Newsletter - SGS Petroleum Service Corporation
Transcription
Newsletter - SGS Petroleum Service Corporation
THe Connection PUBLISHED BY SGS PETROLEUM SERVICE CORPORATION FOR ITS EMPLOYEES Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 A SALUTE TO OUR AWARD WINNERS & NOMINEES On February 12th, the SGS Petroleum Service Corporation leadership group gathered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to recognize and honor employees and work groups that stood out as the “best of the best” in 2014. The highlight of the evening was the announcement of the winners of the D.H. Haymon Award and the Cecil Johnson Customer Service Award. Each award recipient was presented with an engraved crystal plaque, and their photos will be displayed in our Baton Rouge and Texas offices along with photos of past award winners. Read more about our 2014 award winners on pages 4–7. A list of all the employees who were nominated for D.H. Haymon and Cecil Johnson awards can be found on page 8. During the annual Leadership Workshop, Safety and Environmental Excellence Awards were presented to the supervisors of 56 work groups that completed the calendar year with no recordable injuries, environmental incidents or derailments. See page 10 for a list of these winning groups. We are pleased to honor these outstanding employees and work groups and extend our congratulatory wishes to them and all the award nominees for their hard work, commitment, and dedication to excellence. THE “BEST OF THE BEST” The D.H. Haymon Award, given annually since 1998, serves to recognize and honor non-supervisory employees who have demonstrated leadership, hard work, dedication, and concern for others — the signature qualities of PSC’s founder for whom the award is named. The winners of the D.H. Haymon Award for 2014 are: Jamison David (ExxonMobil Chemical – Baton Rouge, LA), Pat Dupin (Louisiana Tankerman Group), Bob Holley (Houston Dock Group), Joe Kallus (Dow – La Porte, TX), Jason Martin (Dow West Virginia Operations), and Kenny Morvant (Dow St. Charles – Hahnville, LA). Named for a longtime former PSC employee, the Cecil Johnson Customer Service Award is given annually to a supervisor, manager, dispatcher, or office employee for customer service leadership and initiative, responsiveness, knowledge, courtesy, empathy, and reliability. HSE Manager Jimmy Stockton from our Baton Rouge Office was selected as the Cecil Johnson Customer Service Award winner for 2014. Pictured with CEO Brian Haymon are our D.H. Haymon Award winners for 2014: (l. to r.) Pat Dupin, Jamison David, Kenny Morvant, Jason Martin, and Joe Kallus. Not pictured is D.H. Haymon Award winner Bob Holley. Cecil Johnson Customer Service Award Winner Jimmy Stockton (center) is shown with VP of Operational Excellence Adam Gilmore and Brian Haymon. SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter AS I SEE IT. . . By Brian Haymon, CEO Our guests came away with a great appreciation for the challenging work we do, and the conditions under which we do it (it was an unusually cold day). Above all, I think they were impressed with the significant risk PSC manages, how well we manage it, and the overall positive spirit and professionalism of our employees. We ended the visit having lunch overlooking the Houston Ship Channel. Frankie and his team were clearly pleased with what they had seen and heard, and they endorsed our PSC path forward: keep a steady hand on the wheel, strive for excellence in all that we do, and continue to listen to our customers as we seek new opportunities for growth. I recently had the honor of welcoming to PSC the incoming CEO of SGS, Frankie Ng. Frankie is replacing Chris Kirk, who is stepping down as CEO after eight years. Chris has been a good friend to PSC, and we wish him well as he transitions to a seat on the SGS Board of Directors and pursues other outside interests. I first met Frankie in 2006. Like many SGS leaders, he is international and multicultural. Frankie was born in Hong Kong and moved to Geneva at age seven. He is fluent in several languages and has worked for SGS for more than 20 years in various assignments around the world. Elsewhere in PSC, the news is generally very positive. I say “generally” because we have had some recent setbacks, all in our crude-by-rail operations. Falling crude prices have led to cutbacks in production and fewer shipments. As a result, several of our crude-by-rail customers made the decision to reduce staffing, including some PSC positions. While this news was disappointing, we were able to place nearly all of the affected employees at other PSC operations nearby. The price of oil has always been volatile, and if prices recover, we may see these positions return. Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 P. 2 Otherwise, we continue to see healthy growth, both at existing sites and in new locations. At one of our longest running jobs, CF Industries along the Lower Mississippi River, we recently added more than 30 positions as part of a major plant expansion. At PBF Energy in Paulsboro, New Jersey, we will soon commence new rail switching work, increasing the size of our group there by about 50 percent. We have been at PBF for five years, operating the dock and performing in-plant loading. PBF management’s confidence in our team, led by Bill Quinn, was the primary reason we were selected to replace the incumbent switching contractor. If you ever land at the Philadelphia airport, you can see the PBF refinery just across the Delaware River. We are also in startup mode at several new sites. In February we began operating the dock at the Valero refinery in Memphis. This is the first time we have placed a permanent work group in Memphis. We have seven tankermen who operate the Valero dock, and they also load and unload barges for our towing customers in the Memphis area. With a tankerman presence in Memphis, PSC now services every major port along the Mississippi-Ohio river system, from New Orleans to Pittsburgh. Continued on Page 3 Frankie and new Chief Financial Officer Carla De Geyseleer came to Houston in late February on a tour of major SGS operations (PSC is the largest SGS business in North America). Frankie and Carla, together with other SGS leaders from Geneva, New Jersey, and Houston, spent a morning at our Pasadena office. I, and others from our management team, gave them an overview of PSC. The group then toured the Dow Deer Park facility to see our rail and truck loading operation there. The entire PSC team at Deer Park did a spectacular job. Their job knowledge, passion about safety, and commitment to excellence were evident and impressive. Pictured with Brian during the SGS leaders’ visit to Pasadena are (l. to r.) SGS North America CFO Mike Briganti, SGS SVP of Legal & Compliance Olivier Merkt, SGS North America COO Jeff McDonald, PSC VP of Business Development Houston Haymon, SGS CFO Carla De Geyseleer, SGS U.S. Managing Director Kimmo Fuller, SGS CEO Frankie Ng, and PSC COO Joel Dickerson. SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter Continued from Page 2 Nestled in the mountains of West Virginia, just down the Ohio River from Pittsburgh, we started a small rail switching operation in February at the Bayer plant in New Martinsville. Much of the credit for this work goes to the PSC team at Bayer in Baytown, Texas, whose good work over the past several years helped earn the confidence of Bayer’s management. New Martinsville is our second plant operation in West Virginia; the other is at Dow in Institute. We are also very excited to announce two additional operations, both involving crude-by-rail, and both in parts of the country where we are not presently working. In Joliet, Illinois, just south of Chicago, we are set to commence operations at a new terminal owned by Arc Logistics Partners. PSC operators will receive crude by rail from Canada, offload it into storage tanks, and then send it via pipeline to a local refinery. About 15 PSC employees are scheduled to start there in April. The other place where we will soon plant the PSC flag is in North Dakota. NorthStar Midstream, based in Minneapolis, is building a crude-by-rail facility near Williston, just east of the Montana border. This will be our first crude-by-rail loading Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 P. 3 operation. It is expected to commence later this spring with an initial staff of about 15 employees. Each of these new jobs requires a tremendous amount of effort to start up and transition to normal operations. I want to thank those PSC leaders who are spending time away from home, helping lay the foundation for long-term success. To our new employees everywhere, I extend a warm welcome and wish you a safe, successful, and long career at PSC. OUR NEW TCA GRADUATES We’re pleased to recognize the newest graduates of our Tankerman Career Academy. On February 9th in Houston, Texas, they were honored at a dinner in celebration of the completion of their fourmonth training program. Shown below are some photos taken during the graduation celebration. We wish these new tankerman much success in their careers with PSC! Congrats to our new Tankerman Career Academy graduates: (front row, l. to r.) Jonathan Shreve, Otis Lettries, Thang Nguyen, Michael Ewing, Ernest Martin, Ricky Carraway, and Robert Williams; (back row, l. to r.) Michael Lovfald, Michael Pulido, Juan Almaguer, Ruperto Adames, Shane Coleman, Jeffrey Williams, Todd McRay, Ryan