THE CoNNECTIoN - SGS Petroleum Service Corporation

Transcription

THe Connection
PUBLISHED BY SGS PETROLEUM SERVICE CORPORATION FOR ITS EMPLOYEES
Volume 19, Issue 4, Winter 2014
VIPs BEHIND THE SCENES
With all the talk about Oracle, we’d
like to take an opportunity to shine the
spotlight on some very important people
in the PSC family — the staff in our
Finance and Accounting department.
This hard-working group of employees
deserves a big round of applause for all
they do in managing the money matters
for PSC and making sure we all get paid!
In this issue, we’re pleased to put some
faces with the names of these VIPs and
provide an overview of the work they
do behind the scenes in their various
groups. First up is the Payroll and
Billing group, led by Manager Charlotte
Henriquez. This group is responsible
for billing our customers and paying our
employees. Each month, they process
approximately 2,500 invoices and more
than 6,000 payroll checks.
Accounting Manager Rachel Atwood
oversees the work of the staff in our
Accounts Payable and Procurement
group. This team is responsible for
paying our vendors, rents, other office
expenses, and employee expense
reimbursements. This group is also
responsible for purchasing needed
supplies, uniforms, safety equipment,
etc. Each month, they process on
average 3,000 to 4,000 invoices and
issue more than 700 vendor and
expense reimbursement checks.
Continued on Page 4
THE ORACLE PROJECT
has launched!
If we were reporting on what’s “trending
now” at PSC, Oracle would probably be
near the top of the list. Over the next
several months, you’ll likely be hearing
more chatter about the Oracle system
conversion. Just what does this project
involve, and how will it impact you?
computer system that is utilized by all the
other SGS divisions,” said VP of Finance
Philip McMasters. “Our goals with this
conversion are to become more efficient,
and to enable us to provide more robust
financial reporting and better service to
our employees and customers.”
“Over the last four years, we’ve
experienced phenomenal growth that has
put a strain on our finance and accounting
resources. To address that growth and
prepare for antipicated future growth,
we’ve decided to move to Oracle, the
The first phase of the Oracle project
has already been completed. It involved
transitioning our general ledger and
financial reporting to Oracle.
Continued on Page 4
Pictured (l. to r.) are some of our Oracle Project Team leaders: VP of Finance Philip McMasters; Accounting
Manager Charlotte Henriquez; Contracts Manager Tracy Casebonne; Payroll Supervisor Cindy Haisty; Financial
Systems Analyst Kiki Lane; Darlene Greaves, SGS Business Analyst from Rutherford, New Jersey; Menno Ponsen,
SGS Oracle Implementation Specialist from the Netherlands; Miller He, Oracle Project Manager from SGS Canada;
and Richard Wilkes, ADP Consultant from RCM Technologies in New Jersey.
SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter.
Newsletter
AS I SEE IT. . .
By Brian Haymon, CEO
I recently attended the 40-year
anniversary celebration for our CF
Industries group in Donaldsonville,
Louisiana. CF is one of our oldest and
most storied work groups, so I thought
I would share a little here. The CF story
illustrates the best of PSC: our rich
history, and our exciting future.
CF Industries is located on the Mississippi
River halfway between Baton Rouge and
New Orleans. It is the largest nitrogenbased fertilizer plant in North America,
and the second largest in the world.
In the early 1970s, when the plant was
nearing completion, my brother Cordell
heard that CF was taking bids from
contractors for its product handling work.
He called CF to inquire and was put in
touch with Vance Barry, who told Cordell,
“I’m sorry, but we have already selected
another contractor for this work.” Cordell
was very disappointed that we had let this
major new opportunity slip through our
fingers. He decided to throw a Hail Mary
pass and replied, “Well, if you’ve selected
someone else, you’ve got the wrong
contractor.”
Hearing this, Mr. Barry told Cordell to
come on down for a visit. Years later,
Mr. Barry would tell this story with great
humor, saying he agreed to a meeting
“just to see what kind of SOB would say
such a thing.”
Of course the meeting turned out
different from what Mr. Barry expected,
and a short while later, we started up with
12 employees at CF. This was in 1974,
when we only had about 30 employees
in the company. Imagine the excitement
today if we landed a job that grew our
workforce by 40 percent!
David Webre was one of our first hires.
He quit his job making $2.25 an hour
doing road construction to make $4.97
an hour at PSC. David eventually went
on to become our CF Supervisor, and
today he is an Operations Manager. In
fact, CF has produced more PSC leaders
than any other work group. Other CF
alumni in leadership roles today include:
Joe Jarreau, Dow – Plaquemine; Scott
Medine, Oxy – Convent; Brad Blanchard,
Rubicon – Geismar; Jason Blanchard and
Wilfred Dunham, Dow St. Charles; Ryan
Landry, Axiall – Plaquemine; Nick LeBlanc
and Derrin Coupel, NuStar – St. James.
Given the quality of our leadership at
CF, it is not surprising that the group
has a reputation for outstanding safety
performance. It holds one PSC record that
might never be broken: 33 years without
a lost-time accident. This milestone is
particularly impressive when you consider
the scope of our work. We load trucks
and railcars, perform rail switching,
operate a warehouse with a conveyor
system and front-end loaders, operate
the dock, load barges, and operate the
tank farm. For about 15 years our work
included unloading a seagoing barge,
the Jamie Baxter, in a midstream transfer
operation that was particularly hazardous.
Volume 19 Issue 4 • Winter 2014
P. 2
Today the plant produces about 5 million
tons of fertilizer each year, and PSC
employees load every pound.
CF also stands as a shining example of
the stable, long-term relationships we
enjoy with many of our customers. From
Day One the CF plant leadership treated
our employees as their own, entrusting
them with duties and responsibilities
traditionally performed only by plant
employees. Our people were assigned to
write work permits, oversee maintenance
personnel working in the product handling
areas, deal with the Coast Guard, and
serve on plant safety committees. Trust
and confidence is something we seek
with all our customers, but nowhere is it
stronger or more enduring than at CF.
Perhaps the most defining quality of
our CF group is that it is exceptionally
close-knit. I can think of no group that
better reflects the family values, integrity,
and work ethic for which PSC is known.
Whether it is raising money to support
a fellow employee who has suffered a
loss, attending family celebrations and
social events, or being available to work
overtime on weekends, our CF group
has always been there for each other.
The group has sponsored multiple DH
Haymon Award winners, and this past
year David Webre received the Cecil
Johnson Customer Service Award.
The CF group works hard, but they also
know how to have fun. Joking, laughing,
and camaraderie are part of the culture,
and they have great nicknames, too!
Continued on Page 3
Pictured (l. to r.) at the 40th anniversary celebration are: CF Industries Supervisor Gerald Alexander, Site Leader
Pat Settoon, Supervisor Clark Booty, Operations Manager David Webre, CF Industries Superintendent Lionel
Dugas, former CF Industries Superintendent Dennis Mouch (retired), Brian Haymon, Supervisor Wayne Simoneaux,
CF Industries Supervisor Dane Girouard, and Safety & Training Coordinator Tony Bergeron.
SGS Petroleum Service Corporation • Connection Newsletter
P. 3
CELEBRATING 40 YEARS AT CF INDUSTRIES
On two evenings in November, CF leaders
and PSC employees came together to
celebrate 40 years of working together.
Attendees were treated to a steak
dinner and presented with a backpack
embroidered with the CF and PSC logos.
We’re pleased to celebrate this milestone
anniversary with the employees pictured
here, as well as with all those who have
played a part in our success at CF through
the years.
Continued from Page 2
There are memorable nicknames in
the history of PSC, but CF’s collection
including White Bean, Coonie, Shaggy,
and Stump are hard to beat. When not at
work, our CF employees engage in the
full range of Louisiana pastimes. They
are crawfishermen, shrimpers, alligator
hunters, race car drivers, and jambalaya
cooks, to name a few.
Today, the CF group continues to field
an exceptionally strong leadership team,
led by Pat Settoon, who just celebrated
his 35th year. Eric Morris (36 years) and
Alvin Rome (34 years) are among several
in our CF group with more than 20 years
of experience. I feel a deep sense of
pride and satisfaction having watched
these good men develop successful
careers with our company. Some now
have children who work for PSC, which is
especially gratifying.
