Purposeful Growth Profile: John Finley Achieves Safety Certifications

We believe the Purposeful Growth of our family of employees lends to our continued success in the industries we serve. That’s why Ergon management encourages employees to seek opportunities to grow professionally. We want every employee, from the veteran to the new hire, to feel empowered to reach their potential and be the best they can be. In this Purposeful Growth Profile, we highlight the recent accomplishments of John Finley, Senior Environmental, Health & Safety Technician for the Operational Excellence Department at Ergon – West Virginia (EWV).

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John Finley recently completed courses at West Virginia University to become a Certified Safety Specialist – General Industry and a Certified Safety Trainer – General Industry.

While these highly sought-after certifications are not required for John’s position, he took the initiative to seek out and complete the courses to further educate himself and also to further impact Ergon’s goal for every employee to return home safe every day. “John truly embodies the values of Purposeful Growth and Empowered Service,” said Jack Azar, EWV Continuous Improvement Manager. “He is a driven individual who wants to learn and grow in his position and find ways to best serve, support and ensure the safety of others.”

John’s journey to obtaining the certifications did not come without challenges, as it was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but he remained focused through over 150 core and elective course hours. “The courses were originally intended to be taught in person, but because of the pandemic, courses were switched to an online format,” said Chip Roush, EWV Environmental, Health & Safety Supervisor. “This was out of John’s comfort zone, but he persevered.”

John joined EWV on October 11, 2010, as an Oil Movements trainee in the Operations Department. He has since held roles as Area E Operator, Area D Operator, Health & Safety Technician and now Senior Environmental, Health & Safety Technician, overseeing the provision of safety, first aid, CPR, fire brigade, rescue and training services for EWV personnel.

Veterans Day Profile: Juan Torres, Selfless Leadership and Service

Ergon is proud to have United States military Veterans as part of our family of employees who are committed to meeting needs for our customers and in communities we serve. On this Veterans Day, we celebrate all who served and also highlight a Veteran who exemplifies our core value of Selfless Leadership in his local community.

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Selfless Leadership is not just a value of Ergon alone, but a shared value among military personnel who willingly give of themselves for the common good.

Juan Torres is Lead Operator for Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions’ Manor, Texas, facility. He has volunteered for the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation since he joined the United States Marine Corps in 2011. While he left active duty in 2018, Torres continues to support the Foundation by volunteering or setting up donation drives for the Toys for Tots Program every year during Christmastime.

Servant Hearts
Torres joins many members of the Ergon family who lend their time and resources on behalf of the Toys for Tots Program. Each year, employees at our corporate headquarters in Flowood, Mississippi, provide toys and monetary donations to support the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation’s goal of ensuring children of disadvantaged families are able to receive gifts and experience the joy of Christmas. Over the past five years, Ergon has raised $63,000 toward this effort.

About the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation
Established in 1991, the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created to provide toys and send a message of hope to less fortunate children at Christmas. Through their program, the Foundation distributes approximately 18 million toys to 7 million children annually.

The Foundation welcomes support from various organizations to help provide toys and other resources for the children. To learn how you can help, visit https://www.toysfortots.org.

 

A Culture of Respect, Diversity and Acceptance

Watch the video below and learn how our commitment to the value of Respectful Relationships helps ensure Ergon is a place where you can feel welcomed to contribute, collaborate and succeed as part of a team dedicated to meeting needs, supporting families and serving customers around the world.

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Ergon is committed to fostering a culture of respect. We welcome ideas and opinions, regardless of role, empowering our family of employees to contribute meaningful work that impacts the industries and communities we serve.

“I think that it’s incredibly important to respect everybody’s different opinions, and that’s something that I’ve learned at Ergon, that has carried over into my daily life,” said Samantha Patterson, Division Order Analyst for Ergon Oil Purchasing Inc.

We are One Ergon: United by Service. Driven By Solutions. That means we value input from each other, understanding that from the CEO to the intern, the sum of all of our efforts is far greater than our individual endeavors. We are united in a shared purpose to provide innovative solutions our customers need and the support they need to succeed.

At the heart of this unity is Respectful Relationships among team members, who are treated as family. And like family, each employee is valued and encouraged to add value to the Ergon organization. “What brings me back to work every day is, hands down, the family culture,” said Samantha. “The moment you start working for Ergon, you just feel accepted. You feel like a part of the family, whether you’ve been there five minutes, whether you’ve been there 10 years.”