McLane, Devin Simonds, Bryan Betros, and Joshua Barnes. Not pictured is Danny Dupas. SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 P. 4 D.H. Haymon Award Winners JAMISON DAVID Since joining the PSC family four years ago, Jamison David has earned a reputation for being a hard worker who goes above and beyond expectations to get the job done, and get it done PAT DUPIN safely. Jamison began his PSC career as a Warehouse Technician in the HFU Department at ExxonMobil Chemical in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He now serves as a team leader for the work group. He was nominated for the D.H. Haymon Award by his co-worker Troy Turner. dependable. He is always at work when scheduled and always on time. He cares for his co-workers, and he makes sure that the entire team goes home the same way they came to work,” said Supervisor Chris Garon during the awards presentation. “Jamison is reliable and his work performance speaks volumes. Sometimes his hard work is overlooked because he doesn’t beat his own drum, but he definitely deserves to have a spotlight shining on him,” wrote Troy in his award nomination for Jamison. “He also exhibits teamwork. He’s always there for his peers who are reaching out for assistance when they’re doing their job tasks,” added Chris. “Our co-workers know that if there’s something that needs to be done, who are you going to call? Not Ghost Busters. You call Jamison,” he added. “Jamison possesses all the important attributes that it takes to win such a prestigious award, including being Since he was hired as a tankerman trainee in 1999, Pat has become a reliable and trusted member of the Louisiana Tankerman Group. “I was Pat’s supervisor during his training and for several years of his employment. He’s always had my back and everyone else’s. He will always go the extra mile for the customer and his co-workers,” wrote Jack Satterwhite in his award nomination for Pat. Operations Manager Roman Firmin describes Pat Dupin as a dedicated worker and the “go-to” guy on the job. Many of Pat’s co-workers who nominated him for the D.H. Haymon award agree. “Thanks to my fellow co-workers for nominating me for this award,” said Jamison at the awards presentation. “I’m honored and blessed to have been selected. I will do my best to keep up the good work.” “Pat’s professionalism with our tankermen, as well as tankermen from other companies, is to be commended, and should be bottled if it could be,” added Gary Ray. “He is good at speaking with people in a way that makes you want to be his friend.” During the award presentation, Roman recalled how Pat came to work for PSC. “My wife was working with Pat’s wife at that time, and she asked me to get him a job at PSC. I told Randy Thoms this guy was going to use my name on his application, but not to hold it against me because I really don’t know anything about him,” joked Roman. “I’m happy he did apply, because he has proven to be an exceptional employee, and it’s been a real pleasure having him working for us.” “Thank you, Roman, for coming by and dropping off that application. It’s changed my whole life,” said Pat. “It’s a privilege and honor to be nominated for this award, and I would like to thank those who voted for me. I would especially like to thank my lovely wife Kim for her patience and understanding for the irregular hours I work. I am also grateful for a company like PSC giving me the ability to support my family these 15 years.” SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 P. 5 D.H. Haymon Award Winners BOB HOLLEY PSC career as a tankerman in 1991. For the past several years he has worked in our Houston Dock Group in a permanent dock operator position at Axiall (formerly Georgia Gulf) in Pasadena, Texas. “The years of experience and knowledge that Bob brings to the job as a tankerman and dock operator are always helpful during safety meetings, as Bob shares past stories of how things used to be,” wrote Deon. “His input allows us to reflect on how far the dock group has come.” In nominating Bob Holley for the D.H. Haymon Award, Supervisor Deon Singleton cited Bob’s dependability and dedication to PSC and our customers over the past 24 years. Bob began his JOE KALLUS Deon also credited Bob with maintaining a great relationship with Axiall leaders and plant operators. “The Axiall plant personnel always speak very highly of Bob,” added Deon. “He’s been hands-on helping with every Coast Guard inspection there over the past 10 years, and each inspection has passed with flying colors.” award, Joe lacks none,” wrote Robert. “Anyone who knows Joe knows he is a person of high integrity. He works hard in everything he does, takes pride in his accomplishments, and without compromise, he exhibits dedication to PSC and our customer.” Joe has been with PSC since the startup of our Dow Houston Hub operations in 2010. He started as a dock operator and now serves as a team leader at the Dow site in La Porte, Texas. When Supervisor Robert Andrade nominated Joe Kallus for the D.H. Haymon Award, he said Joe was an easy choice. “Though there are a number of characteristics listed to qualify for the “He has been the backbone of delivering four years of injury-free performance,” said Operations Manager Les Boudwin in his award nomination for Joe. “He was recently recognized by Dow for his role in helping the work group set a new record for pounds of material loaded in a single month.” Operations Manager Robert Neuman recalled working with Bob in their early days with PSC. “He came here about six months after I did, and we worked together on several jobs. He’s a very knowledgeable employee and one of those you sometimes forget even works here because you just don’t ever hear anything negative about him,” said Robert. “In fact, Axiall Manager Denise O’Brian has commented that Bob can’t retire until after she retires. She really thinks the world of Bob.” Bob was unable to attend the awards banquet due to his wife being in the hospital. A private awards presentation has been planned for a later date. Robert and Les both talked about how Joe can always be counted on to lend a helping hand to his co-workers, providing valuable experience and reassurance during stressful situations. “He takes the new hires under his belt, sharing his more than 30 years of experience and knowledge of procedures. He’s the first guy in the building at 4:30 a.m., and often times Joe’s the last guy out of the gate at night. We’re fortunate to have a man of his caliber on our team,” said Les. “I want to say thanks to Les, Mr. Haymon, Robert, and all my co-workers,” said Joe upon accepting his award. “SGS is a real safety-oriented company. As long as I’ve been in this business, I haven’t worked for a company that cares for their employees like SGS.” SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 P. 6 D.H. Haymon Award Winners JASON MARTIN “When someone asks about Jason Martin, I tell ‘em he’s probably better than me,“ said Operations Manager Fred Tackett in presenting Jason with the D.H. Haymon Award. kenny morvant Jason was hired by PSC in 2012 to serve as a shuttle driver for the startup of our operations at the Dow site in Institute, West Virginia. “We quickly witnessed Jason’s talent and dedication to the procedures he created. So, we moved him to a more challenging role at our busy west tank rack — a position he mastered,” said Fred. “Then we promoted him to a leadman role in one of our warehouses, where he showed creativity and leadership and got accolades from our customer.” Jason now serves as the Safety and Training Coordinator for the group. “His dedication to safety and performance has led to his division achieving more than 300,000 manhours worked with no OSHA recordable injuries, no lost time injuries, and no derailments,” said Fred. Kenny has worked for PSC since 2006, starting out as a loader for our Dow St. Charles work group in Hahnville, Louisiana. He now serves as a leadman for the work group. In presenting the award to Kenny, Site Supervisor Jason Blanchard talked of the leadership and value he brings to the Dow St. Charles operation. “Kenny has worked on several of the different loading racks and is very experienced. He’s real involved in the training process, and thank God that we do have him,” said Jason. “He’s made a lot of sacrifices in his personal life to do his job, and I’m pleased to be able to recognize him tonight with this award.” Imagine working more than 1,200 hours of overtime, never complaining, or missing one day of work. That impressive level of commitment exhibited by Kenny Morvant was among the reasons meriting his selection as a D.H. Haymon Award winner. Supervisor Jan Cressionie nominated Kenny for the D.H. Haymon Award and also spoke during the award presentation. “Since day one, we knew Kenny was going to be a great employee, because he’s eager to learn and eager to lead. He When PSC’s operations for Dow expanded in Kentucky, Jason spent more than four months there helping to interview, hire, and train new employees. “He did all this right before his wedding in October. Thank you Sara for allowing us to borrow Jason while you planned your special day,” added Fred. “First and foremost, let me tell you what an honor it is to receive this award. Fred and Rob, you guys are like brothers... We’ve enjoyed successes and embraced challenges together,” said Jason. “I also want to thank my wife. She supported me and handled all the wedding planning while I