Our CF group has a great history, but
it also has an exciting future. The plant
is currently undergoing a $2.2 billion
expansion that will double output. To
handle the shipping needs, our group has
grown significantly and will soon number
over 100 employees. At the recent
40-year celebration, this new class of
PSC employees sat alongside their older
co-workers. It was striking to see the two
generations represented so vividly.
The generational shift we see at CF
is taking place across our industry.
Refineries and plants constructed in the
1960s and 1970s are seeing the original
workforce retire, and a new generation
coming on board. At PSC, we have a
somewhat younger workforce, but we
too are gradually passing the torch as we
develop the next generation of leaders.
The CF expansion is part of some $100
billion in new investment planned in
our industry. The growth is the result
of long-term forecasts for cheap and
abundant natural gas due to new fracking
technologies. Our industry is being reborn
before our eyes, creating opportunities
for our employees that no one could have
imagined just five years ago.
As we reach the close of what has
been a very successful 2014, let us give
thanks for our many blessings, and for
the promise tomorrow holds. To all our
employees and their families, Merry
Christmas and Happy New Year.
P. 4
THE ORACLE PROJECT
(Continued)
“Our income statements, balance
sheets, and other financial reports are
now produced in the new system,” said
Philip. “Our customer invoices are also
being loaded into Oracle, so we are now
managing our Accounts Receivable and
collection activities through the new
system as well.”
In mid-October, the second phase of the
project kicked off. “This actually involves
two separate conversions. We are
moving our payroll system into a program
designed by ADP, and our billing functions
will be migrated into Oracle,” said Philip.
“This phase is going to have a huge
impact across our organization, but it will
help us to eliminate some of the duplicate
manual entry we are currently doing by
allowing for timesheet information to be
uploaded directly into the system.”
The target go-live date for the payroll and
billing conversion is July 1st. “A couple of
months prior, we will perform duplicate
entries between the two systems for
testing purposes. We’ll also train our
staff on the new system, including the
timekeepers and supervisors at our
various work sites,” he said.
“This is going to be a difficult transition
because of what is involved and the
volume of transactions we handle.
We can’t just stop issuing paychecks
or paying our bills because we’re
transitioning to a new system,” he added.
“But I’m confident we will rise to the
occasion, get the work done, and achieve
our goals of becoming more productive,
more efficient, and able to provide a
better level of service.”
An Oracle kick-off breakfast was held at
our Baton Rouge Office on November
5th. This event provided an opportunity
for our office employees to meet the SGS
consultants assisting with this project
(shown on our front cover). They will be
frequent guests at PSC over the next
several months as the conversion project
moves toward completion.
Our Payroll & Billing group includes (l. to r.) Payroll & Billing Specialist Rhonda Douglas; Payroll Coordinator Patti
Fitzgerald; Manager Charlotte Henriquez; Payroll & Billing Specialists Christy Baker, Janet Rowan, Kristy Babin,
and Nicole Simoneaux; Payroll Supervisor Cindy Haisty; Billing Supervisor Amanda Seale; and Payroll & Billing
Specialist Virginia Carey.
Shown (l. to r.) are Accounts Payable Specialist
Anna Alford, Accounts Receivable Specialist Shelley
Delapasse, Finance Administrative Assistant Veronica
Warren, Procurement Specialist Melissa Joseph, and
Accounts Payable Specialist Rhonda Gourgues.
Our Finance group includes (l. to r.) Accountant
Colette Plauche, Accounting Manager Rachel
Atwood, Contracts Manager Tracy Casebonne,
Senior Accounting Manager Sherie Faulkinberry, and
Financial Systems Analyst Kiki Lane.
VIPs BEHIND THE SCENES (Continued)
Our Accounts Receivable group is
responsible for receiving payments from
our customers and applying them to the
correct invoices. They work to address
any issues with our invoices and handle
the collection activities.
And last but not least, is the Finance
group, led by VP of Finance Philip
McMasters. This group serves as a
liaison between PSC and our SGS
Corporate offices. They are responsible
for budgeting and forecasting, performing
reconciliations, producing financial
statements, working with auditors, and
keeping track of our fixed assets and
physical inventories. They also produce all
required financial reports, including sales
tax returns and financial statements for
each of the 90+ sites where we operate.
“We’re behind the scenes, on the back
end, doing a very important job,” said
Philip. “From my viewpoint, even with
the growth we’ve experienced and the
system limitations we’ve faced, the
employees in our Finance and Accounting
department have done an excellent job
in meeting our processing and reporting
requirements and responding to requests
from our employees and customers. I
think that speaks volumes to the work
ethic and commitment to customer
service they bring to their jobs each day.”
So, the next time you encounter one of
these VIPs, please take a moment to say
thanks for a job well done!
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
PSC has once again made Louisiana State University’s Top 100 list of fastest
growing Tiger businesses in the world.
This is the fourth year in a row that PSC
has made this prestigious list, which
recognizes businesses owned and/or
managed by LSU graduates. A number
of our senior leaders and managers are
among the many LSU alumni we have
working for PSC.
“This recognition is given to those
businesses that have the fastest
percentage growth. Any business with
revenues of at least $100,000 can apply,
so smaller businesses are more likely to
win under this criteria. Given our size, it is
remarkable that PSC has once again made
the list,” said Brian Haymon. “In fact, PSC
is one of only 19 businesses to have won
the award in each of the four years it has
been given.”
VP of Finance Philip McMasters and
Contracts Administrator Tracy Casebonne
attended the awards luncheon held in
October.
ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR
Cordell Haymon was recently honored as
the 2014 LSU Law Center Distinguished
Alumnus of the Year. This award is given
annually to recognize a graduate for rare
professional achievement and career
distinction, service to and support of
the LSU Law Center, and service to the
community.
Cordell is a 1968 graduate of the LSU Law
Center. He serves on the Law Center’s
Board of Trustees and Chancellor’s
Council, as well as other committees.
Through the years, he has received
numerous recognitions for community
service, including the Community
Champion Award from the Baton Rouge
Area Chamber of Commerce earlier this
year. Congratulations, Cordell!
P. 5
CHESS AWARD WINNER
James Williams, a loader from our Total
work group in La Porte, Texas, was
recently recognized by Total‘s Contractor
Helping Everyone Stay Safe Safety
(CHESS) Committee for outstanding
contribution and dedication to continuous
safety improvement.
James has worked for SGS PSC at the
La Porte site for the past 16 years and has
been a member of the CHESS team for
four years. Congratulations, James!
At the Top 100 awards luncheon, Tracy Casebonne
accepted PSC’s award from Robin Kistler, the Interim
Director of the Stephenson Entrepreneur Institute at
LSU. Robin previously worked for PSC in our Baton
Rouge Office.
Dale Carnegie
Award Winner
George Maurin recently received a Dale
Carnegie “Outstanding Performance
Award” for a speech he gave during a
training course he attended in October.
The other participants in the course
selected George for this honor. He is
shown below (center) accepting the
award from the Dale Carnegie instructors.
George is the Rail Switching Supervisor
for our Dow St. Charles work group in
Hahnville, LA. He has worked for PSC for
10 years.
Safety
Corner
Live in the Moment
We are taught to look out for our coworkers and speak up when things
seem a little off. Whatever the reason,
you know their distraction could pose
a risk to themselves and others around
them. However, a distracted mind is not
always so obvious, especially when the
distraction stems from excitement. For
example, December is a favorite month
for many of us:
••
••
••
••
Holiday parties
Conference play transitions to bowl
games
NFL matchups intensify before the
playoffs
Extended family fun
What if you are thinking about one of
these activities while protecting the move
in a crowded rail yard? Or while you are
watching the flow meter on the Ethylene
Oxide loading rack or stacking drums of
Epichlorohydrin with a forklift?
Some of you know I worked at NASA
before joining the PSC team. One of
the “foundations” you’ll see on the wall
before walking into the Mission Control
Center is this: “To always be aware that
suddenly and unexpectedly we may find
ourselves in a role where our performance
has ultimate consequences.”
By Adam Gilmore,
Vice President of HSE
P. 6
the impending sideswipe until it is too
late. Or imagine you are on a barge and
notice a gap between the dock and barge
that needs adjustment. As you see the
gap widening due to a passing ship, you
suddenly realize you’re in the line of fire
of the straining steel mooring cable. In
both scenarios, you may only have a
split second to respond, and you cannot
perform in those situations when you are
distracted. While you cannot prepare for
every possible scenario, you can maintain
a level of focus and rely on your training
and experience to guide your instincts
when you need it most.
Always focus on what is in front of you
HERE and NOW. When at your holiday
party, enjoy the party to the fullest.