Respectful Relationships are not limited to employees. Ergon seeks to build strong relationships with customers as well. We know that part of providing solutions for our customers is listening to first understand what they need now and then listening to determine how we can anticipate and meet future needs. Meeting these needs takes an “all-hands-on-deck” approach, and we believe the greatest ideas come from intentional collaboration and open communication.

“It really is encouraging to be able to sit down and dialogue with a group of people who are very talented, very smart and also are very helpful to each other’s efforts and goals,” said Ken Cooley, President of Resinall Corp.

Work Where You Belong
Want to work for a place that respects and supports the diversity of ideas and of people? Visit ergon.com/careers to learn how you can become part of the Ergon family.

Kris Patrick Named President and CEO of Ergon

The Board of Directors of Ergon Inc. has announced that Kris Patrick has been named President & Chief Executive Officer effective October 1, 2022. Emmitte J. Haddox, who has served as President & CEO since 2016, has retired and will continue to serve as a member of the Board of Directors.

Patrick has 22 years of experience with the Mississippi-based company that services industries essential to manufacturing and infrastructure needs around the world. His roles with Ergon have included Process Engineer; Senior Vice President of Refining, Planning and Supply; President of Ergon’s refineries; and member of the Operations and Executive Management teams. He has served as Chief Operating Officer since 2018.

Patrick earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration with a specialty in Project Management from Mississippi State University and completed the Leading Global Business program at Harvard Business School.

“Kris’ experience with all facets of Ergon, coupled with his strong management and leadership skills, make him the perfect candidate for this role,” commented Tom Amonett, Ergon Chairman of the Board. “He has taken advantage of every opportunity to prepare for this position, strengthening the organization along the way and making real strides in Ergon’s strategic planning, safety systems and processes. The Lampton family and the Board have no doubt that Kris’ desire to honor Ergon’s history while focusing on innovation and expanding opportunities will take this global organization to even greater heights.”

“I am grateful for the investment Ergon has made in me,” commented Patrick, whose first experience with the company came as an Engineering Co-Op while he was a college student. “I hope to make that sort of investment in the Ergon family as we continue our mission of meeting needs, supporting families and serving customers.”

About Ergon
Ergon is a group of privately held companies that operate under six primary business segments: Refining & Marketing, Specialty Chemicals, Asphalt & Emulsions, Oil & Gas, Midstream & Logistics, and Construction & Real Estate.

Contact Information
Kathy Potts
Director of Marketing Communications
601-933-3000
kathy.potts@ergon.com
ergon.com

Engineers at Ergon: Innovating Solutions for Customers Around the World<

Changing the way we live through technology and service to people is at the heart of engineering and explains why engineers can be found throughout the Ergon organization. Across our business segments, Ergon is innovating solutions for people around the world, and roles are available for more engineers to help in this quest.

There’s Real Opportunity with Ergon
Ergon started seven decades ago with two employees. Today, four business segments comprising more than 60 companies are powered by over 3,500 employees around the world. Family owned and operated, the value Ergon places on its employees and on the communities where it operates is evident in the company mission of meeting needs, supporting families and serving customers. And Ergon has made a commitment to growing the pool of engineers in its home state.

Smoothing the Education-to-Workforce Pathway
A global community dependent on engineering is seeing students leave engineering for other career paths. Daunted by the rigors of engineering coursework, many students leave engineering majors prior to graduation. To combat this trend, Ergon has partnered with the Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University (MSU) as a sponsor of Summer Bridge, a residential experience designed to help underrepresented students bridge the transition from high school to college.

For five weeks, Summer Bridge aims to grow the pool of engineering graduates by providing newly admitted students with an integrated opportunity to develop academic and life skills critical to achieving success. A team-based engineering design project and site visits to Ergon facilities help students discover potential future engineering career paths. Peer mentoring, soft skills training and social activities are also part of the program that is fully funded by Ergon.

Engineers at Ergon
In a world that is increasingly interconnected, engineers are needed now more than ever. But it’s not their expertise alone that is needed to tackle the world’s greatest challenges. “We need their curiosity, too,” says Blaine Totty, Program Director for Ergon’s Operational Excellence Department. “Ergon is a relationship-driven company that looks to the characteristics engineers typically have in addition to their expertise in a certain field. This allows them to move into a variety of areas,” said Blaine who holds a degree in Chemical Engineering from MSU. “Many engineers have a natural curiosity to learn new things, which is a real benefit when you come into an organization like Ergon. Combine that urge to know with the breadth of opportunities Ergon’s wide variety of businesses have to offer, and there’s no telling where your career path may take you,” he added.