was out of town. I want to thank PSC for getting me out of that!” does an excellent job and is one of the most dedicated employees I have ever worked with,” said Jan. “Kenny is a model employee and an inspiration to so many, and he is very well respected at the site by his peers and our co-workers. I want to thank him for his dedication and for giving his all to keep the operation running as smoothly as possible.” “It’s a great honor to receive this award tonight. I’m truly grateful and very, very thankful to have been trained by some of the best people in PSC. They took the time and patience to guide me,” said Kenny. “I am also really blessed to have an understanding wife who supports me and understands the demands of my job.” SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 P. 7 Cecil Johnson Customer Service Award JIMMY STOCKTON “He works long and irregular hours in responding to accidents and meeting our employees at medical clinics and the hospital. Our employees trust him because he carefully listens to their concerns and reassures them that the company will do everything possible to get them the help they need,” wrote Jacquelyne. “No matter how thorough a guide book you can give to employees, nothing’s more effective in those situations than the calm, personal touch of someone who knows what to do, and more importantly, someone who sincerely cares about their well-being,“ said VP of Operational Excellence Adam Gilmore in presenting the award to Jimmy. In nominating Jimmy Stockton for the Cecil Johnson Customer Service Award, VP of Administration Jacquelyne Janneck referred to him as “a great ambassador for PSC who genuinely cares about people and is passionate about their well-being.” Those sentiments have been echoed in other award nominations submitted on Jimmy’s behalf over the past three years. Jimmy came to PSC in February 2007, bringing with him nearly 10 years of experience at Dow in Plaquemine, Louisiana, where he had been working for another contractor as a loader and team leader. He served in our Dow work group as the Liquids Loading Supervisor and Safety Training Supervisor until November 2008, when he took on a Safety Leader role in our Baton Rouge Office. In the summer of 2013, he was promoted to the position of HSE Manager for our Louisiana and Mississippi operations. Jimmy’s primary role is to serve employees at times when they need it most — after a workplace injury, when they’re scared and have a lot of questions. It’s a tough job at times, but one that Jimmy takes very seriously. “Maintaining that calm and reassuring way about him, especially in emotional situations, is a true hallmark of Jimmy’s character,” said Adam. “He has a simple philosophy: treat this injured person as if he or she was part of your own family, because they are. They’re part of the PSC family. In my time here, I don’t think I’ve met anyone here who believes more passionately about the concept and strength of the PSC family than Jimmy Stockton.” “Wow! I didn’t expect this. It all comes out of love and respect for everybody. I‘m truly honored to be standing among all you great people,” said Jimmy in accepting his award. “When I was hired for the HSE job, I remember Brian Haymon asking me how I was going to keep our employees safe,” said Jimmy. “I told him that it was pretty clear to me that the family-style atmosphere works. I said that I’d take as much of that as I could and combine it with what I’ve learned from all these great leaders that I’ve been blessed to work with here, and I’d use use all that to take care of our family.” Jimmy also took the opportunity to thank Dari, his wife of 26 years. “My true heroes are my family. I think of them when I’m helping to take care of one of our employees. I try to treat them with the same respect and concern that I’d want my family members to receive,” said Jimmy. “I‘m truly honored to represent this great company.” Here are some excerpts from other award nominations for Jimmy that were submitted by his co-workers: •• “Jimmy puts PSC at the top and continuously supports safety with a smile on his face.” •• “Jimmy has handled two very serious injuries where we needed to ensure the right care was being given, communicate with family members, and get accurate information from the employee, all while keeping our customer informed. It’s a complex, emotional situation that can be very draining. But Jimmy always handled himself with the utmost professionalism.” Jimmy is well-known for volunteering his time to cook jambalaya and other tasty dishes for United Way fundraisers and other company events. He is shown here with Site Leader Jason Blanchard. SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 P. 8 Congrats to all our award nominees! In addition to the award winners featured in this issue, we want to take an opportunity to recognize all the employees who were nominated by their co-workers for our 2014 awards program. D.H. HAYMON AWARD NOMINEES: •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• Steve Allen – Shintech, Plaquemine, LA Justin Aucoin – Dow St. Charles, Hahnville, LA Dwayne Benoit – Chevron, Pasadena, TX Rick Blaylock – Valero, Corpus Christi, TX Clark Booty – CF Industries, Donaldsonville, LA David Brooks – Valero, Corpus Christi, TX Allan Brown – INVISTA, Chattanooga, TN Nathan Brown – LA Tankerman Group Benjamin Bryant – Dow Houston Hub Ted Castillo – TPC, Houston, TX Anthony Chandler – Dow West Virginia Operations Jeremiah Clarkson – Dow West Virginia Operations Jamie Cortez – Dow St. Charles, Hahnville, LA Jeremiah Coulter – Port Arthur Tankerman Group Dustin Danos – LA Tankerman Group Alfonso Garcia – Valero, Corpus Christi, TX Juan Garcia – Flint Hills Resources, Corpus Christi, TX Stephen Garcia – Dow, Seadrift, TX Eric Guerra – Flint Hills Resources, Corpus Christi, TX Charlie Harmon – Louisiana Tankerman Group Greg Haston – Dow West Virginia Micah Huff – Dow West Virginia Macon Jarreau – Alon, Krotz Springs, LA Wyketric Johnson – Dow, Plaquemine, LA Benjamin Lindsay – Dow Houston Hub •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• Richie Manchester – Dow West Virginia James Mathis – CITGO, Lake Charles, LA Richard Neudek – South Texas Dock Group Kenny Olson – BHP, Point Comfort, TX Andrew Parrino – Dow, Plaquemine, LA Virgel Parker – Dow, Freeport, TX Raymond Patterson – Dow, Freeport, TX Brett Payne – Dow, Plaquemine, LA Julian Poe – Dow West Virginia CJ Populis – LA Tankerman Group Cecil Pritt – Dow West Virginia Andrew Ricks – Dow West Virginia Brian Roy – CITGO, Lake Charles, LA Harry Schnoor – LA Tankerman Group Chris Shinault – Dow West Virginia Rymel Short – Dow West Virginia Jonathan Smith – Dow West Virginia Robert Snyder – Dow West Virginia Jesse Sonora – ExxonMobil, Baytown, TX La’Marcus Spikes – LyondellBassell, Channelview, TX Mychal Spurlock – Dow West Virginia Curtis Stevenson – Dow West Virginia Daryl Vaughan – Corpus Christi Tankerman Group Johnny Vicknair – Marathon, Garyville, LA Kelvin Walker – Dow St. Charles, Hahnville, LA Sean Walker – INVISTA, Chattanooga, TN Cody Washington – Dow West Virginia Wayne Weber – NuStar, St. James, LA James Williams – Total, La Porte, TX CECIL JOHNSON AWARD NOMINEES: •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• Jack Berry – Corpus Christi Office Michael Bordelon – Dow, Freeport, TX Pete Budo – Dispatch Bill Chidester – Baton Rouge Office Mason Dela Cruz – Houston Tankerman Group Scott Derbyshire – Canada Robert Franks – Pasadena Office Ric Fuentes – Dow, Plaquemine, LA Eric Garon – Baton Rouge Office Glenn Gillaspia III – Dow, Freeport, TX Larry Glynn – Baton Rouge Office Terry Hawkins – Canada Cindy Hill – Baton Rouge Office Jimmy Horn – Baton Rouge Office Tracy Jackson – Baton Rouge Office Andrew Jarreau – Dispatch Robert Kerber – Dow West Virginia Ryan Landry – Axiall, Plaquemine, LA Kiki Lane – Baton Rouge Office Dan LaPrairie – Pasadena Office Connie Leal – Corpus Christi Office Glenda Lyssy – Baton Rouge Office Sosha McDonald – Baton Rouge Office Andy Merrett – Baton Rouge Office Nathan Pinter – Houston Dock Group Gary Ray – LA Tankerman Group Andra Royall – Pasadena Office Jody Scott – Baton Rouge Office Pat Settoon – CF Industries, Donaldsonville, LA Deon Singleton – Pasadena Office Fred Tackett – Non-Gulf Operations Randy Thoms – Baton Rouge Office Keisha Tassin – Baton Rouge Office SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 P. 9 SNAPSHOTS FROM the LEADERSHIP SOCIAL FOOTLOOSE & FANCY FREE! On February 12th while our company leaders were participating in the Leadership Workshop, a large group of their spouses and significant others (shown below) headed over to Ric Seeling’s Dance Studio in Baton Rouge for some “training” of their own. In keeping with Mardi Gras season, the participants were given white napkins, umbrellas, and purple, green, and gold boas for their first lesson — a traditional “second line” dance. Lesson two focused on the techniques of traditional Salsa dance. The last lesson of the morning was for the ever popular “Wobble,” a contagious dance that draws people to the dance floor. Even the bus driver came into the studio and got his Wobble on! Following all the shimmying and shaking, the gang enjoyed lunch together before heading back to the hotel to get ready for the Leadership Social that evening. Special thanks to Natalie Kliebert for serving as our roving reporter and photographer for this event. Additional photos can be found in the “Event Gallery” of our