When watching BCS games, be the
best armchair quarterback in town. And
when you are on a job site, focus your
attention on the work in front of you and
the environment around you. If you do
that, you will get to enjoy that next holiday
gathering and live the rest of your life to
the fullest!
Recent Safety Milestones
No Recordables
Yrs
St. Louis Tankerman Group
14
Distractions may mean we miss a critical
step, or it may simply mean we don’t
perform when we need to the most. Why
do so many people text and drive despite
the overwhelming evidence against
it? Because it is not every day that we
swerve off the road or slam on the brakes
to avoid a major accident. For me, I can
only recall one time in the last 20+ years
where my reaction time was absolutely
critical to avoiding a head-on collision. Had
I been distracted at that one moment, my
performance would have likely been lifealtering at best.
Upper Ohio Tankerman Group
13
Rubicon – Geismar, LA
12
ExxonMobil – Baytown, TX
10
Now apply this same mindset to our
work. Imagine you are in a rail yard, riding
point, assuming your switch crew moved
cars out of foul territory on an adjacent
track. A distracted mind might not detect
Motiva – Sour Lake, TX
7
NuStar – Texas City, TX
7
Valero St. Charles – Norco, LA
4
BHP – Point Comfort, TX
3
Dow – Freeport, TX
2
Oxy – Pedricktown, NJ
2
Chevron Cedar Bayou –
Pasadena, TX
1
Shintech – Freeport, TX
1
Shintech – Plaquemine, LA
1
No spills
BHP – Point Comfort, TX
Yrs
3
P. 7
HAZARD RECOGNITION PROGRAM WINNERS
We’re pleased to shine the spotlight on the most recent “Gold” and “Silver” award winners for our Quarterly Hazard
Recognition Program. Congratulations and thanks for your efforts in making our workplaces safer for everyone!
QUARTERLY Gold Winners
These employees each received a $500
award for their winning submissions from
the third quarter of 2014:
••
••
••
••
••
Terrance Foster – Dow LAO,
Plaquemine, LA
Alfonso Garcia – Valero, Corpus
Christi, TX
John Romine – Dow LAO,
Plaquemine, LA
Craig Tomlinson & Robert VanHorn –
TPC, Houston, TX
Jose Zambrano – Bayer, Baytown, TX
Monthly Silver Winners
The following employees each received a
$150 award for their winning submissions
for July, August and September:
••
••
Steven Allen – Shintech, Plaquemine,
LA
Cody Aucoin – Helen G
Monthly Silver Winners
(continued)
••
••
••
••
••
••
••
••
••
••
••
••
••
Dameon Barbery – Axiall,
Plaquemine, LA
Ryan Beaumont – Total, Carville, LA
Randy Brookins – Dow, Freeport, TX
Benjamin Bryant – Dow Lone Star,
Houston, TX
Mario Castelli – Paulsboro Refining,
Paulsboro, NJ
Jacob Danford – Oxy, Taft, LA
Terrance Foster – Dow LAO,
Plaquemine, LA
Alfonso Garcia – Valero, Corpus
Christi, TX
Matt Imme – Rubicon, Geismar, LA
Jamiel Kamarudin – Dow, Deer Park,
TX
Jared Landry – Oxy, Convent, LA
David McGrew – TPC, Houston, TX
Jeff Moore – Louisiana Tankerman
Group
••
••
••
••
••
••
••
••
••
••
••
••
••
Kenny Morvant – Dow SCO,
Hahnville, LA
Eric Poindexter – Houston Dock
Group
Travis Prejean – Shell, Geismar, LA
Matthew Rodrigue – Chevron,
Orange, TX
John Romine – Dow LAO,
Plaquemine, LA
Paul Seyler – Houston Tankerman
Group
Larry Simpson – Dow, La Porte, TX
Eugene Thompson – Houston
Tankerman Group
Craig Tomlinson & Robert VanHorn –
TPC, Houston, TX
Brandon Segura – Chevron,
Pascagoula, MS
Jim Vezina – ExxonMobil BRPO,
Baton Rouge, LA
Brandon York – Bayer, Baytown, TX
Jose Zambrano – Bayer, Baytown, TX
a SAFETY CELEBRATION in west virginia
Shown below are some snapshots from a fun-filled celebration hosted for our Dow West Virginia Operations
employees and their families. The event was held on September 20th at Hurricane City Park with 100+ attendees.
FALL FAMILY FUN IN TEXAS
Shown below are some snapshots from our “Texas Fall Fest” held on October 4th at Clear Lake Park in
Seabrook, and our “BBQ in the Park” event held on November 1st at West Guth Park in Corpus Christi.
Additional employee event photos can be found on our PSCjobs.com website.
P. 8
P. 9
Promotions and Supervisory Changes
Travis Holter has been promoted to the
role of Site Supervisor for our Motiva
work group in Convent, Louisiana. He
had been serving as a Leadman in the
group. He has worked for PSC for nearly
10 years.
Derrick Garcia has transferred from our
Dow Houston Hub group to accept the
role of Site Supervisor for our new work
group at Stolthaven in Channelview,
Texas. He has worked for PSC since
March 2012 and had been serving as a
Leadman prior to this promotion.
Ramsey Bascle has been named as the
Site Supervisor for our new rail switching
operation at Louisiana Sugar Refining in
Gramercy, Louisiana. He had been serving
as a Leadman for our NuStar St. James
work group prior to his promotion. He has
worked for PSC for seven years.
Tom Johnson has accepted a new role
as HSE Leader for our Texas Mid Coast
operations. Tom has served as the Site
Supervisor for our Dow Seadrift group
since the summer of 2013. While he will
maintain an office at the Seadrift site and
continue to lend support to the group, in
this new role he will provide additional
support for our other sites in the midcoast area.
Mark Gonzales has been promoted to
the role of Site Supervisor for our Dow
Seadrift group. He has worked for PSC
for nearly three years, starting out as
a Loader. He had been serving as a
Leadman at the time of his promotion.
Robert Hebert has transferred from our
ExxonMobil BRCP work group in Baton
Rouge to accept a position as Safety
and Training Coordinator for our Dow
St. Charles work group in Hahnville,
Louisiana. He had been serving as a
Leadman prior to this promotion. Robert
has worked for PSC for 12 years.
Neal Songy Jr., Martinis Lewis, and
Dustin MacPherson have been promoted
from Switchman to Leadman roles at
Dow St. Charles. Neal has worked for
PSC since October 2013. Martinis joined
the PSC family in April 2014, and Dustin
came on board in June 2014.
Scott Himel has recently been promoted
to the role of Safety and Training
Coordinator for our Valero St. Charles
work group in Norco, Louisiana. He had
been serving as a Leadman. He has
worked for PSC for seven years.
Also in our Valero St. Charles group, Jeff
Benoit has been promoted from Loader
to Leadman, and Addison Piglia has
been promoted from Dock Operator to
Leadman. Jeff has worked for PSC since
February 2014, and Addison joined the
PSC family in March 2013.
Jeff Arrant has been promoted from
Loader to Leadman in our Dow Houston
Hub group. He has worked for PSC for
nearly two years.
Gralyn Burton has been promoted from
Switchman to Leadman for our Shell
work group in Geismar, Louisiana. He has
worked for PSC since April 2014.
Robert Hopper has been promoted to
a Marine Supervisor position for our
Houston Tankerman Group. He has
worked as a tankerman for PSC for more
than 13 years.
Jason Cavazos has been promoted from
Dock Operator to Leadman for our Flint
Hills Resources work group in Corpus
Christi, Texas. He has worked for PSC for
two years.
Stonie Beard has been promoted to the
role of Team Leader for our Alon group
in Krotz Springs, Louisiana. Stonie has
worked for PSC at the site since May
2013, starting out as a Loader. He had
been serving as Leadman for the group.
Pete Nessa and Stacy Shelton have
been promoted from Dock Operator to
Leadman roles at INEOS in Greenlake,
Texas. Pete and Stacy have both worked
for PSC since May 2014.
Cody Dupuis has been promoted from
Operator to Leadman for our Total work
group in La Porte, Texas. He has worked
for PSC since July 2013.
Josh Kessler has accepted a promotion to
Leadman for our new Bayer West Virginia
group. He had been working as a Loader
in our Dow WVO group. He has worked
for PSC since March 2014.
David Mercado-Lopez has been promoted
from Switchman to Leadman at Bayer in
Baytown, Texas. He has worked for PSC
for one year.
