Ergon Asia Bridges Cultures to Power the Future

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Ergon is dedicated to providing innovative solutions worldwide, now serving over 100 countries. Our efforts include advancing low-carbon energy sources, advancing both energy security and sustainable development. At the heart of our global initiatives are our core values of Empowered Service, Selfless Leadership, Purposeful Growth and Respectful Relationships. For Ergon Asia, currently serving 25 countries across Asia and playing a key role in meeting today’s energy demands, these core values are more than just guiding principles; they are a way of life.

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“Asian culture, with its deep-rooted emphasis on respect, humility and collective well-being, aligns seamlessly with Ergon’s core values, where individual contributions are celebrated for the greater good,” said Chin Chin Wei, the Regional Product Manager for Dielectric Fluid Sales for Ergon Asia. With nearly a decade’s worth of experience in the transformer industry, Chin has been overseeing the HyVolt product line in South Korea since joining Ergon in July 2023.

Upon being hired, one of his first impressions of Ergon was our focus on treating colleagues like family – Ergon family. “At first, I didn’t understand what everyone meant by ‘family,’” said Chin. “I kept asking myself, ‘Why does this company keep mentioning family when we’re not related?’ Then I realized, by family, they mean they genuinely take care of you — and not just you, but your actual family as well.”

This strong sense of community and Respectful Relationships resonates deeply with Asian cultures. During Lunar New Year, for example, families commonly travel great distances to reunite, congregating around round tables to celebrate together. A similar bond is evident within the Ergon family. “For Energy & Specialty Solutions, we have a Global Sales Summit where we all come together to share ideas, perspectives, directions and the future of the business, regardless of title or position,” Chin added.

When it comes to leadership, Asian traditions often emphasize leaders serving their communities selflessly. “Asia is renowned for its strong emphasis on service and hospitality — values that are deeply ingrained in Ergon’s culture. Our team consistently strives to deliver solutions within this framework,” said Juan Acosta, Vice President of Sales – Ergon Asia. Additionally, Chin credits this Selfless Leadership approach for his personal and professional growth. “I have the freedom to make decisions that best serve the customers’ needs and navigate challenges that arise. This allows me to think more broadly and quickly identify opportunities, particularly in the Korean and Malaysian market,” Chin said.

With such synergies, Ergon Asia is well-positioned to meet the region’s growing demand for sustainable solutions, including our dielectric fluids, which support the energy transition from non-renewable resources to electrical power. Since Ergon Asia’s establishment in 2016 with just three employees, they have expanded significantly, now boasting a team of 11. While the team is still relatively small compared to the large demand in Asia, they display remarkable adaptability in managing a diverse business landscape. “Each member wears multiple hats and works closely to ensure open communication,” Chin remarked. “Our team embodies Empowered Service by being humble, genuinely approachable and always willing to lend a hand when needed.”

In addition to team growth, the segment is also growing through regional developments, including increased storage capacity for transformer oils and partnerships to better serve customers. “By positioning ourselves closer to our customers, we’re able to meet their needs for shorter delivery times without compromising product quality,” said Chin. Acosta added, “Our goal is to expand Ergon’s footprint in Asia, where half of the world’s transformer oil is consumed. This demand is driven by the region’s rapid electrification and urbanization, particularly in countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, China and India.”

As Ergon Asia continues to expand, this alignment of culture and values will play an even greater role in their success and a sustainable, electrified future. “By embracing flexibility and local insights, while staying true to our core values, we can build deeper connections with customers across diverse regions,” Chin emphasized. “This alignment enables us to foster relationships built on mutual respect, drive Purposeful Growth, lead with humility and empower others to reach their full potential.”

World Heart Day: Scott Metcalf’s Story

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Ergon is deeply committed to the well-being of our employees, and we aim to share stories that encourage everyone to take charge of their health and safety. For World Heart Day (September 29), we are sharing the story of Scott Metcalf, a longtime Ergon employee whose recent heart attack serves as a powerful reminder for all of us to prioritize heart health. His experience shows how easily we can overlook warning signs, even when they are right in front of us.

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Scott, who has been with Ergon for over 15 years, was working in Chandler, Arizona, when his life took an unexpected turn. As the Vice President – Pavement Preservation, Scott knew what it meant to dedicate himself to his work for long hours, and that dedication didn’t always come without stress. In the months leading up to his heart attack, he had experienced fatigue and discomfort, but dismissed it as the normal toll of aging. “I noticed I was really tired. I couldn’t even make it until 9 o’clock anymore, and my feet and ankles hurt,” he recalled. “I thought it was just part of getting older.”

Despite his family’s history of heart disease, Scott’s focus was on managing other health conditions, trusting the annual physicals where he was repeatedly told his heart was “strong.” But on April 25, 2023, Scott realized the seriousness of his situation. After dinner, intense chest pain hit him, radiating through his body. “It felt like a horse kicked me right in the chest,” he said. The pain soon spread to his back, confirming to Scott that he was having a heart attack.

