An Illinois transplant, ExxonMobil Baton Rouge’s Chemical Plant Site Manager Bob Johnston is acutely aware of the resounding positive impact the plant has upon Louisiana and its people. However, the recently appointed plant manager is not resting on the company’s laurels. He envisions a plant that significantly alters Louisiana’s future social and economical landscape for the better.
“The Baton Rouge Chemical Plant is one of the largest ExxonMobil chemical plants in the world,” stated Johnston, who has been with the company in some capacity for more than 25 years. “The integration of our operations with our refinery, as well as our lubricants plant and other ExxonMobil chemical sites in the area, allows for versatility in operations, output and capacity. The chemical plant and refinery are co-located on 2,250 acres of land and currently employ a workforce of about 5,500 employees and contractors. Every job at ExxonMobil supports nearly seven additional jobs in the state, translating to more than 41,500 Louisianans and their families who are positively impacted by our operations.”
Not only does ExxonMobil help support Louisiana’s present workforce, but Johnston noted it also continuously invests in current facilities and new projects that will support the state’s future employment rate. This year ExxonMobil will open its new synthetic aviation lubricants plant, which is a partnership between the chemical plant and the Port Allen lubricants plant. He said it is part of the company’s strategic outlook for its integrated business in Baton Rouge.
“This project was announced in 2012 and will bring new jobs and new product opportunities to our facilities,” explained Johnston. “This energy renaissance continues to position our integrated facilities for future investment. Also, we’re continuing to invest in other capital projects to improve safety, reliability and energy efficiency while simultaneously reducing emissions at our site.”
Safety drives everything ExxonMobil does
Johnston said safety is the most important factor in maintaining the Baton Rouge plant’s operational excellence.
“We believe safety is a value, not a priority. Priorities change, but values don’t. Each one of us accepts personal responsibility for our own safety and that of our coworkers, and we seek a culture where everyone actively intervenes to ensure the safety of others,” said Johnston.
He believes a highly effective plant manager should have strong leadership skills to motivate a large workforce to align and achieve very important goals like staying safe each day, and he makes sure to keep workers fully engaged in safety — both on and off the job. Johnston’s most important objectives are safe, reliable and environmentally responsible operations. He achieves these goals by clearly articulating his expectations and sharing the company’s vision. And ExxonMobil’s ongoing focus is to drive exceptional performance without incidents through the workforce’s engagement in both the company’s Operations Integrity Management System (OIMS) and use of the Loss Prevention System (LPS).
“Last year, we achieved our best-ever employee and contractor safety performance for the refinery and chemical plant complex, and we’re very proud of that,” commented Johnston. “Our employees remained injury free for all of 2014, more than 6 million work hours since the last injury and counting.
“We look to sustain and to continue to improve our performance with LPS, a behavior-based program that integrates safety into all we do. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a complex task or a task as simple as walking up and down the stairs; we strive for our workforce to continually assess what is the worst thing that could possibly happen and take steps to prevent a loss.”
When legislation meets science
While reducing emissions has always been one of ExxonMobil’s priorities, Johnston said as plant manager he focuses upon the continually changing regulatory environment, which is a significant challenge in remaining competitive. He also believes it is the company and industry’s responsibility to stay engaged in future local, state and federal environmental regulation development. He listed the new ozone standard that is under discussion as an example.
“At ExxonMobil, we are concerned with legislation that promotes overregulation of industry that could impact our ability to be competitive in the global marketplace,” stated Johnston. “As a member of the Baton Rouge Clean Air Coalition, we are working with local partners to maintain the ozone attainment status for the Baton Rouge area and are proud of having met the standard twice in the past several years.”
With natural gas already being the cleanest-burning fossil fuel, Johnston believes collective community input will help ensure everyone makes decisions based upon sound science.
Sound science decisions are not the only factor that will contribute to natural gas’ continued success and growth. Johnston said ExxonMobil works hard to find energy efficiencies and make reliability gains while staying competitive in the market. New technologies allow its employees to more easily access the natural gas supply, which leads to a competitive advantage for the domestic chemical industry. These advanced technologies, among many other attributes, also aid in making ExxonMobil’s Baton Rouge Chemical Plant one of the most diverse company sites in the world.
“This plant manufactures nearly 6.1 billion pounds of petrochemical products annually,” stated Johnston, who most recently worked for the company’s chemical plant in Beaumont, Texas. “Everything from rubber for tire liners that enhance vehicle fuel efficiency to the adhesive that makes your sticky notes stick is made here in Baton Rouge. We are also home to the largest Isopropyl alcohol production unit in the world, which makes rubbing alcohol people use every day. In 2009, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of operations in Baton Rouge. What started off as a small refinery on 225 acres of cotton fields has become one of the largest and most integrated petrochemical complexes in the world.”
Community service imbedded in its fiber
Safety is not the only thing ExxonMobil holds in high esteem. It values its community and gives back in countless ways throughout the year. Johnston said ExxonMobil’s employees, retirees and the families of the two groups help make Baton Rouge prosper.
“Our workforce is truly integrated into the fabric of this community,” said Johnston, who currently serves on the Louisiana Chemical Association and the Capital Area United Way boards. “Therefore, I haven’t been surprised to see the incredible level of volunteerism and neighborhood involvement from just about every area of our workforce. Our employees spend more than 40,000 hours each year volunteering at local schools and nonprofit organizations with a focus on the North Baton Rouge neighborhood where we operate. Last year alone, ExxonMobil contributed more than $5 million to the Baton Rouge area. We are especially proud to be the largest corporate contributor to the local United Way thanks to the generosity of our employees and retirees, who donated nearly $1.5 million last year.
“We also focus our outreach and investment in educational and workforce development programs that help students prepare for opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math fields. We’re advocating for higher standards in education so we’ll continue to ensure a qualified, skilled workforce.”
Johnston elaborated his personal focus is to effectively communicate with community leaders, nearby neighbors, elected officials and regulators. He aims to proactively keep the applicable people abreast on current ExxonMobil affairs so the company can address concerns, correct misinformation and work together on innovative collaborations that improve Louisiana’s community, economy and environment.
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ExxonMobil Baton Rouge Chemical Plant
4999 Scenic Highway
Baton Rouge, LA
(225) 977-8393
www.exxonmobilbr.com
Size: 2,250 acres
Employees: 896 employees and 1,300 full-time contract personnel
Products: Isopropyl alcohol, ethylene, propylene, Escorez® resin, neo acids, Vistalon® rubber, Jayflex® plasticizers, isoprene, secondary butyl alcohol and more.