Kenneth Olson has been promoted from
Loader to Leadman at BHP in Point
Comfort, Texas. He has worked for PSC
for nearly eight years.
Brandon Segura has been promoted
from Loader to Leadman for our Chevron
group in Pascagoula, Mississippi. He has
worked for PSC since February 2014.
Beau Thibodaux has been promoted from
Loader to Leadman in our NuStar group in
St. James, Louisiana. He has worked for
PSC since March 2013.
Kevin Viviano has transferred to our Shell
group in Geismar, Louisiana, to accept
a promotion to Leadman. He had been
working as a Loader at Dow St. Charles.
He has worked for PSC for nearly nine
years.
Dustin Whitlow has been promoted
from Loader to Leadman at OxyVinyls in
Houston, Texas. He has worked for PSC
since April 2012.
We congratulate these employees and
wish them much success in their new
leadership roles.
P. 10
THE CULINARY CONNECTION
Through the years in The Connection, we’ve had lots of photos from jambalaya cook-offs, tailgating parties, office
potluck dinners, and other events showing happy people eating great food and having fun together. Throw in our
annual Pecan Recipe Swap (see pages 13 and 14), and it’s no secret that we’ve got some great chefs within the SGS
PSC family!
It was a bit of a surprise to discover
that we have a number of employees
with culinary degrees and noteworthy
professional experience in the restaurant
and food service industry. We’re pleased
to highlight some of these culinary talents
in this first of a two-part newsletter
series. If you know of a PSC chef to
highlight in our next issue, please contact
[email protected] or call (225)
235-0916.
A NEW LIFE IN SOUTH LOUISIANA
Demian Barrancotto is one of our unit
supervisors at Dow St. Charles in
Hahnville, Louisiana. Originally from San
Diego, California, he came to Louisiana
in 2004 to enroll in the Chef John Folse
Culinary Institute at Nicholls State
University in Thibodaux.
“I began working in the restaurant
business when I was 15 years old,
starting out as a busboy,” said Demian.
“I worked my way up in a local family
restaurant in San Diego and managed the
restaurant on the weekends while I was
going to college.”
After graduation, Demian worked for a
few years in Los Angeles before deciding
to go culinary school. Nicholls offered a
four-year program that would allow him to
transfer some college credits he’d earned.
He also had some friends from San Diego
who had moved to south Louisiana,
including Justin Aucoin, who works for
PSC as a Safety and Training Supervisor
at Dow St. Charles.
Demian graduated with a B.S. in Culinary
Arts in 2006 and began working as the
executive chef at Oak Alley Plantation
in Vacherie. Two years later, he began
working with Justin at a restaurant owned
by Justin and his family. (mark miller)
“After I got married, it was time to get
a ‘grown-up’ job where I didn’t have to
work all the time,” said Demian. “I went
from being an executive chef to working
on the wash rack here at Dow. But it was
a good move for me, because the plants
are the place to be around here.”
He still does a lot of cooking at home
and recently cooked 400 fish tacos for an
event for his wife’s employer. “My family
is Italian, and after growing up in San
Diego, my specialty is cooking Mexican
and Italian dishes,” he added.
cooking for family now
Here’s a photo of Demian Barrancotto from his days
working as an executive chef at Oak Alley Plantation
in Vacherie, Louisiana.
“I can cook circles around Demian,” joked
Justin about his longtime friend and coworker. “But seriously, he’s the reason
I’m here at PSC. About nine months after
I had my first son, I told Demian that I
needed to make a move because I just
wasn’t having enough time at home with
my family. He looked happy in his new
Justin Aucoin enjoys cooking for his wife Erin and his
sons Justin Jr. (center) and Christian (not pictured).
job, and so I came on board with PSC in
the summer of 2011, starting out on the
wash rack.”
Justin trained at the New Orleans Culinary
Institute, graduating in 2003. He worked
for a number of years as an executive chef
for his family’s restaurant management
business. “We got out of the restaurant
management business but still own DJ’s
Grille in Vacherie, which is frequented
by a lot of our employees who work at
NuStar,” said Justin.
Justin’s favorite customer these days
is his wife Erin. “I make a filet and blue
cheese pasta with a balsamic reduction,
and that’s what she loves the most,” he
said.
Justin is not surprised to find others at
PSC who came from the food service
industry. “Many of the basic management
principles are the same, in terms of
managing time and people. It’s fast-paced
and you’ve got to make decisions on the
spot. That’s why I think so many of us
with restaurant experience have fit in and
done well here,” he said.
FROM THE KITCHEN TO THE REFINERY
Kim Kornfeld worked at a number of
restaurants in the New Orleans area when
he was a teenager. During his senior
year in high school, he won first place in
a culinary competition sponsored by the
Louisiana Restaurant Association. His
prize was a scholarship to the Johnson &
Wales College of Culinary Arts in Denver,
Colorado.
“While I was in college, I worked for a
catering company and got to travel all over
Colorado,” said Kim. “One of the best
experiences I had was participating in the
Food and Wine Classic in Aspen.”
After graduation, he returned to New
Orleans and worked for a while as a
bartender and bar manager before
venturing off on his own and opening a
bar with a family member. “That’s where
I met my wife Melissa,” he said.
Kim helped out in a family-owned
business doing storm cleanup work after
Hurricane Katrina. He began thinking
about making a career change that would
be more conducive to family life than
what he had experienced in the food
service industry.
Kim joined PSC in February 2012, starting
out as a loader at NuStar in St. James. He
later transferred to Exxon in Chalmette
(Chalmette Refining), where he now
serves as the site leader.
“I still do a lot of cooking,” he said. “I
enjoy making traditional French cuisine
with a Creole twist — a lot of pan searing
and sautéing, incorporating tomato and
acidic-based sauces with local ingredients
like shrimp, crawfish, and game.”
Kim now has another mouth to feed at
home, his first child, a daughter born
on November 8th. Although it will be a
while before she will be dining on French
cuisine, we’re betting she’ll be one of her
daddy’s biggest fans!
P. 11
Good answer!
Two years after coming to work for PSC,
Kim had an opportunity to interview
Jeff Benoit, another culinary school
graduate who was looking to make a
career change after working for more than
12 years in restaurants and bars in the
New Orleans area.
Jeff earned his culinary degree from
Johnson & Wales College in Charleston,
South Carolina. He graduated in 2002.
When Jeff arrived for the interview, the
first question Kim asked him was related
to how working in the petrochemical
industry compared to the food service
industry. “He mentioned that he was
also a Johnson & Wales culinary school
graduate,” said Jeff. “I thought, wow, this
should be a pretty good interview. I can
really talk to this guy!”
It was a successful interview, and Jeff
began working for PSC this past February,
starting out as a loader in our Valero St.
Charles work group in Norco. He was
recently promoted to a leadman position.
He and his wife Tiffany just welcomed
their first child in October, so he’s pleased
that the career change he made will allow
him to spend more time with his family.
Jeff still does a good bit of cooking, but
he prefers small get-togethers at his
house with friends and family to serving
customers in a restaurant. “I like to do a
lot of grilling, and I’m also a fan of simple
one-pot meals and soul food,” he said.
“There’s nothing quite like some good
fried chicken and collard greens!”
Our Information Technology Director Don Richardson is also well known around the Baton Rouge Office for his
culinary skills. He served as the head chef for our recent Oracle Kick-Off Breakfast on November 5th, preparing
more than seven dozen eggs to order for our hungry office staffers and SGS visitors. Don got his culinary training
on-the-job during a two-year stint at a Waffle House restaurant, where he worked as a cook and manager. He
also did a lot of cooking when he worked on a four-man boat crew. His sous chefs shown in this photo are IT
Assistants Kevin Martin and Darryl Mullens.
As for how he answered that interview
question about similarities between
the restaurant business and the
petrochemical industry, Jeff said that the
goal in both businesses is to make the
customer happy. “You’ve got to follow the
recipe, or in the case of this kind of work,
the recipes are our standard operating
procedures. And you’ve got to pay
attention to the little details,” said Jeff.
Now that’s a recipe for success!
Employee
Close-up
Meet Jeramiah Clarkson, one of
the nearly 2,500 men and women
who are SGS Petroleum Service
Corporation. He is a member of our
Dow work group in Institute, West
Virginia.
P. 12
The Connection: How long have you
worked for SGS PSC?
The Connection: So, what is your life like
away from the job?
