ANNUAL MEETING November 5 – 7, 2019 Bonita Springs, Florida
About Vinyl360 Vinyl360 is the Vinyl Institute’s annual meeting that gathers colleagues from across the vinyl value chain to discuss the important issues and news related to vinyl products. This year, attendees can expect: • Analysis of the 2019 Specifiers’ Perceptions Survey regarding vinyl and vinyl building products. • Panel discussions with experts in recycling and waste recovery to discuss long-term strategies for addressing emerging issues. • An in-depth look at the latest regulatory and legislative priorities facing our industry. If you are on Twitter and hear something noteworthy, don’t forget to tweet it. Be sure to use #Vinyl360.
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Day 1 Tuesday, November 5
1 – 2 p.m. Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC) Leadership Team Meeting Captiva
3 – 5 p.m. Vinyl Institute (VI) Executive Committee Meeting Captiva
6 – 7 p.m. VI Board of Directors Reception* Driftwood
7 – 9 p.m. VI Board of Directors Dinner* Driftwood
Day 2 Wednesday, November 6
7 – 8 a.m. Networking Breakfast* Great Egret 8 – 10 a.m. VI Board of Directors Meeting* Estero C Join the leadership of the VI as we review progress on our key goals and unveil our 2020 strategic plan. Leslie Hushka, of ExxonMobil, will provide an overview of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste and discuss global strategies and priorities that will impact the entire plastic industry.
9 a.m. Guest Breakfast* Tanglewood All spouses and guests are welcome to join a casual group breakfast in the hotel restaurant.
10 – 10:30 a.m. Networking Break*
10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. VSC General Session* Estero A Our industry continues to proactively advance our sustainability journey. Tad Radzinski, President of Sustainable Solutions Corporation, will review the VSC’s benchmarking survey and discuss the top four takeaways. Attend this session to learn of our progress during 2019 and our goals for 2020. Rudy Underwood, American Chemistry Council’s Vice President of State Affairs, will sit down for a fireside chat with John Stuart, of Statehouse Strategy, to provide a strategic overview of how some states are compelling industries to ramp up their recycling efforts through legislation and regulation.
Italics denote room names. *These meetings and events are open to all Vinyl360 attendees.
12 – 1 p.m. Networking Lunch* Great Egret Jim Nowakowski, of AIM research, will present on the 2019 Specifiers’ Perceptions Survey. You’ll have the chance to learn what specifiers think about vinyl and how that impacts their decisions.
12:30 – 4:30 p.m. Golf Optional Raptor Bay Golf Club 1 -2:30 p.m. VSC V-Cycle Task Force Meeting* Estero A The VSC is focused on three impact areas: Landfill Diversion, Health and Safety, and Emissions. In the first of three task force sessions, you will hear how the vinyl value chain is working to address our landfill diversion goals and discuss steps forward for the industry. Rick Wagner, of Chevron Phillips, and Chairman of American Chemistry Council’s Plastics Recycling and Recovery Team, will discuss efforts around recycling and reuse.
2:30 – 2:45 p.m. Networking Break*
It’s your lucky break! Before heading into the remaining sessions, you’ll want to test your luck with a quick, exciting activity the VI has planned.
2:45 – 4:15 p.m. VSC Health & Safety Task Force* Estero A The second of our three task force sessions will focus on health and safety issues. Join an important conversation on the health and safety best practices in the vinyl industry. David Adenuga, Oxo Americas Regulatory Affairs Advisor for ExxonMobil, will moderate a panel including Mary Bachynsky, Corporate Director of Environmental and Permitting for Formosa Plastics, and Kenny Akins, Director of Corporate Environmental and Sustainability for Westlake Chemical, which will discuss manufacturing health and safety best practices.
4:15 – 5:30 p.m. VSC Emissions Task Force* Estero A The third of our task force sessions will cover the vinyl value chain’s progress on emissions. This is your chance to hear from a company reporting on Scope 3 emissions. Ramesh Iyer, Global Sustainability Director, Coatings, Monomers and Plastics Additives for Dow Chemical Company, will discuss the company’s focus on circular economy and the sustainability programs and initiatives they have in place.