What helped Scott recognize the symptoms was a story shared by a customer years earlier. “I remembered a conversation I had with a customer who described his own heart attack to me, and I thought, ‘This is exactly what he told me it felt like.’ That story made me realize what was happening and to act fast.”

Scott immediately called 911 and then notified his wife, who was back home. Fortunately, his hotel was located next to a fire station, and within minutes, paramedics were at his door. They rushed him to a nearby cardiac trauma center, where doctors discovered a 100% blockage in his left anterior descending, or widowmaker, artery, a condition often fatal if not treated quickly.

During the procedure to insert a stent, Scott had a surreal experience. He described seeing the clearest, most beautiful blue sky he had ever seen — a moment he later learned was when doctors had temporarily stopped his heart. “For about a minute and a half, my heart was stopped while they worked on me. For that brief time, I was clinically dead.”

Looking back on his near-death experience, Scott shared a powerful message: “I got a second chance at life, and I’m making changes. But I want people to know — you don’t have to wait for a heart attack to make changes. Take care of yourself now.”

Since his heart attack, Scott has embraced a healthier lifestyle, taking his doctor’s words to heart. He urges others to be more proactive about their health than he was. “My biggest piece of advice is to listen to your body. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t just brush it off.”

Scott is also passionate about sharing his story, in hopes that it might help someone else recognize the warning signs, just as his customer’s story helped him. “If my story can make someone stop and think, ‘Maybe I should get checked out,’ then it’s worth sharing.”

As we recognize World Heart Day, Scott also encourages those with symptoms or a family history of heart disease to undergo a heart check procedure called a calcium score test. “It’s a simple test that measures the plaque in your arteries,” Scott explained. “Had I known about this test earlier, I could’ve taken action before the heart attack happened. Don’t wait until it’s too late — get checked. You only get one heart, and sometimes, one more chance.”

Let Scott’s experience be a reminder to all of us: take control of your heart health now. Make the time for regular checkups, listen to your body and be proactive. It could save your life.

Ergon to Decrease Naphthenic Prices in North America

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FLOWOOD, Miss. — Ergon has announced a decrease in pricing of naphthenic oils in the North American market effective Monday, September 16, 2024.

– HyVolt Dielectric Fluids, HyGold Base Oils and HyPrene Process Oils will be reduced by $0.20 per gallon

About Ergon
Ergon is a group of privately held companies that operate under three primary business segments: Energy & Specialty Solutions, Pavement & Coating Resources, and Integrated Services & Logistics.

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

The Lifeblood of Global Energy

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Global energy consumption is at an all time high, and Ergon plays a pivotal role in serving industries essential to global energy security. Read Ergon President & CEO Kris Patrick’s latest LinkedIn article, as shown below, to learn more about our commitment to ensuring the stability of energy supply worldwide.

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We’ve reached a pivotal point in the world’s energy economy. The level of global energy consumption is unlike any other time in human history. There are many contributing factors, such as technological developments through increased data processing and the introduction of artificial intelligence, globalization and the move to diversified energy grids. In a recent article, Goldman Sachs shares that data center power demands will grow from 1-2% of total power demand to an estimated 3-4% over the next decade. According to Exxon’s most recent Global Outlook, the modernization of developing countries will also play a role in increasing energy demand. All these factors require us to look at energy security and how we can upscale our energy grids in step with this change. Businesses like Ergon, which provide service solutions for global industries, continue to innovate in step with changes in the market while helping customers adapt to this energy transformation.

Energy Consumption
According to a 2021 Energy Information Administration (EIA) report, world energy use is expected to increase by approximately 50% by 2050. A recent Reuters report highlights that in the U.S. alone, energy consumption has risen to over 4,000 billion kilowatt-hours since 2022, with record highs expected in both 2024 and 2025. As energy use increases, so does the need for diverse energy grids to support this uptick in consumption. And as more agencies adapt to the trend of creating more diversified grids, the need for reliable power distribution becomes more evident.

Transformers and Power Distribution
Energy transformers are the vehicles by which energy, generated from power plants, is distributed along these diverse grids to homes and businesses around the world. With such an important role in power distribution, the life cycle and performance of transformers are vital. Transformers must be able to provide the stability needed to manage voltage and maintain optimum performance long term. Simply put, while energy cannot be destroyed, its efficiency in power generation and distribution is heavily dependent on the quality of transformers. So, what keeps this vital equipment operating at optimal efficiency?

Transformer Oils
Transformers are only as good as the oils that sustain them. Transformer oils, also known as insulating oils or dielectric fluids, are responsible for cooling transformers, keeping them from overheating during the energy transmission process. They also prevent transformers from corrosion, extending service life and reducing downtime due to maintenance issues.