And Blaine is not alone.

Where Skill Meets Opportunity
Chief Administrative Officer, Paul Young, earned his Chemical Engineering degree from MSU and his Environmental Engineering degree from the University of Mississippi and has served in a variety of roles during his 37 years with Ergon. He is responsible for oversight of corporate functions ranging from product stewardship to risk management.

Ergon’s Vice President of Product Stewardship, Bonnie Chapman, received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from MSU. Bonnie joined the company in 2011 as Ergon’s Refining Business Coordinator and was appointed to Director of Refinery Planning and Economics shortly thereafter. Bonnie now leads the team responsible for ensuring products are produced, utilized and managed at the end of life in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. Incredibly active within Ergon, Bonnie leads the subcommittee responsible for Ergon’s sustainability initiatives, and serves as liaison to the MSU Engineering Summer Bridge Program.

Ergon’s President & Chief Executive Officer, Kris Patrick, started his career as the company’s first Chemical Engineering Co-Op. His roles have included Process Engineer; Senior VP of Refining, Planning and Supply; President of Ergon Refining and Ergon – West Virginia, and then Chief Operating Officer before being named President & CEO on October 1, 2022. Kris’ B.S. in Chemical Engineering was earned from MSU.

If you are interested in joining the Ergon family, we would love to hear from you. We are actively looking for project engineers, process engineers and maintenance engineers, just to name a few! For a list of current job openings, visit ergoncareers.com.

Article updated on February 19, 2024, to reflect new job titles and structural changes within Ergon.

Summer Bridge: Creating Opportunities for Engineering Students

Career opportunities for engineers abound, yet for certain underrepresented groups, these opportunities can feel beyond reach. For businesses, finding qualified engineers to fill positions while developing a diverse workforce can often be a challenge. Ergon is proud to sponsor the Summer Bridge Program at the Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University (MSU), along with the Louis Stokes Mississippi Alliance for Minority Participation (LSMAMP) and the National Science Foundation — bridging the gap for underrepresented groups one summer experience at a time.

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Creating Bridges
As the name suggests, MSU’s Summer Bridge Program is designed to bridge the transition from high school to college. This period is often challenging for students who struggle with adapting to increased workloads and higher academic standards. Ergon covers the cost of the five-week residential program which offers students the opportunity to adjust to university life and includes coursework in mathematics, science and computer programming. Peer mentoring, soft skills training and social activities are also part of the program.

Many higher education researchers attribute the lack of workforce diversity within science and engineering disciplines to underrepresented student groups switching majors and/or dropping out of these programs. For five weeks, Summer Bridge aims to grow the pool of underrepresented engineering graduates by providing newly admitted students with an integrated opportunity to develop academic and life skills critical to achieving success.

The Summer Bridge Experience
Summer Bridge 2022 welcomed 18 future engineers (10 young women and eight young men) to the program. As part of the full immersion experience, participants received on-campus housing, access to class instructors, peer mentors, textbooks and materials, and meal stipends.

The program is led by Dr. Jean Mohammadi-Aragh, Director of Diversity Programs & Student Development for the Bagley College of Engineering, as well as Undergraduate Program Coordinator and Associate Professor in MSU’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

The experience started off with students hitting the ground running. Students visited Ergon’s Paragon Technical Services lab, Ergon Marine & Industrial Supply, and Ergon Refining, which provided an initial real-world glimpse into the Ergon family of companies.

In addition to required coursework, students assembled into teams to complete an engineering research project aimed at providing students the opportunity to learn engineering design while working to solve a real-world engineering challenge. Ergon employees from Corporate Engineering and Business Process Management departments, Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions (EAE), Ergon Refining and Ergon Terminaling tasked students with designing a new asphalt and emulsion tank for an EAE facility. Each team determined the best material for improving Mississippi’s road networks based on research and asphalt tests conducted in the Civil Engineering labs at MSU. With the asphalt selected and the design completed, the students learned computer modeling skills through the 3D printing of their storage tanks. The engineering research project was conducted under the guidance of Dr. Isaac Howard of MSU’s Rula School of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Jessica Lewis, Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions Distinguished Doctoral Fellowship recipient; and Dr. Bill Elmore of MSU’s Swalm School of Chemical Engineering.