JC: I’ve been here for about two-and-ahalf years, since the startup. Before that,
I did construction work. I had moved to
Ohio for the construction job but came
back here after getting laid off. SGS gave
me an opportunity here, and I took it.
JC: I’m married. My wife Melissa and
I have been married for two years and
together for 10 years. No children yet.
The Connection: What are your job
duties?
I enjoy playing flag football, dodge ball,
kick ball, and pretty much any sport you
can think of. I also like to kayak. I have my
own kayak and usually go out on the Coal
River, one of our local rivers here.
JC: I’m a material handler. I load and
unload trailers in the hot room, the heat
treatment unit for POLYOX.
The Connection: Is there anything
else you’d like your fellow SGS PSC
employees to know about you?
The Connection: What do you like best
about the job?
JC: I enjoy working here. Everyone’s been
great to me. And to all my co-workers,
keep up the good work!
JC: I work Monday through Friday, usually
from 7 to 3, with weekends off. So, it’s a
good schedule. The salary is good, too.
The Connection: What are some of the
challenges you face on the job?
JC: It can be challenging at times trying
to meet the customer demands, but I just
try to think ahead and focus on working
safely and efficiently, and not get in too
much of a hurry.
This feature is designed to help you get
to know more of the employees of our
company. Please let us know if you would
like us to profile one of your co-workers.
kudos for THE SGS CANADA pto GROUP
Congratulations to the leaders and
employees in SGS Canada’s Plant and
Terminal Operations Group for receiving
an Ontario Achievement Award in
Mississauga recently.
The award was presented by the
Infrastructure Health & Safety
Association, which operates in
conjunction with the Workers'
Compensation Insurance Board. This
recognition is given to member firms
that have consistently operated with an
injury frequency rate and cost-rate factor
below their rate group average for three
consecutive years.
Shown (l. to r.) accepting the Ontario Achievement Award are: Sarnia Site Leader Curtis Tucker, Canada
Operations Manager Scott Derbyshire, HSE Manager Hervé Le Lagadec, and Toronto Site Leader Keith Nicholson.
P. 13
Our 2014 Pecan Recipe Swap
Giving the gift of south Louisiana pecans to our employees, customers, and friends is a long-standing holiday
tradition at PSC that was started years ago by our founder D.H. Haymon. We‘re pleased to share these tasty pecan
recipes provided by our newsletter readers.
Christmas Glazed Pecans
Honey Pecan Pie
Submitted by Bonnie Johnson, wife of
Brenden Johnson, Marathon – Garyville,
Louisiana.
Submitted by Jason Martin, Dow West
Virginia Operations.
Ingredients:
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1 egg white
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or pecan extract
2 cups whole pecans
Directions: Beat one egg white until soft
peaks stand. Gradually add brown sugar
and selected extract. Fold pecans into
mixture.
Lightly grease cookie sheet. Place each
pecan separately, spaced approximately
one inch apart. Bake at 350 degrees until
golden brown, roughly 8-15 minutes. Let
cool for about 5 minutes.
cheese ballS with Pecans
Submitted by Sosha McDonald, Baton
Rouge Office.
Ingredients:
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1 pound sharp cheddar cheese,
grated
1/2 pound mild cheddar cheese,
grated
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cups pecans, chopped
1 small jar pimentos, chopped
Paprika
Directions: Mix cheeses, pecans, and
pimentos. Form into 3-4 small balls. Roll
in paprika. Chill before serving.
Ingredients:
3 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup honey
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 nine-inch deep dish pie crust,
unbaked (store-bought or homemade)
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat the eggs with an electric mixer until
fluffy (about 8 minutes).
In a separate large mixing bowl, stir
together the sugar, salt, butter, vanilla,
syrup, and honey. Gently fold in the eggs
and then the pecans.
Pour filling into the pie crust and place
pie on a baking sheet. Bake for 40-50
minutes, until the filling is almost set. You
still want the filling to jiggle just a bit in
the center, because the pie will continue
to set as it cools.
Let the pie cool completely before cutting.
Pecan pies are best made the morning of
or a day before you want to serve them,
to give them time to set completely.
Fettuccine with Zucchini
and Pecans
Submitted by Corey Gooch, Valero –
Corpus Christi, Texas.
Ingredients:
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3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 12-ounce package fettuccine
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound small zucchini, shredded
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
Directions: Heat pecans in a small
nonstick skillet over medium-low heat,
stirring often, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until
the pecans are toasted and fragrant.
Prepare fettuccine according to package
directions. Meanwhile, melt butter with
olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over
medium-high heat; add zucchini and
garlic, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes, or until
zucchini is tender. Toss with hot cooked
fettuccine, pecans, Asiago cheese, and
basil. Season to taste with salt and freshly
ground pepper. Serve immediately.
Says Corey: “This is not my recipe.
We are recipe hoarders and found it
somewhere. We make it every year when
the pecans come in. It is super easy, very
tasty, and not real heavy.”
P. 14
Our 2014 Pecan Recipe Swap (CONTINUED)
Pecan Crusted Speckled Trout with
Pecan Butter Sauce
Submitted by Danny Barry, Dispatch.
Pecan Butter Sauce Ingredients:
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8 tablespoons softened butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped white
onion
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Directions: Put all ingredients in a blender
and blend until smooth and creamy,
approximately 2-3 minutes. Makes about
1 cup.
Pecan Crusted Speckled Trout
Ingredients:
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4 six-ounce speckled trout fillets
2 cups all purpose flour
2-1/2 cups chopped pecans
Two large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons Chef Paul
Prudhomme’s Seafood Magic
seasoning
1/2 cup peanut oil
Directions: In a food processor, combine
1-1/2 cups flour, 2-1/2 cups pecans ,and
2 tablespoons Seafood Magic seasoning.
Blend until smooth. Place this in a shallow
baking dish.
Combine beaten eggs and milk in a small
bowl. Mix 1 cup flour and 1 tablespoon
Seafood Magic seasoning in a separate
bowl. Dredge trout fillets in plain flour
mixture first. Then dip them into milk and
egg batter. Next, dredge the trout fillets in
the pecan and flour mixture.
Heat peanut oil in a heavy skillet on
medium-high heat. Cook trout fillets until
golden brown on each side, approximately
two minutes per side. Top with heated
butter pecan sauce.
Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie
Praline Bacon
A Southern Living recipe submitted
by Jean Hawthorne, wife of Herbert
Hawthorne, Targa – Mont Belvieu, Texas.
Ingredients:
Submitted by Houston Haymon,
Pasadena Office. This recipes comes to
us courtesy of Captain David Harris at
GalvestonBayFishing.com.
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Ingredients:
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1/2 14-ounce package refrigerated
pie crusts
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
4 large eggs
1-1/2 cups firmly packed light brown
sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled to
room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons milk
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1-1/2 cups pecan halves
Fit pie crust into a 10-inch cast-iron skillet.
Sprinkle pie crust with powdered sugar.
Whisk eggs in a large bowl until foamy.
Whisk in the brown sugar and the next six
ingredients. Pour mixture into pie crust
and top with pecan halves.
Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 300
degrees, and bake 30 more minutes. Turn
oven off, and let pie stand in oven (with
oven door closed) for three hours.
Grandma’s Pecans
Submitted by Adam Gilmore, Pasadena
Office.
Ingredients:
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2 cups pecan halves
3 tablespoons unsalted butter,
melted
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
Toss pecans and melted butter until
coated. Add salt and toss again. Spread
pecans in a single layer on baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes or until slightly
darkened.
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1 cup sugar
1 cup pecans
1 pinch cinnamon
Bacon
Directions: Grind sugar and pecans and
add the cinnamon. Cut the bacon in
half and “batter“ with the sugar/pecan
mixture. The bacon batters better if it is at
room temperature.
Place the battered bacon on a foil-lined
baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for
about 45 minutes.
PECAN PIE MINI-MUFFINS
Submitted by Claire McCrary, Baton
Rouge Office.
Ingredients:
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1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup pecans, chopped
Whole pecans for garnish
Mix all ingredients in a bowl with a
wooden spoon. Pour directly into a
greased mini-muffin pan, filling each
two-thirds full. Put a whole pecan on top
of each muffin, if desired. Bake 11-13
minutes. Makes 2 to 3 dozen.
Says Claire: “As a busy mom of four, I‘ve
come to appreciate recipes that use only
ONE bowl and ONE utensil. This one
takes the cake!”
our new TCA Grads
We’re pleased to recognize the newest graduates of our Tankerman Career Academy.
