As the largest vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) producer in the United States, OxyChem, the chemical subsidiary of Occidental, has facilities in the U.S., Canada and Latin America, and has five plants in the Houston Gulf Coast area, including its La Porte, Texas, location, which opened its doors in 1978.
Leading the La Porte facility is OxyChem’s La Porte VCM Plant Manager Todd Behne, whose passion for leadership is evident when he speaks of his team. “I’m responsible for leading a superb team that cultivates health, safety, environmental and security core values,” Behne said. “We work hard as a cohesive team to implement strategic projects and programs to improve operational process safety and reliability.”
Originally joining forces with OxyChem at La Porte VCM in 2006, Behne served as production superintendent until 2010. Following that stint, he was promoted to various positions at other OxyChem locations, including the Wichita, Kan., facility, the 2012-newly built New Johnsonville, Tenn., facility and the Geismar, La., facility, before coming full circle and finally returning back to his OxyChem starting point in 2017 as plant manager.
Prior to employment with OxyChem, Behne graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering. His first position out of college was a technical sales job with a small firm specializing in instrumentation and automation.
“For six years, I had the opportunity to work in central and southeast Tennessee in a variety of manufacturing industries, including chemical, pulp and paper, and food and beverage, to deliver process control solutions to improve plant productivity and reliability,” Behne said, recounting that during this time his goal was to gain experience to pursue a career working directly for a major chemical facility.
In 2000, Behne obtained a position working for Merck & Co., at an active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing facility in Albany, Ga. He worked in both project and maintenance engineering positions for three years, until progressing into a production leadership position in 2003, until the facility’s 2005 closing.
Never forgetting the difference it made in his own career to have strong and specific long-standing goals, Behne strives to instill this emphasis across all teams at the La Porte VCM site. “You must have long-term vision when you are leading any organization,” Behne said.
“You can never not lead,” is one of Behne’s favorite sayings. “Every interaction at any level of the organization is an opportunity to influence the culture and performance of your team,” he said. “Positive feedback is critical and often underutilized in our industry, while continuous coaching is a foundation to developing successful teams.”
He believes leaders should constantly look inside their organization for improvement opportunities and that these improvements must harness all aspects of personnel safety and development, compliance and sustainability, process safety, reliability and cost savings. Behne feels that setting and communicating short-term goals in order to achieve a longterm vision helps gain alignment between cross-functional teams and ensures traction to continuously improve an organization.
“You can never stop learning. Our industry is continually evolving through technology, innovation and personnel development strategies. We will continue to research and be open to new ideas and pathways for continuous improvement,” Behne said, noting, however, that one of the greatest challenges to this continued progress as a company and industry in Houston continues to be workforce development.
“OxyChem is focused on supporting our communities and local workforce with high paying jobs in the fields of engineering, maintenance and operations,” Behne said. “To support our growth, we partner with local schools through career days, safety fairs, plant tours and internships to ensure we will have the skilled resources to increase our staff.”
In addition to these partnerships, La Porte VCM leaders and employees are proud of their relationship with the La Porte community. As an OSHA Voluntary Protection Program Star worksite since 1997, Behne said the plant is committed to ensuring the health, safety and security of its workers and nearby communities, while protecting the environment.
Just a few of the ways Behne stays abreast of his community and industry are by serving as a member of the board of directors for both East Harris County Manufacturers Association, an organization that focuses on safety responsibility and economic growth, and the La Porte-Bayshore Chamber of Commerce. Further demonstrating its commitment to EHS&S, the La Porte site is also an American Chemistry Council Responsible Care® certified facility.
“We have been extremely successful in implementing a pre-work verification system that we call Core 4,” Behne said, explaining further that the system focuses on four key elements: Clearly identifying the scope of work; identifying any potential job-site hazards; verifying all of the isolation points; and confirming a zero-energy state to ensure clear communication and safe performance of work tasks.
La Porte VCM supports multiple local charitable organizations and community events and employees also provide leadership support with the city of La Porte’s Local Emergency Planning Committee and Channel Industries Mutual Aid.
“Most recently, as part of our commitment to the communities where we live and work, approximately 20 employees from the La Porte VCM facility volunteered to assist in the installation of sheathing and siding on a new home being built by the Bay Area Habitat for Humanity,” Behne said. “The future Habitat homeowner was also in attendance and had the chance to meet our team, and it was wonderful seeing the community connections that were made through volunteerism,” he said.
During the Economic Alliance’s recent Gulf Coast Industry Forum, Behne spoke about a significant additional investment by OxyChem which will modernize OxyChem’s Battleground facility and generate benefits for the surrounding community. OxyChem plans to invest over $1 billion at the Battleground facility, also in La Porte. “This project will support the long-term viability of the facility supporting well over 200 high-paying jobs while lowering the energy intensity of the products produced.”
He added that since it is a modernization project that uses newer technology, it will allow OxyChem to produce and supply a higher purity product that meets its customers’ needs. “Chlorine technology is used in drinking water purification, but is also an essential building block in medicines, pharmaceuticals, and crop sciences, and supports the business I’m in which manufactures plastics used in medical devices and long-lasting construction materials,” Behne said.
Behne is visibly proud of the work being done throughout OxyChem and at the La Porte VCM site. “We are dedicated to safeguarding our employees, benefitting neighboring communities, strengthening regional economies and advancing innovative solutions to global energy and environmental challenges. Our employees drive our commitment to serve as an innovative and sustainable leader in the effort to accelerate the successful transition to a low-carbon world.”
For more information, visit oxychem.com.