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6 – 7 p.m. Award Photos Estero Foyer 6:30 – 7 p.m. Reception* Estero Foyer 7 – 9 p.m. Dinner and Award Presentations* Estero A With Rocky Bleier, Vietnam veteran and retired Pittsburgh Steelers running back who will teach attendees that no matter how ordinary you may think you are, you can become an extraordinary achiever and define success in the new American century. sponsored by
9 – 10 p.m. Chairman’s Dessert Reception* Banyan Courtyard We pass the leadership gavel at our award dinner. So, join an after-dinner reception to honor Dick Heinle, our outgoing Chair, and welcome Jason Hart as our new Chair.
Day 3 Thursday, November 7
7 – 9 a.m. Networking Breakfast* Great Egret BC Hear from bonus speaker Mike Lin, Certified Financial Planner at RSM U.S. Wealth Management, who will educate attendees on overall individual financial planning with a focus on retirement considerations.
7 – 8 a.m. VSC Leadership Team Meeting Great Egret A 8 a.m. Golf Optional Raptor Bay Golf Club
9 – 10 a.m. Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Committee Meeting* Great Egret A All attendees are welcome to participate in an in-depth look at the latest legal, regulatory and legislative priority issues facing our industry. This is an extremely valuable and timely update on how outside forces are impacting the industry—and how VI is responding.
9 – 10 a.m. Vinyl360 Advisory Committee Meeting* Executive Board Room Want to help us plan future conferences? This is your chance to provide feedback on speakers, topics and even meeting logistics for next year. Italics denote room names. *These meetings and events are open to all Vinyl360 attendees.
Speakers David Adenuga, Oxo Americas Regulatory Affairs Advisor, ExxonMobil David has worked in the chemical industry for nearly 10 years. Prior to his current role, David worked as a toxicologist for ExxonMobil, and previously, Dow Chemical Company. He received his Ph.D. in Toxicology from the University of Rochester.
Kenny Akins, Director of Corporate Environmental and Sustainability, Westlake Chemical Company Kenny is responsible for enterprise wide strategic direction, compliance assurance and performance improvement activities involving environmental affairs at our chemical and building products manufacturing facilities worldwide. He has more than 30 years in the chlorovinyls industry with Westlake and acquired companies, holding positions in process engineering, operations and manufacturing management. For the last 28 years, he’s worked in the environmental field in positions of increasing responsibility including site, divisional and corporate management functions. Kenny holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Mississippi State University and is a Certified Safety Professional. Mary Bachynsky, Corporate Director: Environmental and Permitting, Formosa Plastics Corporation For more than 25 years, Mary has worked in Formosa Plastics’ Corporate Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Department with the majority of her efforts focused on implementing Clean Air Act requirements. Mary provides direction on the impact that numerous EHS issues have on Formosa and its associated business sectors. Included in Mary’s efforts are interacting with federal/state agencies and trade associations to articulate regulatory compliance concerns, along with communicating regulatory complexities to Formosa’s Operational personnel. In addition, she has worked with federal and state agencies in securing environmental permits for multiple major expansion projects at Formosa. Prior to joining Formosa, Mary was with Merck & Co., Inc, interpreting federal and European environmental regulations, managing environmental construction projects, and developing compliance cost estimates. Mary graduated from Manhattan College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering.
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Leslie Hushka, Senior Sustainability Manager, ExxonMobil Leslie has been with ExxonMobil for more than 20 years, and in her current role as Senior Sustainability Advisor, she focuses on their Chemical Fuels & Lubricants Companies. Previously, she held management roles and worked in public and government affairs for a number of upstream and chemical companies, including specialty projects for Exxon’s corporate offices. Prior to these roles, she led programs in the research organization that assessed the impacts of government policies and assisted the company in developing programs and positions on health and environmental issues. She holds a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from Purdue University and is board certified by the American Board of Toxicology. Ramesh Iyer, Global Sustainability Director, Coatings, Monomers and Plastics Additives, Dow Chemical Company Ramesh has been involved in the chemical industry in various commercial and technical roles for nearly 25 years. Prior to joining Dow Chemical Company in 2016, Ramesh worked at Solvay, Evonik Industries, and Cognis Corporation, where he served in a variety of business development roles. His research has been featured in CNN, NBC, the New York Times, Associated Press, Business Week, and Popular Science, among other publications. Ramesh holds a Ph.D. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he conducted research on making plastics and composites from renewable sources using light as an energy source. Mike Lin, Certified Financial Planner, RSM U.S. Wealth Management Mike has nearly 10 years of experience in providing wealth advisory services. As a financial planner, he focuses on developing comprehensive plans tailored to meeting the unique goals and objectives of his clients. He coaches high-net-worth individuals and families, corporate executives, professionals and business owners in all areas of personal finance including investment management, estate planning, insurance and retirement planning. He is a Certified Financial Planner and a member of the Financial Planning Association. Mike is a graduate of University of Maryland, College Park.