According to Technavio, the transformer oil market size is expected to grow by $1.13 billion by 2028. This growth is largely driven by a focus on power generation and strengthening energy grids to meet the demands of a consistent increase in global energy consumption, as well as an enhanced focus on renewable energy sources. Growth in the transformer oil market size has also been spurred by greater energy demand for high-performing data centers and electric vehicles (EVs), heating pumps and even air conditioning. Security and reliability are important factors for each of these growing demands, and transformers must be able to reliably power the processes associated with these demands. Hence, the importance of transformer oils. The cooling properties of these oils are critical to transformers’ capacity to handle multiple power processes.

Dielectric Fluids and Energy Stability
For 70 years, Ergon has provided innovative solutions to serve industries essential to global manufacturing and infrastructure. Part of our service includes the development, production and supply of specialty oils, such as HyVolt dielectric fluids for power transformers. These high-performing specialty oils vastly improve the lives of transformers and support growing energy trends, including clean energy transmission; voltage conversion for data information systems; the cooling of various parts of EVs, from battery systems to vehicle charging components; and more. Properties within our HyVolt solutions provide the stability needed to ensure optimal performance during power transmission and distribution.

Additionally, key to energy security and stable provision of the right energy load is a consistent supply throughout our grids. That’s why we not only provide quality dielectric fluids for transformers but have developed the supply chain infrastructure needed to ensure we can help keep industries, communities and energy moving.

Impact Where It Counts
As a solutions-driven organization, we recognize the significance specialty oils can have on the global marketplace, and we’re glad to make an impact where it counts in today’s need for energy security. Most excitingly, products like HyVolt allow us to help drive sustainability goals worldwide. A great example is our current involvement in Australia’s new EnergyConnect project. EnergyConnect is Australia’s initiative to support a sustainable energy future by integrating a 900-kilomenter transmission line (the largest in the Southern Hemisphere) that allows for the sharing of renewable energy between New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria. Through the Australian specialty oils distributor, Molekulis, Ergon is supplying HyVolt I to support the transformers used for this initiative. This program will not only reduce energy waste but will also reduce utility costs for consumers.

Transformer oils are at the heart of global energy supply, and their role has gained in importance worldwide. Yet, more important than ever is our need to collaborate further to find ways to both secure energy supply as well as contribute to a more sustainable future. Being part of projects like EnergyConnect allows for such collaboration and is at the heart of our focus on meeting needs, supporting families and serving customers.

Learn more about how Ergon’s HyVolt solutions are powering your world for the long term at HyVolt.com.

Ergon Expands Role With Summer Bridge Engineering Program at Mississippi State

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Sponsored by Ergon since 2022, the Summer Bridge Program at Mississippi State University’s Bagley College of Engineering has evolved into an even more transformative initiative for groups of incoming engineering students than it already has been for over 30 years. Initiated as part of a service project under the leadership of Bonnie Chapman, VP – Product Stewardship, Ergon has renewed our commitment to sponsor the program with a substantial pledge of $900,000 over the next three years. This funding supports various initiatives, including interactive workshops, travel to tour Ergon facilities statewide, student housing and the introduction of a full math credit to the curriculum.

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Transformative Experiences and Growth
The program, which aims to accommodate 35 – 50 participants annually, has made a lasting impact on its participants. Morgan Lounds, an incoming freshman from Oklahoma, shared how the program helped her forge new friendships and build confidence. “The program allowed me to improve my academic preparation and personal development,” Morgan said, emphasizing the program’s role in her growth.

Jordan Gillespie, a senior who participated in the program in 2022, described his experience as “very positive.” He appreciated the chance to connect with “like-minded individuals” and gain practical engineering experience. When asked what he’d say to future Summer Bridge participants, Jordan highlighted the importance of time management and perseverance he learned during his time in the program, stating, “Persevere today for a better tomorrow,” is a mantra he continues to apply in his academic journey.

Anahya Lewis, who recently completed the 2024 program and will be a freshman this fall also praised the program for easing her transition into college life. She appreciated the structure of the program, which included workshops, projects and networking opportunities. “The friendships and support system built during the program were invaluable,” she noted.

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Program Enhancements and Future Directions
Ergon’s involvement over the past three years has significantly expanded the program. Beyond an increase in the number of participants, the addition of a monthly book club under the guidance of Jamian Rush, Ergon’s Sustainability Specialist within the Product Stewardship Department, has been a standout feature. “It’s not just a summer program where we only engage in the summer; it’s something where we constantly have contact with the students from their first fall semester all the way through to graduation,” Rush explained. The book club, featuring books like Who Moved My Cheese?, aims to foster both personal and professional growth while maintaining the community students build with their fellow participants during their Summer Bridge Program.