They were honored at a dinner held on September 9th in Baton Rouge following the
completion of their four-month training program. Shown below are some additional
photos taken during the graduation celebration. We wish these new tankermen much
success in their careers with PSC!
P. 15
FIND YOUR NAME,
WIN A PRIZE!
Kelvin Graves from our LyondellBasell
work group in Houston, Texas, found
his name hidden in our last issue and
received a $50 gift card.
Another name is hidden in this
issue. If you find YOUR name
printed in lowercase italic letters
(in parentheses), claim your prize
by contacting HR Administrative
Assistant Claire McCrary at
(225) 343-8262, ext. 287.
Pictured (1. to r.) are our Fall 2014 Tankerman Career Academy graduates: Clyde Bean, Martin Kirumba, Khalon
Dennie, Joshua Smith, Jon-Erik Chretien, David Stephens, Ramon Knighton, John Jackson, Claude Nixon,
J.R. Barrett, Justin Brooks, Raymond Lathbridge, Frank Cantu, and Lawrence Francis.
ANOTHER 2014 GRAD!
Congrats to this recent graduate in our
PSC family. She received a $150 gift from
PSC in recognition of her achievement.
Alexandra Lee Fonseca
Delgado Community College
Associate Degree in Applied Science,
Business Management, and Marketing
Daughter of Terry and Angela Adams
Gulf Gateway Terminal – New Orleans, LA
P. 16
ANNIVERSARIES
40 Years
5 Years
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Billy Efferson – Honeywell, Geismar,
LA
Russell Morton – Kentucky
Tankerman Group
35 Years
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Patrick Settoon – CF Industries,
Donaldsonville, LA
Roderick Sims – Shell, Geismar, LA
25 Years
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Mark Aucoin – CF Industries,
Donaldsonville, LA
Rhonda Douglas – Baton Rouge
Office
20 Years
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Jamie Cortez – Dow St. Charles,
Hahnville, LA
Wilfred Dunham – Dow St. Charles,
Hahnville, LA
15 Years
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Joseph Dugas III – Axiall,
Plaquemine, LA
Harold Harper – Upper Ohio
Tankerman Group
Marsha Ramsey – Baton Rouge
Office
Johnny Saucida – MS/AL Tankerman
Group
Blaine Wright – Port Arthur
Tankerman Group
10 Years
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Steve Clark Jr. – Houston Tankerman
Group
Robert Franks – Pasadena Office
Alberto Gutierrez – Houston
Tankerman Group
Susan Hildreth – Pasadena Office
Bryan Plaisance – Marathon,
Garyville, LA
Nita Smith – Dow Houston Hub
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Terrance Armstead – ExxonMobil
BRCP, Baton Rouge, LA
Darren Banks – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
James Banks – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
Demian Barrancotto – Dow St.
Charles, Hahnville, LA
Donald Bates – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
Blake Bennett – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
Darrell Brandon – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
Justin Carmena – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
Teodoro Castillo – TPC, Houston, TX
Sterling Elston – TPC, Houston, TX
Bryan Gonzales – Rubicon,
Geismar, LA
Joseph Gremillion – ExxonMobil
Darren Grigsby – Dow Houston Hub
Gregory Grimes – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
Arthur Guice – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
Horace Hall – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
Michael Haney – TPC, Houston, TX
Cory Hebert – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
Adonis Henry – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
Earl Jackson – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
Tyrone Jackson – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
Alton Johnson – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
Jerome Johnson – ExxonMobil
Zanda Johnson – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
Fitzroy Linton – Rubicon, Geismar, LA
John Makowsky – TPC, Houston, TX
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Jerry McKey – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
David Mejia – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
Jimmy Molina – TPC, Houston, TX
Thomas Musson – ExxonMobil
Kristopher New – ExxonMobil BRPO,
Baton Rouge, LA
Sau Nguyen – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
Chance Ortiz – Chevron Cedar Bayou,
Baytown, TX
Carl Paxton – TPC, Houston, TX
Marlon Rheams – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
Henry Rohrhofer – SSI Chusei,
Pasadena, TX
Stephen Schexnaildre – ExxonMobil
Calvin Shirey Jr – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
Larry Simpkins – TPC, Houston, TX
Warren Smith – Dow LAO,
Plaquemine, LA
Roy Thomas – TPC, Houston, TX
Sammy Tortorich – Shell, Geismar, LA
Tony Turner – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
Vidal Ware – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
Keith Washington – ExxonMobil
Dyron Williams – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
Terry Wilson – ExxonMobil BRCP,
Baton Rouge, LA
P. 17
THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE TO psc!
Billy Efferson was recently honored at a dinner in
recognition of his 40th anniversary with PSC. He is a
Leadman for our Honeywell work group in Geismar,
Louisiana. Billy is shown here with his wife Brenda.
Russell Morton from our Kentucky Tankerman Group
was recently presented with a shotgun in appreciation for 40 years of service to PSC. He is pictured with
Marine Operations Manager Jimmy Horn.
Ricky Sims was honored recently on his 35th
anniversary with PSC. He is a Leadman for our work
group at Shell in Geismar, LA.
Larry Smith recently retired after 40 years of service
to PSC. He was a member of our Kentucky Tankerman
Group. Pictured with Larry (second from left) at a
dinner held in his honor are VP of Marine Operations
Phil Johnson, Marine Operations Manager Jimmy
Horn, and Senior Marine Operations Manager Josh
Dixon.
Jamie Cortez and Wilfred Dunham from our Dow
St. Charles work group in Hahnville, Louisiana, were
recently honored at a dinner celebrating their 20th
anniversaries with PSC. Jamie is a Loader and Wilfred
is a Safety & Training Supervisor. Pictured (l. to r.) are
Senior Operations Manager Joel Prejean, Jamie and
Rachael Cortez, Adria and Wilfred Dunham, and Dow
St. Charles Site Leader Jason Blanchard.
P. 18
From our Customers
I would like to commend Callie Berry and
Sheila Exnicious for staying late on several
occasions to help stage the bad rubber
that was to be shipped out this month
(and probably next month). They recently
stayed past 3:15 on a Friday afternoon
just so I could get the paperwork on time
to the supplier. I believe Callie and Sheila
have done an awesome job, and need
recognition for going above and beyond
their jobs.
Courtney Wilkinson
Purchaser – Chemicals & Catalysts
Total Petrochemicals & Refining USA, Inc.
Carville, Louisiana
I read in the news notes this morning
[9/4/14] that one of the SGS employees
at Orange stopped work, because of
not being able to use the radios in a
downpour. I wanted to tell you all how
pleased I am to hear that the safe course
of action was taken with respect to the
use of radio communications. Over the
years, I have investigated several tragic
fatalities where lives might not have been
lost if the radios had operated properly
and/or work had been stopped. I just
wanted to thank the SGS team for their
safety focus.
Joel T. Robertson
Distribution Safety Manager
Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LP
The Woodlands, TX
both a sustained safety performance as
well as continued focus on applying best
practices in our logistics material handling
and warehouse areas. Fantastic news!
John Dycha
Freeport Site Logistics Director
The Dow Chemical Company
Freeport, Texas
I would like to recognize Daniel Mann for
his immediate actions when he found a
ship not following CITGO procedures. He
noticed the crane was unloading from the
center of the ship on the starboard side.
Daniel notified the ship’s chief and told
him he could not do this while the transfer
was going, as stated in the DOS and
as per CITGO Policy. He shut down the
transfer to allow them to finish unloading
their provisions and had the chief type a
letter of protest. Daniel was presented a
Gold Dollar Award from Michael Barrett,
Area Manager Oil Movement, for his
operational excellence. Daniel is a great
reflection on the way your company does
business!
Sam Manual
Unit Supervisor – OMA
CITGO Lake Charles Manufacturing
Complex
Lake Charles, Louisiana
The note below was sent in recognition
of our Dow Freeport work group marking
their first two years of operation with no
injuries, no LOPCs (I, III or III), and no
contaminations.
Congratulations to Michael Bordelon,
SGS leadership, and the entire Freeport
SGS team. It is great to see you sustain
the excellent safety performance since
coming into the Freeport Site. It’s been
a great partnership, and I look forward to
A SPECIAL THANK YOU
At PSC, we consider the Coast Guard
and other regulatory agencies we
deal with in the course of our work to
be our customers. Therefore, we are
very pleased to share the following
note we received recently:
On behalf of the U.S. Coast Guard
Regional Exam Center in New
Orleans, I would like to extend our
gratitude and appreciation for the
efforts put forth by one of your team,
Glenda Lyssy.
