobil's premier passenger vehicle lubricant, Mobil 1, providing supply chain efficiencies and increased supply reliability.
"We also have various improvements planned for the site over the coming years. These improvements will help us be more agile and flexible in responding to ever-changing industry and customer demands. As our business is very customer-focused, it's imperative that we can respond quickly to the changing needs of the market."
Eckhart believes the transportation industry is growing globally, especially in the Asia Pacific region where a middle class is emerging with needs for more efficient vehicles and the ability to travel for leisure.
"Locally, we're partnering with smaller airlines that can provide reliable travel experiences at a reduced consumer cost," she said. "As the demand for transportation grows and changes, and as we all work to reduce emissions, we will adapt our products to support more energy-efficient, lightweight vehicles. We will also provide lubricants that last longer and support our sustainability focus areas."
The ExxonMobil Port Allen Cluster includes the Lubricants Plant and Aviation Plant and provides jobs for more than 200 employees and contractor personnel.
A leadership framework
According to Eckhart, ExxonMobil's leadership framework has provided her with many of the important skills needed for her position.
"This framework has three major components designed to mutually reinforce one another and sustain our position as one of the world's largest and most profitable companies in our industry," she said. "'Fundamental Business Principles' ensures disciplined decision making processes that are underpinned by strong ethical behavior. 'Essential Personal Qualities of Leaders' ensures humility, creativity and analytical capabilities foster innovation and interpersonal effectiveness. Finally, our 'Leadership Behaviors' create ownership of and commitment to the organization's purpose and priorities consistent with the general interest."
Eckhart emphasized that the application of these important skills has helped bring investment to Baton Rouge and Louisiana as a whole.
"Our site has had the opportunity to engage externally with our diverse stakeholders, communicating our local economic and social impacts," she explained. "When our community understands the important role we play locally, they can be our advocates to create a strong, long-term business environment. My job is to translate our strategy into a vision that every employee and the community can understand and support."
As far as challenges, the biggest one Eckhart has faced as a plant manager has been keeping employees healthy and safe during the pandemic.
"We are working through these unique, unprecedented challenges," she said. "We have strict protocols to keep our employees safe and healthy, while also continuing to encourage and provide them with tools to protect themselves and their families. The site has been able to continue to operate safely throughout the COVID-19 pandemic."
Eckhart is proud of the Port Allen site's safety record, and the site has not experienced a recordable injury in over two years.
"I attribute this success to the strong safety culture of the company and the commitment of the leadership and employees at this facility," she said. "'Nobody Gets Hurt' is our No. 1 goal. We do this by ensuring our employees are properly trained, setting clear expectations for following procedures and understanding the factors that impact human performance. Working safely is not an option. It is our responsibility to come in every day and ensure these expectations are met."
'Direct' community service
According to Eckhart, "direct" community service is also a core characteristic of the site's culture and team.
"Because we are located in the town of Port Allen, our employees volunteer their time and skillsets to serve students at local schools," she said. "They also engage in a variety of United Way volunteer opportunities, ranging from food banks and home rebuilds to participating in the Capital Area United Way's signature event, Season of Caring, which convenes a variety of local leaders to collectively serve the needs of our community."
Eckhart has also donated her time and efforts to several organizations over the years. These include the United Way, West Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce, Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance and the local Community Dialogue Group.
"As the largest taxpayer in the state, it's important to be a part of these organizations to ensure the effective coordination of communicating our local and state impacts," Eckhart said. "Organizations such as the United Way offer us an opportunity to have 'ears on the ground' in spaces where ExxonMobil can be a pivotal player in supporting economic revitalization through investments in social programs."
Going forward, Eckhart stressed that the Port Allen site must maintain its excellent safety performance and achieve its goal of Nobody Gets Hurt.
"We must have an environment where our folks are motivated, inspired and enjoy coming to work," she said. "We want to foster a workplace culture where everyone can develop, excel and contribute to the overall objective. We will also continue to identify ways to lower operating costs and improve productivity and reliability, while also maintaining our customer focus."
For more information, visit www.exxonmobilbr.com or call (225) 977-3400.