website at PSCjobs.com. DOOR PRIZE WINNER Chad Rami was the lucky winner of the top door prize given in conjunction with our recent United Way pledge drive in Louisiana. His name was picked among all those who made a pledge during the campaign. He received a $1,000 Walmart gift card presented by Administrative Assistant Rachel Burke. Chad works as a loader for our Rubicon work group in Geismar. SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 P. 10 SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS Congratulations to the employees and supervisors of the work groups/departments listed below that received the SGS Petroleum Service Corporation Safety and Environmental Excellence Award for 2014. This award is given to groups that worked throughout the year without a recordable injury, environmental incident, or derailment. •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• Alon – Krotz Springs, LA Axiall – Lake Charles, LA Axiall – Plaquemine, LA BHP/PetroHawk – Point Comfort, TX BP – Decatur, AL Canada – Dartmouth Canada – Edmonton Canada – ExxonMobil, Point Tupper Canada – Finch Canada – Sarnia Canada – Winnipeg Chalmette Refining – Chalmette, LA Chevron – Orange, TX Chevron Cedar Bayou SIT – Baytown, TX Dow – St. Louis, KY Dow (Chemical Loading) – Seadrift, TX Dow (Oyster Creek) – Freeport, TX Dow (Plant A) – Freeport, TX Dow (Plant B) – Freeport, TX •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• Dow Bayport – Pasadena, TX Dow LAO (Dock) – Plaquemine, LA Dow LAO (Loading) – Plaquemine, LA Dow LAO (Warehouse) – Plaquemine, LA Dow SCO (Poly) – Hahnville, LA DuPont Burnside – Darrow, LA ExxonMobil – Beaumont, TX ExxonMobil (Warehouse HFU) – Baton Rouge, LA ExxonMobil (Warehouse VFU) – Baton Rouge, LA ExxonMobil BRPO – Baton Rouge, LA Gulf Gateway Terminal – New Orleans, LA Helen G/166 Fleet Honeywell – Geismar, LA INEOS – Green Lake, TX INEOS – Plaquemine, LA INVISTA – Chattanooga, TN Kentucky Tankerman Group •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• Louisiana Dock Group LBC – Houston, TX LyondellBassell – Channelview, TX Motiva – Sour Lake, TX MS/AL Tankerman Group NuStar – St. James, LA NuStar – Texas City, TX NuStar Red Fish Bay – Aransas Pass, TX Oxy Battleground – La Porte, TX Paulsboro Refining – Paulsboro, NJ Praxair – Moss Bluff, TX Shell – Geismar, LA Shell – Houma, LA Shintech – Freeport, TX South Texas Dock Group TPC – Houston, TX Upper Ohio Tankerman Group Valero – Corpus Christi, TX Valero – Texas City, TX Valero St. Charles – Norco, LA A 5-Star award from united way For the second year in a row, PSC has been selected as one of five Baton Rougearea companies to receive the Capital Area United Way’s 5-Star Award. This award recognizes companies that fully support the United Way and the community with major gifts at the leadership level, a corporate donation, strong workforce campaign with at least one fundraising event sponsored, and participation in various volunteer projects. Special thanks to the following individuals who served on our 2014 United Way Campaign Committee: Meagan Anderson, Lauren Grundy-Byrd, Melissa Charlet, Shelley Delapasse, Joann Fridge, Eric Garon, Andy Merrett, Jody Scott, and Jimmy Stockton. As a result of the “Free-Dress Fridays” fundraiser in our BR Office last fall, we were able to purchase a 55-inch television for the Raven’s Outreach Center. The shelter, located just a few blocks from our office, provides housing and other services for 50 veterans who would otherwise be homeless. Shown here are some of our UW Campaign Committee members with staff and residents of Raven House. SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter SAFE SWITCHING AWARDS The rail switching work groups shown below received “Safe Switching Awards” for achieving the following operating performance milestones during the year: •• •• •• •• Zero recordable injuries in switching operations; Less than one behavior-based derailment per 10,000 cars shipped; Zero sideswipes; Less than one property damage incident over $1,400 per 10,000 cars shipped. First-year winners receive an SGS PSC model locomotive to display at their worksites. Second-year winners receive an SGS PSC model tank car to add to their award displays. FIRST-YEAR WINNERS: SECOND-YEAR WINNERS: •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• Axiall – Plaquemine, LA Chalmette Refining – Chalmette, LA Dow – Freeport, TX Dow – St. Louis, KY Dow West Virginia Operations LBC – Houston, TX LyondellBasell – Channelview Marathon – Garyville, LA OxyVinyls – Deer Park, TX Targa Resources – Mt. Belvieu, TX Total – Carville, LA •• •• •• •• •• •• •• Chevron – Orange, TX Chevron Cedar Bayou SIT – Baytown, TX Dow – La Porte, TX ExxonMobil BRPO – Baton Rouge, LA Honeywell – Geismar, LA NuStar – St. James, LA Oxy Battleground – La Porte, TX Shell – Geismar, LA Shintech – Freeport, TX spreading holiday cheer The Corpus Christi work groups and office staff participated in a holiday community service project, collecting toys and monetary donations to help the Nueces County Community Action Agency. This agency is a non-profit organization that helps disadvantaged families with children. In addition to the toys, they were able to collect $640 to benefit children from 3-5 years of age. Our employees in the Flint Hills Resources work group contributed the most with a total of $305. Thanks to everyone who helped us with this worthwhile project! Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 ZERO DEFICIENCY AWARD winners PSC operates more than 75 dock facilities in the United States, with the work performed by employees in work groups based at the site or through our on–call dock groups. Each dock facility has to go through an extensive annual inspection by the Coast Guard, in addition to other spot checks during the year. Congratulations to our employees working at the facilities listed below for achieving 100% compliance during their Coast Guard inspections in 2014. •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• Shown here with some of the toys collected for the holiday community service project are (l. to r.) HSE Leader Kevin Craft, Nueces County Family Advocate Aixa Ortiz, HR Recruiting Team Leader Connie Leal, HR Recruiter Maria Slater, Administrative Assistant Liz Martinez, and South Texas Dock Group Supervisor Jesse Ruiz. P. 11 •• •• •• •• •• •• Alon – Krotz Springs, LA Americas Styrenics – St. James, LA Axiall – Plaquemine, LA BHP Billiton Seahawk – Point Comfort, TX BP – Port Allen, LA CF Industries – Donaldsonville, LA CITGO – Lake Charles, LA DAK Americas – St. James, LA Dow – Plaquemine, LA First Chemical – Pascagoula, MS Flint Hills Resources – Corpus Christi, TX Flint Hills Resources – Ingleside, TX Gulf Gateway Terminal – New Orleans, LA INEOS – Green Lake, TX INVISTA – Point Comfort, TX Marathon – Garyville, LA Occidental – Convent, LA Occidental – Mobile, AL OxyVinyls – Deer Park, TX Paulsboro Refining – Paulsboro, NJ Placid – Port Allen, LA Shell – Geismar, LA South Texas Dock Group Total – Carville, LA TPC – Houston, TX Valero St. Charles – Norco, LA SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 P. 12 Promotions and Supervisory Changes Marsha Ramsey has taken on the new title of VP, Learning and Development. This change will allow Marsha to focus on development and training throughout PSC, including training and support for existing leaders, as well as the next generation of PSC leaders. With this change, HR Director Sosha McDonald will take on some new responsibilities, including compliance and claims management. Marsha and Sosha will evolve in their new roles over the next several months. Dustin Pirtle has been promoted to the role of HSE Leader for our Louisiana operations. Dustin had been serving as the Safety & Training Coordinator for our Axiall work group in Plaquemine, LA. He has worked for PSC for 14 years. Over the past few months, we have expanded our railcar repair operations. To help us manage these new responsibilities, Brice Dorgan has been promoted to the role of Railcar Repair Quality Assurance Manager. Brice has been serving as the Quality Assurance Leader for our railcar repair groups at Axiall in Plaquemine and Total in Carville, LA. He also recently assumed a management role for our Axiall switching operation in Aberdeen, MS, which has a railcar repair component as well. Jason Brown has been promoted to the role of Site Supervisor for our LBC work group in Houston and our Targa Resources work group in Mont Belvieu, TX. Prior to this move, he had been serving as 2nd Tier Leader at Chevron Cedar Bayou. He has worked for PSC for seven years, starting out as a Switchman. Plaquemine. He has worked for PSC for four years. Also at Dow, Brandon Brown has been promoted from Switchman to Foreman. Brandon has worked for us at this site for four years. Chris Shinault has been promoted from Leadman to Safety & Training Coordinator for our Dow West Virginia Operations group. Chris first started as a Loader more than two years ago. Also at Dow WVO, Rymel Short, Bryan Watts, and Cody Washington have been promoted from Loader to Leadman roles. Rymel and Bryan have worked for PSC for more than a year, and Cody has been with us for more than two years. Elwood Delahoussey has been promoted from Dock Operator to Operations Coordinator for our Marathon group in Garyville, LA. He has been with PSC for two years. Corey Copeland has been promoted to Team Leader for our ExxonMobil Chemical group in Baton Rouge, LA. Corey