While the final days of Summer Bridge arrived much too quickly, the program’s mission of producing lifelong friendships and strong support networks was realized. A final project presentation competition, a celebratory lunch and a fitting challenge to “excel in the years to come” from Ergon Chief Operating Officer, Kris Patrick, rounded out the program.

Often, it is a simple question that gets the ball rolling. “How do you hire what doesn’t exist?” was the question Ergon’s Vice President of Product Stewardship and Ergon Summer Bridge liaison, Bonnie Chapman, posed to her team. Her answer?  “You create bridges.”

This was our first year to be involved with MSU’s Summer Bridge Program, but definitely not the last. By investing $900,000 in a three-year sponsorship, the Ergon family is committed to making a difference in the lives of these students and their families while also increasing the pool of engineers in Mississippi.

Ergon to Adjust Naphthenic Prices in North America

Flowood, Miss. — Ergon has announced a decrease in pricing of naphthenic oils in the North American market by $0.30 per gallon effective Friday, August 5, 2022. The decrease will apply to all viscosities.

About Ergon  Ergon is a group of privately held companies that operate under six primary business segments: Refining & Marketing, Specialty Chemicals, Asphalt & Emulsions, Oil & Gas, Midstream & Logistics, and Construction & Real Estate.

Contact Information 
Kathy Potts 
Director of Marketing Communications 
601-933-3000 
kathy.potts@ergon.com
ergon.com |  ergonspecialtyoils.com

Supporting Professional Development at Ergon

The idea of purposeful growth has been driving change within Ergon for decades. Whether attracting the right talent or developing our talent within, both are focused on meeting needs for future growth.

Ergon management has always been passionate about creating opportunities to further develop our talented workforce. In this blog post, Blaine Totty, Vice President –Organizational Development, highlights a few of these opportunities Ergon provides to support the professional growth of our workforce.

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I have wondered many times why Ergon is a place that naturally retains its employees. Even if employees leave for greener pastures, many find their way back. That’s because at Ergon, we care for our people and want the best for them. Not only that, but we demonstrate it by providing resources to help strengthen skillsets and support advancement. This aspect of our culture is important when we recruit candidates to work at Ergon; we want the people that we hire to become future leaders who will care for their employees and develop them the same way they were developed. Hiring people who embody the values Ergon holds dear — Empowered Service, Selfless Leadership, Respectful Relationships and Purposeful Growth — and honing those values through training and development sets us up for a sustainable future. That’s why we often say that company growth and employee growth go hand in hand.

How We Encourage Growth
Ergon has a myriad of ways we help develop employees once they become part of the family. Leaders throughout the organization are constantly providing resources to help with this development. Such resources include free access to courses through LinkedIn Learning, Dale Carnegie Training and the Rapid Learning Institute. We have also implemented a Learning Management System complete with various training opportunities on a variety of topics related to various fields and Ergon operations, and we host Lunch and Learns and webinars in which employees are able to increase their industry knowledge and know-how. These are just a few of many ways Ergon is intentionally investing in the advancement of our people.

A Learning Culture
Continuing to develop a learning culture is possibly the best way that we can continue to prepare for future challenges. Our leaders are constantly looking for new ways to strengthen our employee’s abilities and to challenge them. One way we do this is through a monthly LinkedIn Learning challenge created to encourage employees across the Ergon organization to complete as many courses as possible on the platform within the month. Courses can be filtered according to employees’ specific interests. I am personally encouraged by reports I receive from employees about lessons learned through the challenge.

Currently, we are developing a management training program to ensure we give managers the right tools to succeed in their jobs. Part of this program is a curriculum on coaching and the development of people. Additionally, a new performance management system is rolling out so employees can have clear expectations in their roles and set goals for professional and personal development. We are increasing transparency in job opportunities so that internal candidates are given chances to challenge themselves in a new role and gain valuable experience. All of these ways are just the start of our continued effort to embody the value of purposeful growth across our organization.

If you’re interested in working for a company that invests in your professional growth and challenges you to reach your potential, visit our careers page and find out how you can join the Ergon family. We’d love to have you.

 

Ergon is Doing Right by Our Planet Through Energy Efficiency

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A commitment to energy efficiency means a commitment to preserving Earth’s atmosphere for future generations. At Ergon, we are doing right by our planet by implementing new assets designed to reduce energy consumption.