Rush emphasized the program’s broader focus, stating, “This year, we really tried to focus on putting the students in that engineering state of mind … but also on general soft skills that the students would need to be successful engineers in any field.” Further success stories from alumni highlight the program’s effectiveness, with many students experiencing academic success and gaining early access to co-ops and internships.

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Looking Ahead
Looking forward, the program plans to increase engagement with more involvement from Ergon employees. “The goal is to make sure they know they have someone they can lean on and depend on … to develop strong connections before they go into the engineering field,” Rush said, underscoring the commitment of everyone contributing to the program to providing robust support for participants.

The Summer Bridge Program at Mississippi State University has proven to be a vital steppingstone for engineering students. By fostering academic success, personal growth and lasting relationships, the program not only prepares students for the challenges associated with earning an engineering degree, but also ensures they have the support needed to excel beyond their education well into their engineering careers.

Ergon is proud to support these efforts and prepare the next generation of leaders.

Ergon’s HyVolt Is Powering Australia’s Revolutionary Transmission Line Project

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Ergon is proud to supply HyVolt I dielectric fluids for Australia’s new EnergyConnect — the largest transmission line project in the Southern Hemisphere. Through the Australian specialty oils distributor, Molekulis, HyVolt is being used as the insulating oil to support performance of transformers for this project.

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“Our involvement means contributing to a project that not only enhances the reliability and capacity of the grid but also supports Australia’s transition to a more sustainable energy system,” shared Ergon’s Juan Acosta, Vice President of Sales – Asia.

EnergyConnect is a $1.8 billion project centered on strengthening and expanding Australia’s energy grid through the integration of renewable energy sources and a 900-kilometer transmission line to support a sustainable energy future. The EnergyConnect project will allow energy to be shared between New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria via power generation plants and substations. Sharing renewable energy among regions highlights a unique opportunity of collaboration. Working together in this way not only helps drive greater environmental sustainability but also reduces utility costs for consumers.

This massive energy program requires high-voltage operations, meaning reliable transformers are needed to distribute energy from substations to various destinations along the energy grid. Hyosung Heavy Industries is supplying phase-shifting transformers, which control the flow of power along transmission lines, for this project. Such transformers are important for consumption-based power distribution, ensuring the most efficient use of energy.

With transformers playing such a significant role in this project, optimum long-term performance is key. Insulating oils, or dielectric fluids, are vital to protecting transformers from corrosion and overheating, ensuring consistency in voltage and reducing downtime due to maintenance issues.

“Hyosung selected HyVolt I uninhibited transformer oil for its superior quality and consistent performance, which are essential in ensuring the longevity and reliability of critical assets within Australia’s transmission network.” Said Juan.

Ergon is proud to be a part of this revolutionary project. Learn more about EnergyConnect here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SU54iVwP2Y.

About Ergon
Ergon is a group of privately held companies operating under three primary business segments: Energy & Specialty Solutions, Integrated Services & Logistics, and Pavement & Coating Resources.

eTac Trackless Bond Coat is Gaining Speed

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Ensuring seamless fusion of pavement layers is not just about smooth driving – it’s about safety and performance. When layers aren’t bonded properly, failures can occur, creating hazardous conditions where safety is compromised. These challenges are especially detrimental on high-traffic roadways and airport runways where high performing pavements are required to withstand the stresses of rapid acceleration and deceleration.

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Enter Bond/Tack Coats
To combat disastrous pavement failures, bond or tack coats are applied between asphalt layers, mending them together, like a super glue for roads.

eTac – Superior Bond Strength
Due to its advanced polymer modification and specific chemical formulation, Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions’ (Ergon A&E) eTac trackless bond coat allows for superior bond strength and rapid setting within minutes of application. Agencies, such as Clark County, Nevada, have witnessed construction equipment operating on the surface in just 20 minutes without tracking. Moreover, eTac’s remarkable performance in Clark County has been validated by sheer testing, performed by the National Center for Asphalt Technology, of core samples from the County’s Lone Mountain Road project. Results showed the bond strength of eTac averaged nearly double the bond strength achieved by conventional tack products. Read the full story and results chart here: Vegas eTac Success.

Award-Winning Experience
Ergon A&E’s eTac is providing a top-tier performance experience. Its usage is gaining ground on high-speed roadway projects, including racetracks for the high-performance sports car industry, as well as on airport runways. Additionally, interstates using eTac, such as Florida Interstate 75, are being recognized for their award-winning performance. Learn how eTac is keeping this Florida Interstate together here: Florida eTac Success.

At Ergon A&E, we are dedicated to pioneering effective roadway solutions while prioritizing your safety and environmental stewardship. Whether cruising down an interstate or racing down a runway for takeoff, we are committed to our vision of high-performance roads that remain intact.

Contact your local roadway resource to find out if eTac is the right solution for your roads today.