I contacted Ms. Lyssy when I first
transferred to this office, concerning
electronic applications being
presented to the Coast Guard, in an
effort to streamline the process and
make it more efficient. Ms. Lyssy
was not only open to my suggestions
but has made them a standard,
allowing this office to process the
applications submitted on average
within two days.
Her attention to detail and willingness
to try a new process has been a huge
success in our office processing
over 10,000 mariner files so far this
calendar year.
From the REC Staff and Management
we wanted to say “Bravo Zulu.”
Since she is not military, I will
interpret that as “Great Job,” and
thank you for your hard work.
Robert J. Buss
Assistant Chief/ Lead COA
Department of Homeland Security
United States Coast Guard
New Orleans, LA
Daniel Mann is shown (left) receiving a Gold Dollar
Award from CITGO Area Manager Michael Barrett.
P. 19
THE PSC SPORTS SECTION
If you have a photo and/or brief story that you’d like to share regarding your athletic achievements or those of any of
your family members, please contact [email protected].
THE SPARTAN “Trifecta”
It Runs in the Family
Dustin Pirtle, Safety & Training
Coordinator for our Axiall work group in
Plaquemine, Louisiana, is a Spartan Race
fanatic. The Spartan events are a series
of obstacle races of varying difficulty and
distances. Dustin (shown below) recently
earned “Trifecta Tribe” elite status by
completing all three of the Spartan
signature events in less than 12 months.
For Kiki Lane from our Finance group in
the Baton Rouge Office, family gettogethers often involve a lot of running.
She and her two sons joined in with
Dustin Pirtle and nearly 2,900 other
competitors for the “Spartan Sprint”
obstacle course race on November 8th in
Mississippi.
His quest for the trifecta began last
spring when he finished a 9.1-mile
“Super Spartan” race featuring more
than 20 obstacles. On November 1st, he
completed the grueling “Beast” event,
which covered 13.6 miles with more than
25 obstacles. One week later, he reached
his goal by finishing a 4.6-mile “Sprint”
event held in Mississippi.
“Even though this was mentally and
physically one of the toughest things I
have ever done, I plan on achieving this
goal once again in 2015,” said Dustin.
Here‘s a photo of Dustin Pirtle taken during the
13.6-mile “Spartan Beast” race held on November 1st
in Dallas, Texas.
Kiki Lane’s son Zac is shown during the “Spartan
Sprint” obstacle course race held on November 8th.
Kiki finished 199th overall and 8th out
of nearly 1,000 females. Kiki’s 20-yearold son Zachary Michelli (shown at left),
finished 84th overall. Her oldest son
Kristopher, who is 27 years old, also
participated in the event.
Homecoming royalty
A Tough Loss
Amber Blanchard, the daughter of Jason
Blanchard, our Site Leader at Dow St.
Charles in Hahnville, Louisiana, was
recently selected as the Homecoming
Queen for Ascension Catholic High
School. Amber is an honor student and
captain of the school’s cheerleading
squad. She also plays on the volleyball
and softball teams. Congrats, Amber!
Ryan Landry, our Site Leader at Axiall in
Plaquemine, is a faithful New Orleans
Saints’ fan. Ryan paid a steep price for
losing a bet he made with Axiall Railcar
Switchman Quinton Holliday prior to the
Saints/Cowboys game on September
28th. Shown below is a photo of Ryan
sporting a Cowboys’ cap at work after the
Saints lost the game. He looks real happy,
doesn’t he?!
The 2014 Ascension Catholic High School
Homecoming Queen, Amber Blanchard. Photo
courtesy of Michael Tortorich Photography.
P. 20
Teeing off for military families
On a beautiful day in late October, a crew of PSC golfers and volunteers hit the greens for a fundraising golf
tournament in support of Operation Homefront.
The tournament was hosted by NuStar
at Riverlands Country Club in LaPlace,
Louisiana. PSC fielded two teams of
golfers, including Senior Operations
Manager Joel Prejean, Operations
Manager David Webre, HSE Manager
Jimmy Stockton, and Oxy Taft Site
Supervisor Troy Cazenave. The SGS
PSC golfers from our NuStar work group
included Site Supervisor Derrin Coupel,
Assistant Supervisor Nick LeBlanc,
and Safety & Training Coordinator Josh
Anderson.
Assisting during the tourney were
Administrative Assistant Ashley Lucas,
Safety Administrator Melissa Charlet, and
Ann LeBlanc, the wife of Nick LeBlanc.
They helped Nustar staff register teams
and delivered drinks to the players.
Operation Homefront helps military
families during difficult financial times
with food, home repairs, transportation,
and other forms of assistance.
Precious Cargo Arrivals
It’s a Boy! Ricky Green (CF Industries – Donaldsonville, LA) and his wife Darilyn are
pleased to announce the birth of their son, Ricky Anthony III, on August 3rd.
It’s a Girl! Amanda Seale (Baton Rouge Office) and her husband Matthew are pleased
to announce the birth of their daughter, Jocelyn Grace, on August 4th.
It’s a Boy! Jonathan Aymond (CITGO – Lake Charles, LA) and his wife Heidi are
pleased to announce the birth of their son, Levi James, on August 14th.
It’s a Girl! Jared Amedee (Rubicon – Geismar, LA) and his wife Blaire are pleased to
announce the birth of their daughter, Demi Lace, on August 16th.
It’s a Boy! Terry Grows (Dow St. Charles – Hahnville, LA) and Chantrel Bernhart are
pleased to announce the birth of their son, Caleb Ahmad, on September 8th.
It’s a Boy! Edward Kelly (Rubicon – Geismar, LA) and his wife Corinna are pleased to
announce the birth of their son, Brantley Layton, on September 26th.
It’s a Boy! Jesse Belcher (Dow West Virginia) and Bobbie Ann Estep are pleased to
announce the birth of their son, Tyler Ryan, on September 28th.
It’s a Boy! Adam Gilmore (Pasadena Office) and his wife Sabrina are pleased to
announce the birth of their son, Rajan Singh, on October 1st.
Derrin Coupel, David Webre, and Troy Cazenave strike
a pose at one of PSC‘s sponsored holes.
It’s a Boy! Jeff Benoit (Valero St. Charles – Norco, LA) and his wife Tiffany are pleased
to announce the birth of their son, Sebastian Luke, on October 8th.
It’s a Boy! Josh Cody (ExxonMobil BRCP – Baton Rouge, LA) and his wife Mary are
pleased to announce the birth of their son, Gabriel Alexander, on October 24th.
It’s a Boy! Joey Dugas (Axiall – Plaquemine, LA) and his wife Kimberly are pleased to
announce the birth of their son, Jedidiah Michael, on October 29th.
It’s a Girl! Steve LeBlanc (Dow LAO – Plaquemine, LA) and his wife Elizabeth are
pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Charley Claire, on October 29th.
It’s a Boy! Karen Kliebert (Dow St. Charles – Hahnville, LA) and her husband Cain are
pleased to announce the birth of their son, Julian Paul, on November 1st.
It’s a Girl! Kim Kornfeld (Chalmette Refining – Chalmette, LA) and his wife Melissa are
pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Eleanor Caroline, on November 8th.
Ann LeBlanc, Ashley Lucas and Melissa Charlet made
quite a few golf cart runs helping during the event.
It’s a Girl! Jesse Pratt (Louisiana Tankerman Group) and his wife Jessica Aucoin are
pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Bridget Morgan, on November 18th.
Presentation Skills TRAINING Class
P. 21
our hr fair-goers
When there’s a local job fair or career day,
you can bet that some of our dedicated
HR Recruiters will probably be there
selling PSC as a great career option to
current and future job-seekers. Here are
a few shots of them in action at some
events held recently.
Please let our HR team know if there’s a
job fair coming up in your area.
Shown here (l. to r.) are the employees who completed PSC‘s Presentation Skills Training series on November 4th
at our Pasadena Office: Frank Damian, Randy Garmon, Rufus Mitchell, Billy Rogers, Johnny Downs, Mike Rossman,
Daniel Moralez, Chris Garis, and Ted Fisher.
stepping up TRAINING Class
Texas Recruiters Michelle Pergande and Sarah Oliver,
along with Recruiting Team Leader Kelli Chapa,
attended a job fair for veterans held on November
13th at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
This group of PSC leadmen, foremen, shift leaders, TCA instructors, and step-up supervisors recently completed
our “Stepping Up” leadership training class held at our Baton Rouge Office on November 14th.