To see the results of our commitment, look no further than our corporate headquarters at Mirror Lake Plaza in Flowood, Mississippi, where we have invested over $1 million in energy-efficiency since 2014. To date, this investment has resulted in an 18% reduction in kWh usage. According to electicityplans.com, a kWh (kilowatt-hour) is “a measure of the amount of energy a certain machine needs to run for one hour.”

By reducing energy usage at our headquarters, we are also helping to reduce greenhouse gas (CO2e) emissions. Greenhouse gases “trap radiation from the sun in the earth’s atmosphere,” causing accelerated warming, which can be harmful to the environment and the global population — both human and non-human. This warming effect increases the risk and severity of natural disasters, including storm surges and prolonged heat waves.

A Breakdown of Energy Conservation Efforts at Mirror Lake Plaza
One significant energy conservation upgrade was the installation of automatic on/off LED lighting throughout the Mirror Lake Plaza campus. According to energy.gov, switching to LED lights can result in up to 90% less energy usage than incandescent lights.

We also installed more efficient elevator motors as well as energy control technologies, including new chiller systems, Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) on air handlers and an Energy Management System (EMS).

  • Variable Frequency Drives: With VFDs, HVAC motors are controlled based on function and load requirements, which lead to significant reductions in energy usage.
  • Energy Management System: An EMS is a type of technology that controls multiple sources of energy and temperature settings throughout our headquarters. “It controls the HVAC system, turning it on and off as needed; manages air pressures; and controls outside air for economizing when in season,” said Andy Measells, VP & General Manager of Alliant Construction, a division of Ergon Construction Group Inc. “You can save a lot of energy and money when the building systems are under control.”

These facility upgrades have resulted in a $39,000/year savings from 2018 – 2021.

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Learn more about how we are doing right for our planet, by our people and more in our first ever Doing Right Report here. From that page, you can also sign up for our quarterly newsletter, eNews, to read how we are making a positive impact in our communities and ways you can start doing the same through your organization.

Emmitte Haddox Announces Retirement as Ergon CEO

Ergon’s Board of Directors announced on June 20, 2022, that Emmitte J. Haddox plans to retire as President and Chief Executive Officer of Ergon Inc. effective September 30, 2022. He will remain on Ergon’s Board of Directors for the foreseeable future.

“On behalf of the Lamptons and the entire Ergon family, we want to thank Emmitte for his decades-long service and dedication to the company,” commented Bill Lampton, Director. “Emmitte has been a friend and trusted counsel since the 1960s, and Leslie, Lee, Robert and I have found his leadership to be invaluable since our father passed away in 2018.”

After serving as a financial advisor to the company for six years, Haddox accepted the position of CEO of Ergon Inc. and its subsidiaries in 2016 and currently serves on the Board of Directors, the Executive Management Team and as President of the Ergon Foundation Inc. He is the former Managing Partner of Haddox Reid Burkes Calhoun, PLLC, an accounting and audit firm based in Jackson, Mississippi. A native of Columbia, Mississippi, Mr. Haddox holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Southern Mississippi.

“Emmitte has led the successful transition of this organization since 2016, and Ergon’s growth and performance have been nothing less than stellar during his tenure,” said Tom Amonett, Chairman of the Board. “Emmitte has epitomized the character and values of Ergon, and we will forever be grateful for the many contributions he has made to this organization.”

KRIS PATRICK APPOINTED AS ERGON CEO

Kris Patrick, Chief Operating Officer, will assume the role of President and CEO on October 1, 2022. Patrick’s introduction to Ergon came as a Co-Op while studying at Mississippi State University (MSU), and he joined the company in 2000 as a Process Engineer. He served as Senior Vice President of Refining, Planning and Supply from 2000 through 2017, when he was named President of Ergon Refining Inc. and Ergon – West Virginia Inc. He was named COO of Ergon Inc. in 2018. Patrick earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration with a specialty in Project Management from MSU and completed the Leading Global Business program at Harvard Business School.

“The Board and I have been impressed by the strong management and leadership skills Kris has brought to the table,” Haddox said. “He has taken advantage of every opportunity to prepare for this role, strengthening the organization and making real strides in Ergon’s strategic planning, safety systems and processes. I have no doubt that Kris’ desire to honor Ergon’s history while focusing on innovation and expanding opportunities will take this organization to even greater heights.”