Ergon’s Griffin Burk Named Chair of ASTM D27.01 Subcommittee

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Congratulations to Griffin Burk, Ph.D., senior research chemist at Ergon Inc., on being named chair of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D27.01 Subcommittee.

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D27.01 is a Subcommittee of the ASTM Committee D27 on Electrical Insulating Liquids and Gases, which provides specifications and test methods for all types of insulating liquids. ASTM D27.01 covers the mineral insulating liquids standards, including Standard D3487, which provides specifications for unused mineral insulating liquids; Standard D5222, which provides specifications for unused less flammable high molecular weight hydrocarbon mineral electrical insulating liquids; and a new standard, Standard D8180 (approved January 1, 2023) which provides specifications for re-refined mineral insulating liquids.

About ASTM
ASTM International, chartered in 1902, publishes production and testing standards covering a variety of materials, systems and products in order to encourage safety and consistency among manufacturers. It has grown to encompass over 12,500 standards and more than 30,000 members.

Ergon’s Commitment to ASTM
Prior to Burk’s appointment to chair, ASTM D27.01 had been under the chairmanship of long-time Ergon employee Jimmy Rasco since 2004. Prior to his retirement, Rasco was instrumental in shepherding important standards and was the recipient of ASTM’s 2011 Distinguished Service Award, the 2015 Charles A. Johnson Award, and ASTM D27’s top annual award  — the Award of Merit, which he received in 2017.

“Ergon has a deep history in the D27.01 Subcommittee,” said Burk, who played an active role in the group for over a year before being appointed chair. “I have some pretty big shoes to fill, but I am ready for the challenge and excited about being able to contribute to the global market on behalf of Ergon.”

Burk joins Ed Casserly, Ph.D., senior scientist at Ergon, as part of the ASTM D27 Executive Committee. Casserly currently serves as vice-chair of ASTM D27.

As senior research chemist at Ergon, Burk serves as part of the technical team responsible for developing and helping to maintain the quality of the company’s products worldwide. His main area of focus is Ergon’s HyVolt brand of dielectric fluids developed to meet insulation and cooling needs in electrical equipment applications. Products that fall under ASTM D27 include HyVolt® II mineral insulating liquid (ASTM D3487), HyVolt® NE natural ester insulating liquid (ASTM D6871), and HyVolt® SE synthetic ester insulating liquid (ASTM D8240). Burk is a graduate of Mississippi College and earned a Ph.D. in chemistry from Mississippi State University.

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The Ergon family of employees is encouraged to contribute time and service to associations relevant to our business in order to grow personally while carrying out our legacy of nurturing thought leaders who positively impact the industries we serve. Want to work for a company that wants you to grow? Visit our careers page for job openings.

Ergon to Decrease Naphthenic Prices in North America

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FLOWOOD, Miss. — Ergon has announced decreases in pricing of naphthenic oils in the North American market effective Monday, January 16, 2023:

  • Ergon’s HyPrene Process Oils, HyGold Base Oils and HyPrint Ink Oils will be reduced by $0.30 per gallon
  • HyVolt Dielectric Fluids will be reduced by $0.20 per gallon

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
Vice President – Marketing Communications
601-933-3000
kathy.potts@ergon.com
ergon.com |  ergonspecialtyoils.com

Yulia Austin Named Ergon EVP & Chief Human Resources Officer

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Yulia Austin joined Ergon as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) on December 19, 2022. She will be based at Ergon’s headquarters in Flowood, Mississippi.

The creation of the new CHRO role extends from our commitment to Doing Right by Our People. We are investing in present and future generations, working to improve Ergon’s family business culture as we continue to grow the business.

Yulia has over 20 years of experience leading human resource efforts for major industry organizations. Most recently, she served as Chief Human Resources Officer at Acuren, which has 80 locations and 6,000 employees throughout North America and the United Kingdom. She has also held senior roles with Ingersoll Rand, Cameron and Baker Hughes companies. Yulia has a master’s degree in human resources development from Oklahoma State University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism and media from Azerbaijan State University.

She will be responsible for further evolving Ergon’s human resources strategy and operations, including talent management, recruitment, leadership development, compensation, benefits and payroll.

In her first six months on the job, Yulia will focus on learning about Ergon’s business landscape and operations as she travels to facilities in the U.S. and Mexico, meeting with as many people as possible.