started as a Loader and has been with PSC for three years. Also at ExxonMobil, Blake Gibson has been promoted from Loader to Leadman. He has been with PSC for six years. Pete Moreno has been promoted from Dock Operator to Leadman for our Valero group in Corpus Christi, TX. He has worked for PSC for two years. Miguel Mansios and Michael Socarras have been promoted to Leadman roles for our work group at Dow in Seadrift, TX. They have both worked for PSC for one year. Also at Dow Seadrift, Roy Morales has been promoted to Yardmaster. He has worked for PSC at the site for one year. Wilfred Dunham has been promoted to the role of EXP Department Supervisor at Dow St. Charles in Hahnville, LA. He has worked for PSC for 20 years. Charles Thomassie has been promoted from Switchman to Leadman for our LSR work group in Gramercy, LA. Charles joined the PSC family in November 2014. Luke Milstead has been promoted from Yardmaster to Safety & Training Coordinator for our Dow group in Darrell Conant and Brian Cannon have been promoted to Leadman roles for our Axiall work group in Plaquemine, LA. Darrell has worked for PSC for nearly two years, and Brian has been with us for more than one year. Darren Grigsby has been promoted from Loader to Team Leader for our Dow work group in Deer Park, TX. He has worked for PSC for five years. Enrique Zuniga has been promoted from Wash Rack Operator to Leadman for our Total work group in La Porte, TX. He first started with PSC as a Loader in 2011. Seth Coffey has been promoted to Leadman for our Oxy Battleground work group in La Porte, TX. He has worked for PSC for two years. Marvin LeBlanc has been promoted to Leadman for our Motiva work group in Convent, LA. He has worked as a Dock Operator for PSC for two years. Kevin Kelley was promoted to Leadman for the Chevron Cedar Bayou Plant work group in Baytown, TX. He previously worked in a railroad position at the Cedar Bayou SIT location. He has worked for PSC for four years. Shane Wilson has been promoted from Dock Operator to Leadman for our Flint Hills Resources work group in Corpus Christi, TX. He has worked for PSC for four years. Jackie Sims recently transferred from our LyondellBasell work group in Channelview to take a Leadman role for our Chevron work groups in Texas. He will float between the Pasadena, Cedar Bayou, and Orange locations. Jackie has been with PSC for one year. Cody Catney was promoted from Loader to Leadman for our ExxonMobil work group in Baytown, Texas. He has been with PSC for more than a year. John Manuel has been promoted from Utility Operator to Leadman for our CITGO work group in Lake Charles, LA. John joined the PSC team in July 2014. SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 P. 13 From our Customers I would like to recognize Maurice Sims for identifying an item and possibly preventing a potential loss at the HFU near robots 10 and 20. Maurice noticed that when unloading and loading tall boxes and crates into the cells of the robots, there is a potential for the forks to go past the guards in front of the robot and possibly damage the wiring necessary to run the robot. Maurice came up with the idea to add a stop plate between the guards in front of the robots to prevent the forks from going past the guards and damaging the robots. This is a good find as the result of a proper LPSA. We are glad to have people like this at the HFU who take ownership and leadership in all that they do. Once we were notified of the situation it was brought to the attention of the mechanical supervisors and the shift team leader…This attention to detail at the HFU will continue to keep us safe and aware of our surroundings. Richard L. Sullivan Process Mechanical Coordinator ExxonMobil Chemical Company Baton Rouge, LA I would like to thank Cornelius Johnson for his above-and-beyond contribution as part of the QC Laboratory Taste Testing Panel. There have been many days that the test results would not have been possible without his willingness to participate. The laboratory counts on volunteers to participate in our taste testing, and our number of volunteers has decreased over the years. His contribution as a member of this group is greatly appreciated. I also wanted to thank his Supervisor Jesse Fillingame for allowing Cornelius to participate in this activity. Linda M. Robinson QA Lab First Line Supervisor ExxonMobil Chemicals Baton Rouge Polyolefin Plant Baton Rouge, LA A SPECIAL TOUR GUIDE Rutger Beelarts, Shell Chemical’s General Manager of Higher Olefins, Alcohols and Ethoxylates, recently visited the Shell plant in Geismar, Louisiana, to learn more about the HSE program in place there. PSC employee Justin Champagne served as one of his tour guides. Justin is a Leadman in the Logistics department. The Shell executive was particularly interested in learning more about the safety procedures PSC employees use to prevent railcar leaks. “Justin showed me around and explained that before closing a railcar, they put some nitrogen on top. When the railcar is closed, they test it on leaks. That way they can be sure that the railcar is sealed properly,” wrote Mr. Beelarts in a Shell news update. “Justin said they had been doing this for several years. This best practice is something I can share with our crew…” We’d like to take this opportunity to give a shout out to Justin for being such a great tour guide and representative for PSC! an outstanding volunteer! Our CEO Brian Haymon was recently selected to receive a prestigious Volunteer Activist Award for his volunteer work in the non-profit sector. The award was presented by the Emerge Center, formerly known as the Baton Rouge Speech and Hearing Foundation. Brian was recognized for his significant contributions to LSU (especially the Honors College), Capital Area United Way, and the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, among others. Cordell Haymon, a 2008 Volunteer Activist Award recipient, had the honor of presenting the award to his brother at the awards banquet held in November. Safety Corner SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter P. 14 THE KEYS TO UNLOCKING WORLD-CLASS SAFETY PERFORMANCE rationalize your decision by thinking, “Why should I take the time and effort to get that corrected? Nobody else seems to care.” INTEGRITY Employee involvement is about holding ourselves and our co-workers to a higher standard of safety performance, and taking personal responsibility and ownership for our own safety, as well as the safety of others. Would you stand by and do nothing if one of your family members might be at risk of being injured? I think not. The bottom line is we all need to step up our safety game and become actively engaged in all aspects of our safety processes and programs. Can you imagine all of the injuries and incidents that have occurred within PSC over the years that could have been prevented if someone had simply gotten involved? Employee involvement is the only way we are ever going to achieve our goal of world-class safety performance. I have heard many definitions of integrity over the years, but the one I heard during a new employee orientation recently was by far the best. I asked a young man who had recently discharged from military service what integrity meant to him. His response was simple yet profound: “Do the right thing, even when nobody is watching.” Integrity is essentially the moral compass that guides each of us to do what is right and good. Integrity is what defines our character and ultimately what people think of us. It also defines what they think of our company as a whole, as we are all representatives of SGS Petroleum Service Corporation. It’s been said that perception is reality, and you never get a second chance to make a first impression. So, that is why it is so important to act with integrity at all times and maintain integrity in all that we do, because we never know who might be watching. When people see someone in an SGS PSC uniform, they are not seeing an individual. They are seeing SGS Petroleum Service Corporation. We simply cannot compromise personal integrity when it comes to safety. Our unity in purpose of sustaining world-class safety performance must be driven by an unwavering code of integrity, steadfast adherence to our safety values, and always doing the right thing, even when nobody is watching. EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT By Tom Johnson HSE Leader, Mid-Coast Texas Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 How many times have you witnessed a co-worker do something unsafe and thought to yourself, “Man, I really should say something before he/she gets hurt,” but instead you made the decision not to get involved? Have you ever noticed an unsafe condition in your work area and chose to ignore it, and then tried to LEADERSHIP AT ALL LEVELS Leadership at all levels is self-explanatory; we need leaders at all levels of our organization to ensure that we are consistently doing the right thing. That includes the new employee on his/her first day on the job, to the CEO and everyone in between. And here’s the best part of all — you don’t need a special title like Supervisor, Manager or Vice President to be a leader. All you need is personal integrity, initiative, and a can-do attitude. It’s said that enthusiasm is contagious. If that’s the case, then I hope every PSC employee catches it, because enthusiasm is considered to be a key leadership attribute. I look forward with great