Jim Nowakowski, CEO, Interline Creative Group/AIM Research Jim Nowakowski has been involved in marketing and marketing communications for over 20 years, having worked in a variety of positions in ad/PR agencies prior to Interline and AIM, including Creative Director, Account Supervisor and Copywriter. His current work for both advertisers and publishers in advertising focuses on understanding communications and purchasing patterns in business-tobusiness. Besides industrial publications, he has worked for publishers in building construction, automotive and healthcare markets, including developing marketing communications programs, conducting in-depth market research and building customer inquiry database systems. Jim has a masters degree from DePaul University, in Chicago. Tad Radzinski, President, Sustainable Solutions Corporation With over 35 years of practical experience, Tad Radzinski is co-founder and president of Sustainable Solutions Corporation. Tad leads SSC in delivering consultative services to companies in a wide range of global industries. Formerly the Environmental Protection Agency’s Waste Minimization National Expert, Tad has been a trusted advisor for Fortune 500 companies including General Motors, Perdue, and Black & Decker, among others. Additionally, Tad is an adjunct professor at Villanova University where he teaches Advanced Life Cycle Assessment, Sustainable Product Innovation, and Sustainable Buildings and Operations courses in the Masters of Sustainable Engineering program. Tad holds a Masters in Water Resources and Environmental Engineering from Villanova University. John Stuart, President, Statehouse Strategies With a career spanning several decades, John has served in a variety of public affairs roles and currently does consulting work in government affairs at the state level. Previously, he served as Legislative Counsel to New York State Senator John B. Daly and was later appointed Executive Director and Chief Counsel of the New York State Joint Legislative Commission on Toxic Substances and Hazardous Wastes and was responsible for drafting major pieces of legislation dealing with energy and environmental issues. Following this, John joined Occidental Chemical Corporation where he held various key roles in government affairs for 27 years. John received his law degree from the Cornell Law School and is a member of the New York State Bar.
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Rudy Underwood, Vice President of State Affairs and Political Mobilization, American Chemistry Council As Vice President of State Affairs and Political Mobilization, Rudy Underwood helps American Chemistry Council (ACC) staff prioritize and define roles and positions on key state and local legislative proposals impacting chemicals and plastics. He also provides guidance for ACC’s political engagement activities and facilitates strong relationships and synergy with independent state chemical industry councils. Prior to joining ACC, he served as the Legislative Director for the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation, worked on Capitol Hill in the U.S. Senate and has directed statewide issue and candidate campaigns. Rudy received both a Bachelor’s and Masters in Public and Organizational Communications from the University of Georgia. He grew up on a small farm in South Georgia. Rick Wagner, Sustainability Policy & Program Manager, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, LLC Rick Wagner has over 25 years of experience in the petrochemical industry for Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP. Currently, he is Chevron Phillips Chemical’s Sustainability Manager, but his prior roles have been in polyethylene sales, application development, and product development and as a refinery chemist. He serves as the Team Leader for the Plastics Energy Recovery Team and a member of the Value Chain Outreach Committee, Plastics Packaging Team and Flexible Films Recycling group of the American Chemistry Council. He also represents the World Plastic Council in the Trash Free Seas Alliance. An Honored Service Member of the Society of Plastics Engineers, Rick has served as a leader in various International, Divisional and Local roles, including as a founding member of the Flexible Packaging Division. He currently serves as a Board Member of the Sustainability Division. Rick received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from San Diego State University.