Please join me in welcoming Yulia to the Ergon family.

Kris Patrick
President & CEO
Ergon Inc.

Ergon Sets HyVolt Field Fill Record

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Field fills — the timely delivery of dielectric fluids necessary to power our world — are complicated endeavors. Thousands of gallons of highly sensitive insulating liquid are delivered to often remote, unfamiliar field sites on time and on spec. Even though product is the same as what is delivered to a manufacturing facility, the service level required to successfully coordinate a field fill, often on very short notice, requires an experienced infrastructure of both people and assets.

This ability to mobilize large volumes of material quickly and coordinate delivery, all the while ensuring the sensitive product is protected and retains its performance characteristics, is what HyVolt’s customers rely on Ergon for every day.

As the largest provider of dielectric fluids in the United States, Ergon has earned a reputation for successfully meeting customers’ field fill needs. Team members involved include representatives from our Petroleum Specialties Marketing Division, Customer Service, Operations, Billing, the Lab at Ergon Refining in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Ergon Trucking.

In October of 2022, Ergon celebrated a record-breaking month with more HyVolt field fill gallons delivered than ever before.

Customers know they can rely on timely coordination and support from Ergon to successfully complete the field fill process. And with our recently expanded HyVolt product line, more options are available to customers around the world. Learn more about transformer field fills at ergonspecialtyoils.com.

Ergon Sets HyVolt Field Fill Record

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Field fills — the timely delivery of dielectric fluids necessary to power our world — are complicated endeavors. Thousands of gallons of highly sensitive insulating liquid are delivered to often remote, unfamiliar field sites on time and on spec. Even though product is the same as what is delivered to a manufacturing facility, the service level required to successfully coordinate a field fill, often on very short notice, requires an experienced infrastructure of both people and assets.

This ability to mobilize large volumes of material quickly and coordinate delivery, all the while ensuring the sensitive product is protected and retains its performance characteristics, is what HyVolt’s customers rely on Ergon for every day.

As the largest provider of dielectric fluids in the United States, Ergon has earned a reputation for successfully meeting customers’ field fill needs. Team members involved include representatives from our Petroleum Specialties Marketing Division, Customer Service, Operations, Billing, the Lab at Ergon Refining in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Ergon Trucking.

In October of 2022, Ergon celebrated a record-breaking month with more HyVolt field fill gallons delivered than ever before.

Customers know they can rely on timely coordination and support from Ergon to successfully complete the field fill process. And with our recently expanded HyVolt product line, more options are available to customers around the world. Learn more about transformer field fills at ergonspecialtyoils.com.

Ergon Employees Giving Back to Communities

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From fundraising events involving entire facilities to individual efforts, employees throughout the Ergon family give generously of their time, talents and blessings to help their communities and people in need.

One great example is the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Program, which Ergon’s Information Technology Department began supporting in 2017 and now is an annual fundraising event for the corporate office. According to Jana Branham, Ergon Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, “We love this charity because it meets needs of the community where we live and serve … and all the donations go directly to children in need.” When Ergon’s CEO asked for ideas for giving back to communities on an enterprise-wide level, Jana suggested Toys for Tots, and employees in the corporate office were quick to join in.

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Each year, employees have an opportunity to purchase toys or provide monetary donations for a toy drive on behalf of the program. Ergon has matched employee donations annually. This year, Ergon was proud to present a check to Toys for Tots for $17,299.71, bringing the total contributions since 2020 to $49,182.58.

Not only do employees donate toys and money, but they really get in the Christmas spirit to encourage each other to participate. Groups of Ergon Elves volunteer to collect donations while others volunteer to shop for toys for children from newborn to age 12. Outside of corporate efforts, volunteers from various Ergon locations also support the Toys for Tots Program, like Juan Torres, who helps set up toy drives in Texas on behalf of the organization.

In addition to Toys for Tots, Ergon employees volunteer their time and resources to support a wide variety of causes, just a few of which are listed at the end of this story.

Ergon’s Refining & Marketing segment is living out company values through a variety of initiatives. Employees at Ergon – West Virginia in Newell, West Virginia, committed to increasing their number of work-sponsored community service hours from 180 to approximately 300 in 2023. Ergon Refining in Vicksburg, Mississippi, has already surpassed their 2023 goal of 1,000 hours, which comes to five hours per employee.