Supervisor manual training class
Pictured (l. to r.) are the employees who completed PSC‘s Supervisor Manual Training series on November 19th
at our Pasadena Office: Billy Rogers, Corey Gooch, Trevor Taylor, Darrell Victoria, John Swann, and Jordan
Gautreaux.
Recruiter Natalie Kliebert and Team Leader Andy
Merrett are pictured here with a Woodlawn Middle
School student they met at a recent career fair at the
school on November 14th. Natalie and Andy spent
the day answering the students’ questions regarding
career opportunities in the petrochemical industry.
“We also shared the importance of maintaining an
above-average GPA, continuing their education after
high school, and living a life of integrity,” said Natalie.
P. 22
WELCOME NEW EMPLOYEES
We are pleased to welcome the following
employees to SGS PSC who were hired
between 8/22/14 and 11/13/14.
AXIALL – PLAQUEMINE, LA
Cory Bordelon
Shaun Bruce
Christopher Cockrham
Darrius Jackson
Omar James
Jonathan Manning
Craig Movern Jr.
Timothy Terry Jr.
Jeremy Whitley
Gared Yates
LOUISIANA TANKERMAN GROUP
Ricky Carraway
Danny Dupas
Michael Ewing
Jesse Mustin
Ryan Poynter
Jonathan Shreve
CF INDUSTRIES – DONALDSONVILLE, LA
Leonard Buggage III
Jacob Moore
Kevin Rodrigue
Terrence Turner
KENTUCKY TANKERMAN GROUP
Terry Hodgens
baton rouge OFFICE
Rachel Burke
Veronica Warren
corpus christi OFFICE
Maria Slater
pasadena OFFICE
Laurie Berkenstock
Shannon Wheeler
PRAXAIR – WESTLAKE, LA
Brandon Johnson
DOW SCO – HAHNVILLE, LA
Curtis Anderson Jr.
Chase Crawley
Lance Ferguson
Wardell Hunter Jr.
Emanuel Murray
David Newton
Timothy O’Donnell
Jules Pierre
Rai-Jon Westley
DOW LAO – PLAQUEMINE, LA
Marlon Alcorn
Shaquille Armstead
Kefgen Carter
Jamie Chaney
Alvin Haywood III
Brennon Hebert
Steven Hudson Jr.
Ethan Neustrom
Derrick Rachel
Kevin Spears
Chad Templeton
Jamel Treadwell
Justin Williams
MARATHON – GARYVILLE, LA
Keith Daigle
Steven LeBlanc
Michael Thomas Jr.
DOW – FREEPORT, TX
Justin Bolton
Dustin Dubose
Manuel Mireles
David Simpson
Cody Witt
HOUSTON TANKERMAN GROUP
Ruperto Adames
Derek Foster
Michael Lovfald
Ernest Martin
Todd McRay
Samuel Walling
Jeffrey Williams
Robert Williams
CHALMETTE REFINING – CHALMETTE, LA
Zachary Borden
Salvadore Sciambra
Randy Wells
HOUSTON DOCK GROUP
Angel Cotto
Joe Craig
Rick De Leon
Melvin Jones
Kyle Perez
James Ross
CHEVRON – PASADENA, TX
Bret Drake
FLINT HILLS RESOURCES – CORPUS CHRISTI, TX
Teodoro Buenrostro
BAYER – BAYTOWN, TX
Pradeep Bridgelal
Alvin Donatto
Duane Fisher
Joseph Washington
Mitchell West
NUSTAR – ST. JAMES, LA
Michael Dunn Jr.
Drew Goloforo
Cody Rome
EXXONMOBIL CHEMICAL – BATON ROUGE, LA
Alton Heatly Jr.
Marcus Jackson
Gerald James Jr.
Michael Jon Baptiste
Jairen McCoy
Tyler Ourso
LA DOCK GROUP
William Morel
SHELL – GEISMAR, LA
Robert Combel
Kalen Jeffery
EXXONMOBIL BRPO – BATON ROUGE, LA
Christopher Garrett
Jacob Hector
CHEVRON – PASCAGOULA, MS
Karl Cox
David Garriga
Scott Mathews
Terry Nelson
Robert Ohern
Chad Powell
Dennis Spence
Gearld Ward
CITGO – LAKE CHARLES, LA
Alex Badon
Dylan Lasha
Quinton Poullard
DOW HUB – HOUSTON, TX
Eric Grant
Robert Martinez
AXIALL – ABERDEEN, MS
William Curry
PORT ARTHUR TANKERMAN GROUP
Joshua Barnes
Bryan Betros
Shane Coleman
Ryan McLane
Devin Simonds
TARGA RESOURCES – MONT BELVIEU, TX
Bruce Rusling
OXYVINYLS – HOUSTON, TX
Michael Miller
Charles Ranson
Floyd South Jr.
Christopher Sullins
Giovonni Tapia
Jonathan Ward
DUPONT – DARROW, LA
Chad Carney
CORPUS CHRISTI TANKERMAN GROUP
Juan Almaguer
OXY – TAFT, LA
Bryan Duhe
VALERO – CORPUS CHRISTI, TX
Eric Hinojosa
Christopher Hodge
Joshua Ray
VALERO ST. CHARLES – NORCO, LA
Patrick Goens
TOTAL – LA PORTE, TX
Darrell Broome
William Haddix
Mark Marsh
Travis Terrell
Jaime Trevino
Darrell Turner
Pilar Villarreal
DOW – SEADRIFT, TX
Joshua Ashley
Jaime Carrera
Jamie Dippel
Joe Garcia
Colton Harris
Jonathon Hernandez
Robert Hernandez
Jason Keyser
Marcus Miles
Juan Moreno
Joseph Ortiz
Michael Ponton
Salvador Sendejo
Edward Tisdom
Jalen Torres
Francisco Vargas
Jesus Vargas
INEOS – GREENLAKE, TX
Victor Freytes
DOW – INSTITUTE, WV
William Humphreys
SOUTH TEXAS DOCK GROUP
Jerritt Bean
Zachary Reyes
GULF GATEWAY TERMINAL – NEW ORLEANS, LA
Keith Allo
Stephen Grabert
Paul Guidry
Michael Hale
Korey Louis
Eddie Martin
Russell Raymond
DOW – LOUISVILLE, KY
Mark Miller
SHINTECH – PLAQUEMINE, LA
Derrick Patterson
SHINTECH – FREEPORT, TX
Jacob Gomez
Sergio Soto
P. 23
SNAPSHOT GALLERY
Our roving photographers captured lots of action around PSC over the past three months — from football tailgating
rituals and Halloween costume contests, to employee recognition dinners for a number of our south Louisiana work
groups. Additional employee event photos can be found on our PSCjobs.com website.
SGS Petroleum Service Corporation
P.O. Box 3517
Baton Rouge, LA 70821-3517
SGS Petroleum Service Corporation is part of SGS, the
world’s leading inspection, verification, testing, and
certification company.
Presorted
Standard
U.S. Postage Paid
Baton Rouge, LA
Permit 1359
IN THIS ISSUE
awards & recognitionpage 5
safety cornerpage 6
TEXAS EVENT Photospage 8
PROMOTIONSpage 9
PECAN RECIPE SWAPpage 13
ANNIVERSARIESpage 16
PSC SPORTS SECTIONpage 19
new employeespage 22
SNAPSHOT GALLERYpage 23
© SGS Petroleum Service Corporation – 2014 – All rights reserved - SGS is a registered trademark of SGS Group Management SA
JAMBALAYA “Jamming” FOR UNITED WAY
Once again, a team of talented chefs from PSC competed in the United Way “Jambalaya Jam” cook-off event on
October 9th. The event featured 49 teams and raised more than $71,000.
Employees and visitors to our Baton
Rouge Office got to sample the crew’s
jambalaya at a luncheon held on
September 25th to kick-off our annual
office UW fundraising campaign. Here are
some snapshots from both fun events.
Our Jambalaya Jam cooking crew included (l. to r.)
Eric Garon, Brandon Breaux, David Webre, Mike Ellis,
and Toby McDowell. Good job, guys!

THE CoNNECTIoN - SGS Petroleum Service Corporation

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