Rocky Bleier Vietnam Veteran and Retired Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back Rocky’s life story is a unique combination—one in which takes place in two very different settings: on the football fields of America and the battlefields of Vietnam. His story begins on the football field—playing the sport throughout his youth and into college. Although he had played running back throughout his pre-professional football career, he didn’t fall within the ideal of what a running back should look like and had to run harder and play smarter to be able to stand out. But his career began during a late-round draft pick when he was picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Before the season ended though, he was drafted to a different team, the U.S. Army, where he was taken to the battlefields of Vietnam. After being thrust into combat early and receiving wounds from both rifle fire and grenade fragments in his legs, he was barely able to walk, and his professional football career seemed to have ended before it began. But for more than two years, he drove himself. Little by little he overcame obstacles and fought his way back. Not only making the Pittsburgh Steelers, but also eventually becoming a starting running back on a team that won four Super Bowls.
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Awards Vinyl Institute Awards Safety Excellence Award Criteria: 5 years with zero OSHA recordables Formosa Plastics Corporation PVC Compounding Plant, Point Comfort, Texas (8 consecutive years of performance) Oxy Vinyls, LP EDC/VCM plant, Deerpark, Texas (6 consecutive years of performance) Shintech Louisiana, LLC EDC/VCM plant, Plaquemine, Louisiana (5 consecutive years of performance) Shintech Louisiana, LLC PVC plant, Plaquemine, Louisiana (6 consecutive years of performance) Westlake Vinyls Company, LP PVC plant, Geismar, Louisiana (9 consecutive years of performance)
Eastman Chemical Company Plasticizer/Additive Manufacturing plant, Texas City, Texas (7 consecutive years of performance) ExxonMobil Chemical Company Plasticizer/Additive Manufacturing plant, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (7 consecutive years of performance) Geon Performance Solutions PVC Compounding Plant, Long Beach, California (5 consecutive years of performance) Teknor Apex Company Plasticizer/Additive Manufacturing plant, Brownsville, Tennessee (5 consecutive years of performance)
Safety Performance Award Criteria: zero CY2018 OSHA recordables Formosa Plastics Corporation EDC/VCM plant, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Westlake Vinyls Company, LP PVC plant, Geismar, Louisiana
Formosa Plastics Corporation PVC plant, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Westlake Chemical Company PVC plant, Aberdeen, Mississippi
Formosa Plastics Corporation EDC-only plant, Point Comfort, Texas
Westlake Chemical Company Plasticizer/Additive Manufacturing plant, Aberdeen, Mississippi
Formosa Plastics Corporation Specialty PVC plant, Point Comfort, Texas Formosa Plastics Corporation PVC Compounding Plant, Point Comfort, Texas Occidental Chemical Corporation EDC plant, Convent, Louisiana Oxy Vinyls, LP EDC/VCM plant, Deerpark, Texas Occidental Chemical Corporation EDC/VCM plant, Ingleside, Texas Shintech Louisiana, LLC EDC/VCM plant, Plaquemine, Louisiana Shintech Louisiana, LLC PVC plant, Plaquemine, Louisiana
Westlake Chemical Company PVC/CPVC Compounding plant, Aberdeen, Mississippi Westlake Chemical Company Lake Charles North EDC/VCM plant, Westlake, Louisiana Westlake Chemical Company Lake Charles South EDC plant, Westlake, Louisiana Westlake Chemical Company Lake Charles South EDC/VCM plant, Westlake, Louisiana Westlake Compounds, LLC PVC Compounding plant, Prairie, Mississippi
Safety Performance Award continued Dow Chemical Company Plasticizer/Additive Manufacturing plant, Louisville, Kentucky Eastman Chemical Company Plasticizer/Additive Manufacturing plant, Chestertown, Maryland Eastman Chemical Company Plasticizer/Additive Manufacturing plant, Texas City, Texas
Geon Performance Solutions PVC Compounding Plant, Long Beach, California Geon Performance Solutions PVC Compounding Plant, Pasadena, Texas Geon Performance Solutions PVC Compounding Plant, Terre Haute, Indiana Teknor Apex Company Plasticizer/Additive Manufacturing plant, Brownsville, Tennessee
ExxonMobil Chemical Company Plasticizer/Additive Manufacturing plant, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Environmental Excellence Award Criteria for PVC, VCM, EDC: 5 years with a VCM score of 100 and 4 years (5 years for EDC-only) with a non-VC HAP score of 100. Criteria for plasticizer manufacturing, additive manufacturing, PVC compounding, and CPVC compounding: 5 years with no RQs, no permit exceedances, and no NOVs. Formosa Plastics Corporation EDC plant, Point Comfort, Texas (7 consecutive years of performance)
