Frank Maupay, Linde Engineering North America Inc. (LENA) Houston director of operations, is excited about the company’s prospects for building long-term relationships with its customers in the Gulf Coast.
BIC Magazine recently visited with Maupay about LENA’s newly awarded engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects and revamp work, which have substantially increased LENA’s footprint in Houston and prompted an expansion of its Houston operations with a relocation to the Westchase area.
Q: What led to your position at LENA?
A: Over my 10 years in the LENA organization, I have worked in several leading roles, providing me with business development and project execution exposure in LENA’s core technology product lines. Working both at the Linde Engineering offices in Pennsylvania and Munich, Germany, provided me the exposure to the international business operations necessary to prepare someone to face the complex challenges of managing an office in Houston.
The main goal of the Houston office is to build a sustainable LENA presence in the local area. We are making the long-term commitment to be close to our customers and suppliers. We want to grow with them by creating an organization that can benefit our clients through revamp projects and technical services as well as supporting our sales force that represents LENA’s technologies on an EPC basis.
Q: What is your best management tactic?
A: Too often, people don’t take the time to understand the fundamentals of a problem before weighing in with an answer or taking a course of action. It often only takes a few good questions and a couple minutes of analyzing a situation to develop the right solution that attacks the core of the problem.
Q: Are you looking to grow in new markets or expand in current ones?
A: LENA’s core product lines — syngas, ethylene and air separation — will be the mainstay of our focus and they fit very well with the needs of the region. We are expanding our business into the full-service life cycle of our plants through revamps and technical services. We want to not only be the plant contractor but also a long-term partner in servicing our customers’ needs through the lifespan of their plant.
Q: What is the biggest news in LENA right now?
A: The amount of EPC activity our company is experiencing in North America and specifically the Gulf Coast area is the biggest news. The favorable market for ethylene production as well as other technologies offered by LENA, such as ammonia and syngas for methanol production, is driving this uptick. The Linde Group has had a significant footprint in the Houston Ship Channel through its gases business but the renaissance for chemical production is driving LENA to increase its presence in what is arguably the epicenter of the oil and gas business for the world. Our newly established North American Petrochemicals group will be stationed here in Houston along with our Revamp Services group. This is expected to be our long-term foundation past the 2020 time horizon.
Q: How do you maintain a good work/home life balance?
A: Balancing work and home life can be difficult especially when taking on new assignments or roles within your company. There is a period of high intensity at the outset required to climb up the learning curve. It’s important not to lose sight of your family’s needs during this period. Once you are up to speed in your new role, you need to take some time and appreciate your family and what they mean to you.
For more information, visit www.lindeus-engineering.com or call (610) 834-0300.