anticipation of the opportunities that lay ahead for SGS Petroleum Service Corporation. I know we can achieve our goal of world-class safety performance. I challenge all PSC employees to maintain a high level of integrity in all that we do, get involved with safety, and help lead this company to an unprecedented level of safety performance in 2015. SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 HAZARD RECOGNITION PROGRAM WINNERS Recent Safety Milestones We’re pleased to shine the spotlight on the 4th Quarter“Gold” and “Silver” award winners for our Hazard Recognition Program. The Gold winners each received a $500 award for their winning submissions, and the Silver winners received a $150 award. Congratulations and thanks for your efforts in making our workplaces safer for everyone! No Recordables P. 15 Yrs Chevron – Pascagoula, MS 14 Valero – Texas City, TX 14 Honeywell – Geismar, LA 12 Chalmette Refining – Chalmette, LA 7 QUARTERLY Gold Winners Monthly Silver Winners (cont‘d) Occidental – Taft, LA 7 •• •• •• Axiall – Lake Charles, LA 6 Chevron – Pasadena, TX 6 PBF Energy – Paulsboro, NJ 5 Port Arthur Tankerman Group 5 ExxonMobil BRPO – Baton Rouge, LA 4 INEOS – Plaquemine, LA 4 Occidental – Convent, LA 4 Valero – Corpus Christi, TX 4 Houston Dock Group 3 INVISTA – Chattanooga, TN 3 Shell – Houma, LA 3 Valero - Three Rivers, TX 3 Dow - Louisville, KY 2 Oxy Battleground - La Porte, TX 2 South Texas Dock Group 2 Total - La Porte, TX 2 Dow – Plaquemine, LA 1 El Dorado Nitrogen – Baytown, TX 1 •• •• •• Joshua Crocker – Oxy, Pasadena, TX Cory Fox – Chevron Cedar Bayou, Baytown, TX Freddie Gilchrist – BP, Decatur, AL Anthony Mack – Dow, Freeport, TX Marshall Sharp – Total, Carville, LA Monthly Silver Winners •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• Austin Bourke – Shintech, Plaquemine, LA Connie Breaud – ExxonMobil BRPO, Baton Rouge, LA Corey Copeland – ExxonMobil Chemical, Baton Rouge, LA Joshua Crocker – Oxy, Pasadena, TX Logan Cummins – MS/AL Tankerman Group Jacob Danford – Oxy, Taft, LA Jacob Falgout – Oxy, Taft, LA Cory Fox – Chevron Cedar Bayou, Baytown, TX Brandon Gaines – Paulsboro Refining, Paulsboro, NJ Freddie Gilchrist – BP, Decatur, AL Michael Haney – TPC, Houston, TX Christian Hernandez – Chevron Cedar Bayou, Baytown, TX •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• Chad Hill – Chevron Cedar Bayou, Baytown, TX Tyler Hill – OxyVinyls, Deer Park, TX Matthew Imme – Rubicon, Geismar, LA Alex Jackson – Houston Tankerman Group Derasmus Johnson – Total, Carville, LA Michael Johnson – Shintech, Plaquemine, LA Edward Kelly – Rubicon, Geismar, LA Anthony Mack – Dow, Freeport, TX Charles Pharms – TPC, Houston, TX Cecil Pritt Jr. – Dow, Louisville, KY Sam Saunders – INVISTA, Victoria, TX William Shankle – Chevron, Pasadena, TX Marshall Sharp – Total, Carville, LA Robert Snyder – Dow West Virginia La’Marcus Spikes – LyondellBassell, Channelview, TX Stephen Tomlinson – TPC, Houston, TX Brandon York – Bayer, Baytown, TX No spills Yrs Upper Ohio Tankerman Group 16 Port Arthur Tankerman Group 2 Corpus Christi Tankerman Group 1 Louisiana Tankerman Group 1 BRRR, THAT’S COLD! Supervisor Bill Quinn sent in this photo taken in late February at the Paulsboro Refining dock in Paulsboro, New Jersey. It’s been a particularly brutal winter, and we’d like to give a hearty round of applause to Bill’s crew and all our employees throughout the U.S. and Canada who have worked in less than ideal conditions over the past couple of months. Thanks for toughing it out and working safely and efficiently to keep product moving for our customers. Mother Nature, please give us a break and bring on spring! SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 P. 16 ANNIVERSARIES 35 Years 10 Years 5 Years (continued) •• •• •• •• Joann Fridge – Baton Rouge Office 30 Years •• Clark Booty – CF Industries, Donaldsonville, LA 25 Years •• •• Wayne Simoneaux – CF Industries, Donaldsonville, LA George LeBlanc – Dow, Plaquemine, LA 20 Years •• Chris Barton – Houston Tankerman Group •• •• •• •• 5 Years •• •• •• 15 Years •• •• •• •• •• •• •• Jeffery Brown – Valero St. Charles, Norco, LA Patti Fitzgerald – Baton Rouge Office Christopher Johnson – Dow, Plaquemine, LA Chester Wolf – Dow, Plaquemine, LA Kenneth Thompson – Shell, Geismar, LA Travis Holter – Motiva, Convent, LA Tony Lemelle – CITGO, Lake Charles, LA Derryl Lay – Dow St. Charles – Hahnville, LA Julio Ochoa – Valero, Texas City, TX Ron Owens – Pasadena Office Ricky Chenier – Shell, Geismar, LA •• •• Jared Amedee – Rubicon, Geismar, LA Zorick Beverly – Dow, Plaquemine, LA David Brooks – Valero, Corpus Christi, TX Dwayne Clatter – Valero, Corpus Christi, TX Bryan Condo – Paulsboro Refining, Paulsboro, NJ Brad DeLaSalle – Rubicon, Geismar, LA James Duncan – Dow, Plaquemine, LA •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• •• Brian Eichelberger – MS/AL Tankerman Group Aaron Heirtzler – Dow, Plaquemine, LA Terrance Jackson – ExxonMobil Chemical, Baton Rouge, LA Darrell Jackson – Dow, Plaquemine, LA Edwin Jourdan – Oxy, Taft, LA John Kolmansberger – ExxonMobil Chemical, Baton Rouge, LA Bill Quinn – Paulsboro Refining, Paulsboro, NJ Alexander Rivera – Paulsboro Refining, Paulsboro, NJ Elijah Stephens – CF Industries, Donaldsonville, LA Leonel Trevino – Flint Hills Resources, Corpus Christi, TX Donald Zeringue – Dow, Plaquemine, LA IN MEMORIAM We extend our condolences to the family, friends and co-workers of Garry Wheeler, who passed away on January 20th as a result of a hunting accident. Garry was a member of our Louisiana Tankerman Group. He worked for PSC for 11 years and will be greatly missed. Paul Fox was recently presented with a watch in recognition of 20 years of service. He is a member of our Houston Tankerman Group and also serves as an instructor for our Tankerman Career Academy. Paul is shown here (2nd from left) with Operations Manager Robert Neuman, VP Phil Johnson, and Supervisor Alberto Gutierrez. SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter Presentation Skills TRAINING CLASS Shown here (l. to r.) are the leaders who completed PSC‘s Presentation Skills training series on December 11th at our Baton Rouge Office: Joey Martin, Ryan Landry, Toby McDowell, Nathan Jarreau, Allen Wingert, Jesse Fillingame, and Derrin Coupel. Supervisor manual training CLASS These leaders (shown l. to r.) completed PSC‘s Supervisor Manual training series on January 7th at our Baton Rouge Office: Joe Hill, Cindy Haisty, Travis Holter, Gary Ray, Larry Anderson, and Meagan Anderson. JAMBALAYA COOK-OFF at cf Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 P. 17 Have a graduate in YOUR family? SGS Petroleum Service Corporation is pleased to continue our Graduate Recognition Program by honoring the sons and daughters (spouses, too) of PSC employees who will be graduating from high school or college this spring. These graduates will be featured in the next issue of The Connection and will receive a check for $150 in honor of their hard work and achievement. To participate, please send the name and a picture of the graduate, school name and city, the names of both parents (or spouse), and college degree earned (if applicable). Please send the photo and information to Lisa Comeaux, SGS Petroleum Service Corporation, PO Box 3517, Baton Rouge, LA 70821. Digital photos may be sent via email to Lisa.Comeaux@sgs.com. The photo should be taken at a high pixel setting and sent as a full-size rendering (high resolution file). Please note that photos printed on inkjet printers or that have been downloaded from Facebook do not reproduce well in the newsletter. The deadline for submitting information and photos for our graduate recognition program is Tuesday, May 5th. FIND YOUR NAME, WIN A PRIze The “hidden” name in our last issue did not get found, so our $100 Walmart gift card is still waiting to be claimed! PSC employees from our CF Industries group in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, got together recently for a jambalaya cook-off. Congratulations to Brant “Bull“ Duplessis for taking the crown for best pot! Shown (l. to r.) are the cookoff participants: Scott Barry, Lonnie Falcon, Blake DeVeer, Brandon Benoit, Harold Chiquet, Kolton Delaune, James Hoppe, Ryan Gregoire, Brody LeJeune, Brant Duplessis, Tim White, and Carl Lavigne. Not pictured is Zachary Crochet who snapped this photo. Another name is hidden in this issue. If you find YOUR name printed in lowercase italic letters (in parentheses), please claim your prize by contacting HR Administrative Assistant Claire McCrary at (225) 343-8262, ext. 287 or via email to Claire.McCrary@sgs.com. SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter Employee Close-up dead, I knew exactly what he wanted me to do. I donated all his organs that could be donated to people who desperately needed them, and everything else was donated to science so Shane could continue to help others. The Connection: Your story goes beyond just encouraging people to become organ donors. We talk a lot in PSC about “leading by example,” and you’ve certainly done that by becoming an organ donor yourself. How did that happen? TPB: I stay in touch with several of the recipients on a regular basis. They come over for holidays, barbeques, and stuff like that. Meet Tina Prewitt-Brown, one of the more than 2,300 employees who make up the SGS Petroleum Service family. Tina works at ExxonMobil in Baytown, Texas, where she is a Leadman, or “Leadwoman” as she