If an individual is interested in becoming a site leader at a refinery, being a chemical or mechanical engineer is the base educational prerequisite across the industry.
That's why Armando Lara earned his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Houston, a master's degree in chemical engineering from Texas A&M University and an MBA from Rice University.
Armando Lara, Site Leader — Edison Plant, LyondellBasell
But according to Lara, who has been the site leader at LyondellBasell's Edison plant since March 2021, the most essential tool in a plant manager's toolbox, particularly in the chemical industry, is "an acute awareness of the potential health and safety impacts on the people and environment in the community." In addition, communication and organization, along with a strategic vision, are also factors for success in this role.
Lara explained, "He or she needs to have the ability to say, 'Here's what we're doing today, but what else do we need to do today in order to be great tomorrow?' Not everybody has that ability. That's something I've worked to develop, because it's definitely something that is necessary to be successful in this environment."
The Edison Plant is a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that produces polyethylene and polypropylene catalysts used in the manufacturing of automotive parts, plastic toys, containers, home furnishings and medical supplies.
"Making catalysts is largely unknown to the public, but it is essential to the production of polyethylene and polypropylene, which is what people know of as 'plastics of different kinds,' as well as other special materials," he said.
"Quality drives the Edison plant," Lara proudly stated.
"As industry trends toward lower, more efficient utilization of fuels and decreasing utilization of refined fuels, the industry will rely a lot more on efficient, responsible producers of special materials, especially plastics of different kinds," he said.
As a result, Lara believes the need for an efficient and environmentally responsible catalyst producer like the Edison Plant will become increasingly important.
LyondellBasell’s Edison Plant was built in 1929 and sits on 100 acres in Edison, New Jersey
"Even though we may be described as small, we're actually a steady, forward-looking contributor to the community -- not only in terms of revenues and taxes and those sort of [economic] contributions, but also being a reliable source of employment for our community," he said. "That's something that's very hard for some people to connect to, especially as refiners across the industry are shutting down or selling their refineries, which are great sources of employment."
Lara reported that a recent expansion to the plant will not only allow Edison to produce more product, but also "allow us to make non-phthalate catalysts.
"The new plastic grades allow us to broaden our portfolio to produce plastics that have a much broader applicability," he said. "These are the catalysts for making classic plastics. LyondellBasell recently invested in the Edison Plant through an expansion project to increase catalyst production. This project will help better serve our customers globally as LyondellBasell continues to stay focused on meeting customers' demands."
Plant pride
Lara takes great pride in the fact that the Edison plant itself functions as a social resource not only in terms of its output as an internationally used product, but also locally as a source of employment and a community unto itself.
When the Edison Plant celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2019, it became obvious that working at Edison is a family affair.
"We have people here who have been working at the plant, on average, for more than 30 years," Lara said, who has worked for LyondellBasell for 10 years. "Our employees belong to multiple generations of true artists at making catalysts; they've been involved in this production for decades. One gentleman has been here for 45 years, and his brother has worked here for 43 years in the maintenance department. We also have a group of three generations within operations: a great uncle, his nephew and the son of his nephew."
Lara cites a tight geographic community as advantageous to the "family feel" experienced at Edison.
"A large portion of Edison's workers live within four or five miles of the plant, and their children go to school here," he said. "A lot of the people who work at Edison are literally part of the community, both inside and outside the plant."
Lara finds an even greater sense of pride in the role Edison plays as a site.
"We're small compared to other manufacturing plants, but our impact can be greater because of how we contribute to the global and local economies," he said. "At the same time, we're such a natural piece of the Edison community; we're the 'backyard' of the community.
"We're so well-lit that we look like a stadium [at night], and we're a great source of employment. These things give me a huge sense of pride to be a part of Edison."
Lara said the company strives to be transparent in its operations and to really make connections within the community.
"In the role that we play, we want to be good corporate citizens," he said. "At the end of the day, we're your neighbor."
In case of emergency
Demonstrating the plant's neighborly spirit, Edison's emergency response team and emergency management plan "have strengthened to a level that has never been achieved before, and continues to strengthen its partnership through not only its work in the community, but also through LyondellBasell's corporate groups.
"Part of the reason why this plant was given the funding and the capital is to double its capacity because we've been reliable," he said.
Lara pointed to the fact that Edison has been a high-quality producer for the industry for decades.
"We enjoy over a 99.99-percent utilization of our product," he said. "There has been almost zero waste generated from our products for decades. That's part of the reason why LyondellBasell decided to build the 'next one' in Edison."
Lara said he is confident that the demand for the products the plant makes ensures that it will be a valued part of the Edison community, as well as the greater global community, for years to come. The Edison Plant, an essential catalyst supplier for applications such as medical supplies, operated 24/7 during the pandemic.
"I see people buying phones, televisions, cars and more as if we're running out of them," Lara said. "And then we have the Edison plant, which has the capability of producing the catalyst to produce those materials. We produce the catalyst that produces the materials that the world wants, and we do it in an increasingly environmentally friendly and responsible way. To me, that connection is hard for people to make. We may be small, but our punch is super strong."
For more information, visit www.lyondellbasell.com or call (732) 777-2269.