The R&M Mirror Lake Plaza team developed a Community Outreach Program which offers at least four community outreach events each quarter. Their goal for 2023 is 400 volunteer hours and $25,000 in charitable giving. Recently, the group spent time at the Boys & Girls Club of America in Jackson, Mississippi, where they hosted a career panel. Nine Ergon employees were able to share their respective career paths and encourage, inspire and pour into more than 30 teens and preteens.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) is another important charity to members of the Ergon family — especially Larry Tomkins, Vice President – Southeast Region for Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions (EAE). Larry has championed the Ergon family in raising $150,000 for ACS in the ongoing campaign for breast cancer research and patient support. EAE recently launched the Road to Recovery campaign, partnering with companies within the asphalt industry to ensure the provision of complimentary rides for cancer patients to get to their treatments.

As our CEO, Kris Patrick, mentioned in his recent message in Ergon’s Doing Right Report, “More dots on Ergon maps and more products in our portfolios are exciting, but I believe even more important is the positive impact we have on the lives of people around the world. May we never lose our focus on the fact that while we should strive to be profitable in our business, our higher calling is to impact the lives of employees, customers and communities we serve in a positive way.”

Happiest of Holidays from the Ergon Family!

Some of the causes supported by Ergon employees:
Adopt-A-Highway
Andre House
Baptist Children’s Village
Boys & Girls Clubs
Broadway Wharf Cleanup
Canopy Children’s Solutions
Chambers of Commerce
Chester and Newell, WV, Volunteer Fire Departments
Children’s Hospital of Mississippi
City of Chester Beautification Committee
Dempsey Centers for Quality Cancer Care
Extra Table
Feeding America
Gracious Givers of Arizona
Habitat for Humanity
House of Grace
Hurricane Disaster Relief Efforts
Idaho Coastal Conservation Association
International Ballet Competition
Jackson, Mississippi, Water Relief
La Vernia Community Food Bank
Mentoring College Students
Mississippi Blood Services
Mountaineer Food Bank
Rescue Mission of the Mahonig Valley
Salvation Army Family Store
Shower Power
Stewpot Community Services
Sunnybrook Children’s Home
Supporting Local First Responders
Teaching STEM Classes at Richland
Upper Elementary
The Brightside Project
The Lily Pad Foundation
The Little Light House, Central Mississippi
Title 1 School Volunteer Programs
Toys for Tots
Truckers Against Trafficking
Valley of the Sun United Way
Vicksburg Warren College and Career Academies
Vicksburg Warren Economic Development Foundation
Warren Central High School Life Skills Class
Youth Outdoors Unlimited

Purposeful Growth Profile: John Finley Achieves Safety Certifications

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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

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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

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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.

Ergon Logistics Built to Handle Low Water Events

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Michael Carpenter is Senior Port Captain for Magnolia Marine Transport Company (MMT), in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Part of the Ergon family of companies, MMT operates one of the largest inland waterways petroleum transportation fleets in the United States. With 24 towboats and more than 88 barges, they transport asphalt, crude oil, process oils, fuel oil and additional products on the Mississippi River and intracoastal waterways of the Gulf of Mexico.

Due to the low water levels from recent dry weather and drought conditions, the Mississippi River is low enough to create transportation issues for cargo ships and barges, with many companies across the marine industry having to significantly slow down or even stop deliveries.

Carpenter spoke with Mississippi Public Broadcasting about the ways MMT is adapting to these extremely low river levels — https://www.mpbonline.org/blogs/news/dry-conditions-causing-low-water-levels-on-mississippi-river/. MMT’s operations plans ensure that security of supply is protected in situations like these where loads need to be lightened to reduce draft and traffic is slower due to low water or congestion along certain segments of the route.

Ergon is a global organization delivering products and services essential to manufacturing and infrastructure needs to customers in more than 90 countries around the world. The diversified logistics provided by a variety of businesses, including MMT, mean that when one area faces hardships, others are ready to step up to get the job done. In this case, when waterways are impacted, Ergon’s trucks and railcars can assist with transportation of products.

That same ability to adapt is one of MMT’s strengths. According to Carpenter, “Challenges are nothing new for MMT. We take them as they come. Whether it’s near record-high water levels, hiring employees for our growing fleet of boats and barges, or our present low water situation, adapting to an ever-changing environment is one of our major strengths.”