Geon Performance Solutions PVC Compounding Plant, Terre Haute, Indiana (5 consecutive years of performance)
Formosa Plastics Corporation PVC Compounding Plant, Point Comfort, Texas (8 consecutive years of performance)
Occidental Chemical Corporation EDC-only plant, Convent, Louisiana (7 consecutive years of performance)
Geon Performance Solutions PVC Compounding Plant, Avon Lake, Ohio (5 consecutive years of performance)
Teknor Apex Company PVC/CPVC Compounding Plant, Pawtucket, Rhode Island (7 consecutive years of performance)
Geon Performance Solutions PVC Compounding Plant, Long Beach, California (5 consecutive years of performance) Geon Performance Solutions PVC Compounding Plant, Louisville, Kentucky (5 consecutive years of performance) Geon Performance Solutions PVC Compounding Plant, Pasadena, Texas (5 consecutive years of performance)
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Westlake Chemical Company Plasticizer/Additive Manufacturing plant, Aberdeen, Mississippi (6 consecutive years of performance) Westlake Chemical Company PVC/CPVC Compounding plant, Aberdeen, Mississippi (6 consecutive years of performance)
Environmental Honor Award Criteria: highest environmental honor score for the year, which includes improvement in certain metrics from 2018 to 2019 EDC/VCM category Formosa Plastics Corporation EDC/VCM plant, Point Comfort, Texas
PVC category Shintech Louisiana, LLC PVC plant, Addis, Louisiana
Vinyl Sustainability Council Awards Going Beyond Award This award recognizes Vinyl Sustainability Council members who are going beyond the requirements of +Vantage Vinyl participation and are doing more to advance their company and the industry’s sustainability efforts. This year’s award recipients are: Occidental Chemical Corporation, Shintech Louisiana, and Westlake Chemical Company.
Recycler of the Year Award This award recognizes the efforts of recyclers and product manufacturers with operations in the U.S. that find new solutions and/or markets for post-consumer PVC materials, increase use of recycled vinyl content in their products, and/or engage in partnerships with companies in take-back programs. Recipient to be announced during the award presentations.
+Vantage Vinyl Pilot Program Participants The VI and the VSC would like to recognize the following companies who participated in the +Vantage Vinyl Pilot Program: Formosa Plastics Corporation U.S.A., Occidental Chemical Corporation, Shintech Louisiana, Westlake Chemical Company, Sika Corporation - Roofing, Geon Performance Solutions, Chemours, and Vestolit. These VSC members are contributing to 14 goals and 19 KPIs in 2019. GreenCircle Certified is tracking and monitoring their process. We applaud these companies for advancing their sustainability efforts.
Vinyl Institute Lifetime Achievement Award Vic De Zen, Chairman, Vision Extrusions Group Limited The Vinyl Institute Lifetime Achievement Award was established to recognize outstanding service to the vinyl industry over a person’s career. Vic has worked in the plastics industry for more than four decades—arriving in Canada with his wife and $20 in his pocket, he has since built a $2 billion plastic conglomerate with over 10,000 employees worldwide in more than 40 countries. He has continuously invested in people. And he has invested in technology, much of it innovations—his manufacturing plants are marvels of automation and they produce products that compete with non-vinyl materials that have helped to grow vinyl’s use in building and construction. He is named in 100s of patents related to innovations in the vinyl building products industry. But aside from vinyl, Vic is a steward of his community, donating millions of dollars to build a hospital in his hometown and add an additional location for an organization that provides programming and housing for people with developmental disabilities.
Partner of the Year Award Terry Murphy The Partner of the Year Award recognizes an ally who has made unique contributions to VI’s outreach and education program. Terry has worked in the interior design field for more than 30 years and has done as much as anyone in the vinyl industry to counter misconceptions about the material. She has been a partner of VI and the vinyl industry as a whole for nearly 20 years, advocating for and educating the architects and design community, as well as product manufacturers and distributors. For 18 years, she served as the Continuing Education Program Manager for VI, teaching AIA and IDCEC registered classes on vinyl as a building material that also addressed chemistry, innovation and questions about the safe use of vinyl in buildings today. Terry always took the time to understand the audience of each of her presentations—their concerns, their interests and what information they needed to make more informed decisions and do their jobs to the best of their ability.
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