John Hutcherson says Flint Hills Resources (FHR) took a risk in hiring him as plant manager of its Houston operations in June 2018, but since then, he has proven it a risk worth taking by driving the site to continuous improvement and extending its already impeccable safety record.
"They took a bet on me to lead the site without a college degree, which puts me in a small minority for a company this size in this business," Hutcherson said. "They believed I could provide the leadership needed to take our site to the next level. They've provided me with the support to be successful. I'm very thankful that they took that bet."
Today, Hutcherson leads FHR Houston by working daily with the management team to assess and manage risk that could impact plant safety and environmental performance. He also ensures the site is financially responsible by driving the "Market- Based Management" culture, a management system that drives long-term success by using the principles of a free society and enables employees to maximize their potential and contributions toward site goals and objectives.
In order to be successful in his position, Hutcherson said "you must be willing to be a servant leader."
"As a plant manager, it's my goal to help all the groups be successful," he explained. "I've started spending more time in the support group meetings asking for feedback and learning the challenges they face so I can understand their needs and find ways to support them."
One way Hutcherson hopes to lead by serving is investing in the future of the site's workforce. "The most significant challenge for the plant is the attrition of experience over the next few years," he said. "When we started the plant, we attracted some of the top talent in the area and the average experience level was 20-25 years. We're starting to see more retirements and expect to see a large number over the next five years. We help support San Jacinto College and other technical programs in the area with the goal to maintain a high skill level and knowledge of the process and equipment so the next generation will continue to have a safe and profitable place to work. One of our employees is an instructor at San Jacinto College, and we host an instrument and installation training for their students at Flint Hills Resources so they can get hands-on experience."
Another way Hutcherson leads by serving at FHR Houston is ensuring the safety of everyone on-site -- both employees and contractors. "We started the plant with a strong safety focus and built a culture of high expectations for personal and process safety and have maintained that expectation as the plant has matured," he said. "We've always believed that success with personal and process safety comes from a strong sense of personal ownership by everyone -- line, staff, admin -- and that comes from management providing the right support and resources, walking the talk, and providing everyone the authority and accountability to raise safety concerns of any type and to stop work or challenge anything not aligned with our safety-first culture."
The site's contractors have had zero recordable or lost time injuries in the past five years, and one of the contractors recently received a "Best in Class" award for general contractors presented by the Houston Business Roundtable.
"We treat our contractors with respect and hold them accountable for their safety performance, including them in all our safety program processes at the site so they have a clear understanding of the expectations we, as well as their owner companies, have for them," Hutcherson explained. "Contractors also participate in the site's Safety Awareness Action Team. We have set a very high standard for plant housekeeping and maintenance and believe that high standard sets the tone for our plant safety performance. Visitors to our site give us very positive feedback on the condition of the plant."
The site also complies with OSHA's Process Safety Management program, which provides a framework for understanding and properly managing a petrochemical plant. Since plant startup in 2010, the site has been the recipient of multiple safety recognition awards from AFPM, including the Safety Achievement Award and the Merit Award.
'Continue raising the bar'
Looking ahead, Hutcherson said, continuous improvement is his goal for the FHR Houston site while it remains under his leadership.
"I think it's important for me and the current leadership team to continue raising the bar at our facility to continuously improve in all phases of plant operations," he remarked. "Our site has a lot of talented young people who are willing to do what it takes to be successful, so it's our job to help them get there. By listening to them and allowing them to help us improve as we responsibly mentor them, Flint Hills Resources continues to be a safe and profitable plant now and into the future."
The next step in this process of continuous improvement is FHR Houston's next scheduled turnaround in January 2020. "Flint Hills Resources acquired this site in 2014 and we continue to make many improvements to it," Hutcherson said. "We are preparing for our next plant turnaround in January to change our reactor catalyst and make some scheduled plant repairs.
"We continuously look for ways to optimize and improve the plant's operations. We plan to make some changes that will improve our plant reliability in the January turnaround, and we're studying a new generation of catalyst that could improve overall production over the lifecycle of the catalyst run."
The Houston site's primary product is propylene, a raw material used to manufacture items such as nylon, fibers, tires, carpets, detergents, containers, packaging, and caps and closures. Petrologistics started the plant in 2010 as the first propane dehydrogenation propylene producer in the U.S. and one of the largest "on purpose" propylene producers in the world.
Hutcherson said that, with the recent increase in construction of new operating units and plant expansions in the Houston area, "the future looks very good for the industry."
"But I think that it also comes with many challenges," he added. "Our industry must continue to improve, as well as continue to attract talented young engineers and craft workers. This industry is very competitive, so companies will need to find ways to make their products more attractive than the alternatives."
'Engage with neighbors'
Hutcherson serves on the boards of the East Harris County Manufacturers Association and Texas Chemical Council and participates in various committees that further the long-term success of the industry.
"I enjoy being engaged with our industrial neighbors and community organizations and aim to maintain strong relationships with them," he said. "I have many connections in the industry that have been fostered through honest communication over the years, so I learn and improve through those relationships.
"We feel it's very important to communicate with the community so they understand anything that could impact them, including more traffic than usual or a plant upset that might involve unusual flaring or noise."
The Houston site maintains a presence at monthly Houston Community Advisory Panel meetings to give plant updates and hear from the community. It also stays connected with the Oak Meadows Civic Club, the closest subdivision to the site, and sponsors the STEM-based exhibit called "How Does It Work?" at the Children's Museum of Houston, which has a full-time science teacher inside the exhibit to help children with their science questions and ideas.
"Each year, we sponsor field trips for over 400 elementary students from Houston and Port Arthur to the Children's Museum, and we also bring the museum to the local schools through 'Family Stars' events, a science- based, hands-on learning experience for parents and their children. For high school students, we award scholarships to seniors who plan to pursue a career in a STEM field. We support the Salvation Army and our local YMCA throughout the year, especially during Christmas for the YMCA's Angel Tree Program. We recently donated $20,000 to local emergency responders for safety equipment through the Flint Hills Resources Helping Heroes Program, and we also help sponsor a fire training school for the State Firefighters' and State Marshals' Association (SFFMA).
"Last fall, we were honored to receive the East End Chamber's Outstanding Corporate Citizen Award. We firmly believe in being good neighbors and supporting our community."
Flint Hills Resources Houston 9822 La Porte Freeway Houston, Texas 77017 (713) 740-3900 www.fhr.com