jokes. The Connection: How long have you worked for PSC? TPB: I started about seven years ago. I operate the gauger, fill in for staff, run the scale window, conduct the 9:30 meetings, make sure the vehicles are loaded, and write lots of reports. I do pretty much anything and everything that they need me to do! The Connection: Your sister Carrie Worthan is an HR Assistant at our Pasadena Office. Through her, we learned about your commitment to promoting organ donation. How did you get involved with that cause? TPB: My 18-year-old son Shane was killed four years ago in a car crash. About a month prior to his death, he and I randomly discussed organ donation. He said “Mum,” that’s what he called me, “I really want to do that.” After the accident, when he was hooked up to machines and we realized he was brain One day Rachael called me; she has Shane’s liver. Rachael told me that her liver was great, but her kidneys were failing. Well, my heart froze. There was absolutely no way I could let Shane die again. I knew Shane’s blood pumped through her veins, so I knew without a doubt that I would be a perfect match. And, I was! So, on January 7th, I donated a kidney to Rachael. It is my way of keeping my son alive. I know that his spirit lives on. Rachael was in so much pain and was not able to function. She’s a mother and a grandmother, and she deserved the chance to see her grandchildren grow up. I know Shane will never have that, but his spirit will live on through her. Today, Rachael is healthy and happy and able to enjoy life. My son gave her new life four years ago, how could I not step in and save her life again? Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 P. 18 that God needed Shane back, he was just on loan to me, and I loved him so much in the short time I had him! A mother is never supposed to bury a child. It’s not supposed to be that way. A piece of my heart will always be missing, but I have another son and I must go on for him. We all miss Shane daily, but we will see him again one day and for now, I can see him in the beautiful people he has kept alive. The Connection: What would you like to say to your fellow co-workers about being an organ donor? TPB: I would definitely encourage everyone to consider being an organ donor. I am doing just fine at work after donating one of my own kidneys. It really hasn’t slowed me down at all. I feel so happy and so blessed knowing I’ve helped others have a chance to live life to the fullest. This feature is designed to help you get to know more of the employees of our company. Please let us know if you would like us to profile one of your co-workers. HOLIDAY BIKE DRIVE The Connection: You have certainly given a gift that keeps on giving. TPB: I like to call it “The Circle of Life,” because my son’s death has given so many people life. I never thought I would be here when he passed. It was hard just to get out of bed and focus. I reached out to the recipients of his organs, and several of them come to my house. We celebrate their birthdays and his “Angel-versary” when he died and saved their lives. I have come to accept Our Dow West Virginia Operations group held a “Bikes for Tykes” fundraiser to spread some Christmas cheer to less fortunate children in their area. They raised more than $200 and were able to purchase three bikes along with other toys. Shown (l. to r.) are Michael Kiser, Ryan Hedrick, Rymel Short, Brogan Parsons, Chris Shinault, Bill Humphreys, Sam Persinger, and Andrew Ricks. SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 P. 19 SNAPSHOT GALLERY Shown below is an assortment of photos from holiday parties and employee recognition dinners for our Louisiana work groups at Dow in Plaquemine and Marathon in Garyville. Check out the “Event Gallery” of our new website at PSCjobs.com to view more snapshots. SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 P. 20 THE CULINARY CONNECTION, Part II In this issue of The Connection, we wrap up our series highlighting some of the employees in our company with culinary degrees and noteworthy professional experience in the restaurant and food service industry. Who wants breakfast? For Corey Gooch, Site Supervisor of our Valero work group in Corpus Christi, Texas, a love of cooking led him to enroll in culinary school at Del Mar College in Corpus. While in school, he met a fellow culinary student, Ann, who later became his wife. Corey graduated from culinary school in 1997, and he and Ann got married in 1999. After working in chain restaurants for more than 13 years, he began searching for a new career opportunity that led him to join the PSC family in August 2010. “I was burned out, and it sort of killed the creativity in me, which is what I loved about cooking in the first place,” said Corey. Now that Corey’s work schedule is a bit more conducive to family life, he is enjoying tapping into that creative side once again cooking for his family. He and Ann have three children ranging in age from 19 to 11 years. “I don’t really have a specialty, but if I had to pick a favorite meal to prepare, I’d say breakfast. I love to get really creative with different breakfast items, and being that I’m usually the only one up early, I don’t have anyone looking over my shoulder asking me why I’m doing it that way,” said Corey with a laugh. THE COOK-OFF CHAMP When Danny Barry isn’t on the phone in our Dispatch Department talking to a tankerman or a customer, it’s a pretty good bet that he’s probably cooking somewhere. Danny first came to PSC in 1995 and worked as a dispatcher until 2002, when he left to run his own catering business. Although they didn’t have a hand in cooking this pot of pastalya, our featured chefs Corey Gooch, Josh Lucas, and Danny Barry enjoyed sampling the great food prepared for our Spanish Town Mardi Gras party at the Baton Rouge Office on February 14th. We’d like to take this opportunity to recognize the great home cooks who prepared the parade party food: Jason Blanchard, Chad Charlet, Joann Fridge, Eric Garon, Toby McDowell, Nathan Jarreau, and David Webre. It’s great having so many talented cooks in the PSC family! “I’ve done corporate catering events since 1990 and have competed in various cooking competitions. My specialties include barbecue, gumbo, jambalaya, and any type of seafood dish,” said Danny. He’s earned several cooking awards through the years, including the team title in the “Festival of the Bonfires” gumbo cook-off in 2013. Danny returned to his Dispatch position at PSC last March, much to the delight of his co-workers, especially Pete Budo. “I guess you could count Pete as a fan, because he gets upset when I take vacation, and he has nothing to eat,” said Danny. “But my biggest fans are my family and friends of my children, along with the folks I have tailgated with at LSU for 25 years. I enjoy cooking for them.” never the same thing twice Josh Lucas has a degree in Culinary Hospitality Management from Pensacola State College. He also spent a semester training at the prestigious Johnson & Wales College of Culinary Arts in Charleston, South Carolina. After working for more than 10 years in the catering and restaurant business, he ended up in Louisiana and joined the PSC family five years ago. He started out in our work group at Shell in Geismar, Louisiana, and later transferred to Marathon in Garyville where he served as Safety & Training Coordinator. He recently took on a new role assisting with new job startups. Continued on Page 21 SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 P. 21 Precious Cargo Arrivals It’s a Boy! Eric Guerra (Flint Hills Resources – Corpus Christi, TX) and his wife Allison are pleased to announce the birth of their son, Jase Matthew, on October 24th. It’s a Girl! Calvin Carrington (Dow – La Porte, TX) and his wife Adina are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Aliyah Cecilia, on November 12th. It’s a Boy! Wesley Goodwin (Shell – Geismar, LA) and his wife Kristen are pleased to announce the birth of their son, Drew Wesley, on November 18th. OORAH! We’re pleased to recognize PFC Jeramiah Brebeck upon his graduation from U.S. Marine Corps boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina, on January 9th. He is the son of Junius and Samantha Matthison. Samantha is a member of our work group at Shell in Geismar, Louisiana. Do you have an immediate family member (spouse, son, daughter) presently on active duty in the U.S. armed forces? We’d like to include their information in a “Salute to our Troops” feature in our next issue. Please submit the information shown below to Lisa.Comeaux@sgs.com by May 5th: •• •• •• •• Name & rank of serviceman/woman Branch of service Where stationed Employee‘s name, work group, and relationship to the serviceman/ woman the culinary connection (CONTINUED) These days, Josh enjoys putting his culinary experience to work cooking for family and friends. His wife Ashley also works for PSC, as an Administrative Assistant at NuStar in St. James. They have two children. Josh says he rarely cooks the same thing twice. “It’s going to taste different every time I make something,” he said. “I like to go to a friend’s house and see what they’ve got on hand, and then create a dish from there. That’s the benefit of culinary training. Once you understand the It’s a Girl! Derek Foster (Houston Tankerman Group) and Kimber Hubenak are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Ava Grace, on November 21st. It’s a Girl! Nathan Pinter (Houston Dock Group) and his wife Jennifer are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Lacy Lynn, on December 2nd. It’s a Boy! Steven Nicholas Jr. (INEOS – Plaquemine, LA) and Kiaralyn Miles are pleased to announce the birth of their son, Kaden Nicholas, on December 14th. It’s a Girl! James O’Neil (Dow West Virginia Operations) and his wife Felisha are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Brylee Cate, on December 19th. It’s a Girl! Eric Rawls (Dow St. Charles – Hahnville, LA) and Hannah Dufrene are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Emalee Marie, on January 11th. It’s a Girl! Kevin Kelley (Chevron Cedar Bayou – Baytown, TX) and his wife Lauren are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, June Elise, on January 20th. It’s a Boy! Zachary Vicknair (Dow St. Charles – Hahnville, LA) and his wife Tara are pleased to announce the birth of their son, Ryan Michael, on January 25th. It’s a Girl! Alyssa Chambers (Pasadena Office) and her husband Jason are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Piper Jo, on January 25th. It’s a Girl! Benjamin Zeringue (Shell – Geismar, LA) and his wife Melissa are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Isabella Jade, on January 29th. It’s a Girl! Andrew Ricks (Dow West Virginia Operations) and his wife Emily are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Audrey Grace, on February 15th. It’s a Boy! John Martin (Dow St. Charles – Hahnville, LA) and his wife Amanda are pleased to announce the birth of their son, Mycal Oliver, on February 25th. It’s a Girl! Art Tuttle (Houston Tankerman Group) and his wife Lindsey are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, River Elise, on February 25th. It’s a Girl! Selso Licerio (Houston Dock Group) and his wife Salina are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Sofia Aliana, on March 4th. way food is supposed to be cooked and how different ingredients taste, it’s easy to start putting dishes together.” Josh still dreams of owning his own restaurant one day. “I’d have a chalkboard menu, seating about 20 people. I’d change it up every night, using what fresh, local ingredients are available,” he said. Ashley readily admits that Josh does all the cooking at their house. When asked about her favorite dish, she had to give it some serious thought. “It’s really a hard decision, but I think my favorite dish that Josh cooks is Risotto, with Crème Brûlée for desert,” she said. Sounds great. What time is dinner? SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 P. 22 THE PSC SPORTS SECTION If you have a photo and/or brief story that you’d like to share regarding your athletic achievements or those of any of your family members, please contact Lisa.Comeaux@sgs.com. A fantastic finish! Brandy Bower (shown at right), had an excellent run in the Louisiana Marathon on January 17th in Baton Rouge. The wife of Louisiana Operations Manager Wilson Bower, she finished 9th in her division and 205th overall out of more than 1,800 runners. Brandy’s race time of 3:36:58 qualified her for registration in the Boston Marathon. Congratulations! THE RECRUITER GOT RECRUITED A HUNT TO REMEMBER Andy Kliebert, Site Supervisor for our work group at Shell in Geismar, Louisiana, is still “walking on Cloud 9” after taking this monster buck on a hunting trip at the Richard K. Yancey Wildlife Management Area in south Louisiana in early January. The 9-point buck earned Andy some great publicity in Louisiana Sportsman magazine. The magazine article noted that the buck green-scored 156 3/4 inches Boone and Crockett, had a rack with 14-inch G2s, an inside spread of 17 inches, and about six inches of mass at the bases. “I’ve been hunting public land since I was 19, and I’ve killed a couple of nice bucks, but nothing like this one,” said Andy. “When I saw how big he was, I just hugged him, to be honest with you.” Andy’s wife Natalie, one of our HR Recruiters in Baton Rouge, already has a spot on the wall picked out for her husband’s special trophy when it comes back from the taxidermist. But for now, she’s just glad deer season is over! HR Recruiting Team Leader Andy Merrett deserves a round of applause for serving as a volunteer for Ainsley’s Angels, a nonprofit organization that recruits volunteers to push disabled athletes in marathons and road races. Andy’s race partner for the half-marathon event in Baton Rouge on January 18th was Lanie Warner, a high school senior from Sulphur, Louisiana. The pic below shows Andy (far right) and his running buddies, Chris Little and Mercy Jones, pushing Lanie across the finish line. Lanie actually recruited Andy to be on her team after seeing him and two of his friends running in costumes in another event (Andy was a Ninja Turtle). Maybe she would make a good recruiter for PSC someday! RUTHERFORD HR STAFF MAKE A VISIT TO BR Some around here might say that training on the new Oracle accounting and HR systems is a bit like training for a relay race. It takes time, dedication, and a lot of great teamwork! (garland johnson) A few of our “teammates” from the SGS HR Department in Rutherford, New Jersey, spent some time at our Baton Rouge Office recently conducting Oracle training sessions with our staff. Pictured above (l. to r.) are SGS HRIS Manager Elizabeth Kennedy, PSC HR Director Sosha McDonald, SGS HR Administrator Michelle Biancola, and PSC HR Project Specialist Keisha Tassin. These special guests enjoyed some spring-like weather during their visit. SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter Volume 20 Issue 1 • Spring 2015 P. 23 WELCOME NEW EMPLOYEES We are pleased to welcome the following employees hired between November 14, 2014 and February 19, 2015. Tracy Alexander Jr. John Arcement Samuel Baxley Ryan Bell Timothy Blackwell Nikki Blake Dustin Bordelon Kevin Bradford Alex Bradley Cliff Branin Matthew Briones James Brown Jacob Bush Logan Buuck Cody Canezaro Terrance Catherine Joe Cisneros Brian Clark Brandon Connell Austin Cope Bryan Cossich Terrell Coustaut Jeffrey Culberth Michael Damian Gregory Daniels Jr. Carl Davis Jr. Alfredo Delpozo Nicholas Derozan Melissa Duhe Jyruss Edwards Steven Ely Louie Espinoza Nathaniel Fabre Shawn Faidley Brandon Farhood August Flaspoller IV Derrick Folse Donnie Francois Stephen Franklin Joshua Freeland Joel Garcia Mark Garcia Raynard Geason Richard Gipson Jr. Lucas Glaser Eric Glynn II Mario Gonzales Toribio Gonzales Cory Green Matthew Hadnott Jason Hahn Joseph Hanna III Jacque Harris Michael Hearne Dylan Helm Kevin Henderson Jr. Cody Henneke Johnny Hernandez Jose Hernandez Darrell Hill Steve Huffman Scott Ihli Frederick Janneck Brandon Jarvis James Jarvis Dillon Jefferson George Jenkins Adam Jones Leon Joubert Evan Junker Ralph Keating III Steven Kelley Ryan Kimball Marques Knighton Timothy Legg Fred Lewis Andre Liotta Jason Little II Deandre Long Guadalupe Lopez James Lowery Floyd Mana-Ay Chase Manuel William Martin Santana Mayfield Cameron Mayo George Mays Kyle McFarland Alex McKinney Dangelo McSwain Kelly Meeks Christopher Miles Wesley Miller Mary Mitchell Phillip Mitchell James Mitchell Sterling Mitchell Robert Molina Victor Montemayor Armando Moreno Michael Morrow Michael Mullins Christopher Murphy Clint Myers Nathan Nogales Darrell Odom Joshua Otero Dustan Pardy Coty Peardon Henry Perez Sean Perry James Peters Michael Phillips Kristie Pitre Brandon Prater Robert Prodoehl Ruben Ramirez Martin Ramos Nehemiah Ray Zachaeus Ray Joshua Reeves Jenny Reyes Chad Richardson Roy Ridge Dominique Robards Patrick Robinson Mason Rodrigue Marvin Rogers Joseph Ryan Kevin Saia Saqueo Salinas Seecharran Santoke Jr. Arthur Satcher Derek Schubert Michael Scott Joshua Seago John Shepard Robert Shingleur Jr. Kendall Shrum Carl Snowden Jr. Jeremiah Spain-Roach Sean Spears Steven Sposato Mark Steele Harvey Stevens III Leonard Sullivan Carl Summers Kevin Taulton Lloyd Thibodeaux Gregory Thomas Charles Thomassie Jr. Jesse Trevino Todd Vicknair Jeremy Wait Kenneth Ward Jody Ward Chase Watkins Richard Weber Jr. Blair Wesley Jason White Jamal White Kyle White Todd Whittington Princeton Williams Joshua Williams Joshua Williams Eric Williams Jr. Glen Wills Landon Wilson Tyrous Wilson Ryan Wood Orlando Woodard Antonio Woodson Bryant Young Sean Youngquist Joshton Zohouri SGS Petroleum Service Corporation P.O. Box 3517 Baton Rouge, LA 70821-3517 SGS Petroleum Service Corporation is part of SGS, the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing, and certification company. Presorted Standard U.S. Postage Paid Baton Rouge, LA Permit 1359 IN THIS ISSUE NEW TCA GRADSpage 3 AWARD WINNERSpage 4-7 SPOUSE OUTING PICSpage 9 PROMOTIONSpage 12 FROM OUR CUSTOMERSpage 13 ANNIVERSARIESpage 16 EMPLOYEE CLOSE-UP PAGE 18 SNAPSHOT GALLERYpage 19 PSC SPORTS SECTIONpage 22 new employeespage 23 © SGS Petroleum Service Corporation – 2015 – All rights reserved – SGS is a registered trademark of SGS Group Management SA Mardi Gras Fun – PSC STYLE! A large contingent of PSC employees, family members, and friends turned out on February 14th to enjoy the Spanish Town Mardi Gras parade which rolled right by our Baton Rouge Office. Leaders from our Canadian and Non-Gulf Coast operations (who were in town for the Leadership Workshop) were particularly happy to get a respite from the Arctic blast and enjoy some great weather, delicious food, and Mardi Gras festivities. Here are a few photos taken on parade day. Check out our website at PSCjobs.com for additional event pics.