The Flint Hills Resources Houston Chemical Plant has achieved over four years without a recordable injury to an employee and is on the cusp of one year without a contractor recordable injury. Plant Manager James Rhame attributes this success to everyone looking out for one another on-site.
“Flint Hills Resources is committed to operating efficiently, safely and in an environmentally responsible manner with a focus on continuous improvement,” he said. “Everyone holds each other accountable and stops things that are different than the plan. Presence of mind by everyone in the field is the key to assuring people’s safety.”
Rhame, who was named plant manager in July 2014 after Flint Hills Resources purchased the Houston plant, is responsible for the people and business unit at the site. He is originally from Louisiana but went to high school in Texas City, Texas. Rhame attended Sam Houston State University and received a Bachelor of Science in chemistry. Prior to coming to Houston, he was production manager of the Flint Hills Resources Port Arthur facility.
According to Rhame, one of the most important skills needed for a position such as his is the ability to understand people and ensure they are aligned with the company’s vision and culture. “This enables our employees to be successful and, in turn, we’re successful as a company,” he said.
Capital projects, acquisitions
Flint Hills Resources’ focus on innovation allows the company to anticipate and meet customers’ needs. Since 2002, the company has invested over $11 billion in capital projects and acquisitions.
“Flint Hills Resources purchased the Houston Chemical Plant for $2.1 billion, the largest transaction in our company’s history,” Rhame said. “The Flint Hills Resources Houston Chemical Plant is the only independent, dedicated propylene producer in the U.S. Previously, the plant was an out-of-service olefins plant, but reactors and other key operating assets were added and it was restarted with a different purpose: to make propylene.”
The plant made its first on-spec product in 2010. Today, it has an annual capacity of 1.45 billion pounds of chemical- and polymer-grade propylene.
“Propylene is an essential building block for a wide variety of commercial and industrial products,” Rhame said. “It often ends up in paints, coatings, building materials, clothing, automotive parts and packaging. The facility also produces commercial quantities of hydrogen.”
Flint Hills Resources’ initial entry into the chemical industry came as part of the 1981 acquisition of a crude oil refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas. From that point, the company developed its manufacturing and marketing experience, which has created a key capability on which the company has grown. The chemicals produced by Flint Hills Resources are marketed to customers from offices in Kansas, Illinois, Texas, Switzerland and Hong Kong, and distributed throughout North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Asia.
The aromatics, intermediates, olefins and polymers produced by Flint Hills Resources are the raw materials used to manufacture items such as soda bottles, DVDs, nylon fibers, tires, carpets, detergents, cosmetics and plastic toys.
Rhame said there are always challenges associated with managing complex manufacturing facilities. “The solution is having a highly skilled and motivated team who knows how to work together to overcome obstacles and accomplish some great things,” he said. “Flint Hills Resources is uniquely qualified to take stewardship of the people and assets to overcome challenges and move to the next successful chapter.”
Flint Hills Resources is currently in the early stages of evaluating a project that could expand the site’s capacity. “The shale oil plays have really invigorated this industry in the U.S.,” Rhame said. “Shale plays have reopened opportunities that many thought were no longer possible in North America.
“Another reason the Flint Hills Resources Houston Chemical Plant is expanding so quickly is because of the pro-growth policies of our state elected officials. We look forward to that type of leadership continuing.”
Community involvement, empowering youth
Rhame strongly believes in making a positive impact in Houston and surrounding communities.
“At Flint Hills Resources, we value being a part of the communities our facilities call home,” he said. “It starts with being a good neighbor by always being safe and environmentally responsible. We have been very involved with the Cossaboom Family YMCA. We support its youth development programs, and our employees recently sponsored over 40 children through the Angel Tree program, which provides Christmas gifts to the children.”
In 2012, Flint Hills Resources started the Helping Heroes program, which supports local fire departments and emergency responders through grants to help them better serve their communities.
“We recently presented a $3,500 check to the Seabrook Volunteer Fire Department to help with its training, equipment and emergency notification needs,” Rhame said. “And in February, we hosted 56 University of Houston chemical engineering students for a tour of our facility. The students are taking a senior design course on how to build a propane dehydrogenation plant, so it was a great opportunity to share knowledge with them on our processes.”
Additionally, Flint Hills Resources supports BEAResource (BEAR) and the Child Protective Services (CPS) program through an annual fundraiser. BEAR operates throughout Harris County in Texas and provides emergency supplies year round to children who are in the CPS program.
“We will soon award 10 local high school seniors with scholarships for college,” Rhame said. “We are excited about being in Houston and getting involved in the community. We look to support other opportunities where we can make a positive difference in the education and empowerment of youth.”
‘Be the ONE’
In five years, Rhame would like to see the Flint Hills Resources Houston Chemical Plant operating not only as a healthy business that creates value for consumers but also a place where employees want to work because it’s safe, it’s an enjoyable place to work and it’s a place where everyone is working together to achieve great things.
“The vision for the site is ‘Be the ONE’ — the one that is safe, clean and compliant; the one that is reliable; the one that is the employer of choice; and the one that is the innovation leader in on-purpose propylene,” Rhame said.
When the goal is to be the employer of choice, knowledge is crucial.
“We subscribe to and read BIC and many industry newsletters and magazines, and meet frequently with our neighbors along the Houston Ship Channel for knowledge sharing,” Rhame said. “We also have a communications team that keeps us informed of top industry news in the world.”
The Flint Hills Resources Houston Chemical Plant also belongs to several associations at both the local and state levels, such as the East Harris County Manufacturers Association, the Texas Chemical Council and the Texas Association of Manufacturers.
“We feel it is important to be a part of those organizations because there are a lot of common interests there,” Rhame said. “It is easier to find long-term solutions in a teamwork atmosphere.”
--
Flint Hills Resources Houston Chemical Plant
9822 La Porte Freeway
Houston, Texas 77017
(713) 740-3911
www.fhr.com
Employees: 100
Product: Propylene
Size: 94 acres
