When Hector Bedoya was promoted to plant manager at AmSty's Torrance, California, polystyrene plant his priority was the people. He promptly scheduled one-on-one meetings with each of the 33 employees, listening intently to understand who they are, their areas of expertise, and where they saw challenges and opportunities. "As a manager, you must lo...
By Kevin Stallmo In 2022, after a long two years of adjusting to the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic, I discovered a book entitled "The 5 Graces of Life and Leadership" by Gary Burnison, CEO of Korn Ferry, the leading executive recruiting and leadership training company on the planet in my opinion. As Sales Director at AmSty, and a voracious...
AmSty has an impressive record that exemplifies its dedication to safety and the environment. As highlighted in the 2023 AmSty sustainability report, "Driving Sustainable Change," the company's safety record, measured by the Recordable Incident Rate (RIR), is in the top quartile of chemical companies in the American Chemistry Council (ACC). Also, s...
Christina Guice was drawn to AmSty because of its values. As a chemical engineer who spent 12 years in various industries, she was offered the role of production engineer at the company's plant in Joliet, Illinois, in 2016 and knew AmSty was the right fit. "They genuinely care about people. I had an opportunity to meet people here and they were pro...
Plant Manager Christina Guice prides herself on a hands-off approach. As the manager of AmSty's plant in Joliet, Illinois, where high-impact polystyrene plastic is made – a material used in the interior lining of refrigerators, disposable party cups and various food and medical packaging – Guice doesn't need to micromanage. She oversees a small tea...
Supply chain management, in its most basic form, is managing the flow of goods, data and information related to a product or service – from procuring raw materials to getting the end product to its final destination. Customer satisfaction hinges on the outcome and it takes lots of players to make it happen. This is according to Bill Griebel, who re...
By Richard Shaw, Director, Circular Economy & Sustainability I can't imagine a life without plastic, specifically polystyrene plastic, which is one of the products AmSty makes. Created from styrene monomer, another product we produce, polystyrene has a long been a favorite of manufacturers because it's durable, attractive, lightweight, to...
As vice president of operations at AmSty, Jonathan Kammerer is on the road. A lot. And he wouldn't have it any other way. "I love being at the plants, helping and supporting plant managers," said Jonathan, who has served in this role since 2019, overseeing all manufacturing, engineering, quality and reliability at AmSty's seven plants. That i...
Jennifer Hellmich wants employees to see what they're capable of "and get excited about it." As plant manager at AmSty's Hanging Rock, Ohio, facility, Hellmich has plenty of experience to draw upon in her leadership role. The chemical engineer has been with AmSty 14 years, serving as quality coordinator, improvement engineer and operations coach be...
Environmentally conscious consumers have more ways to recycle foam polystyrene items like cups, egg cartons, foodservice containers and packaging materials thanks to grants from the Food Packaging Institute's Foam Recycling Coalition (FRC). AmSty is a proud member of FRC, which has awarded 28 grants totaling more than $1.01 million dollars since 20...
AmSty is proud to have been named a finalist for the 2023 ICIS Innovation Awards, open to companies in the chemical industry that use innovation to solve problems and provide solutions for their customers and society, as well as benefitting the environment and progressing sustainability. With offices worldwide, ICIS (Independent Commodity Intellige...
The Cartagena location is the only AmSty plant outside of the U.S., and supplying polystyrene to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America. And while a polystyrene plant requires many policies and procedures to operate safely and effectively, there's nothing formal when it comes to employees providing feedback or simply sitting down ...
By Steven Lake, Plant Manager at Allyn's Point Facility Growing up on a small farm/ranch in Lambert, Montana, I was raised to respect the land and to be efficient with the available resources. Food was not wasted and clothes were worn out. From an early age my parents taught us not to litter. These lessons have shaped me into the person I am t...
Penny Williams and John Brownhill are working in lockstep to help revolutionize the way plastics are made – and remade. Both engineers at AmSty's Allyn's Point facility in Gales Ferry, Connecticut, this isn't the first time they've teamed up to do great things. The two met in college where you could say their friendship started on a high note. Whil...
AmSty's sustainability journey is in the spotlight with the recent release of a segment on Viewpoint, a national television program that highlights the good work of innovative companies across the country. The documentary-style piece features Regenyx, AmSty's joint circular recycling venture with Agilyx, and aired on Fox Business Network in late 20...
Tim Watson and his team of six design, build and manage systems to help AmSty employees stay safe while aiming to protect the environment as much as possible and maintain public trust. They are a valuable part of the process that ensures AmSty can keep sustainable polystyrene flowing to the company's valued customers who make products we use every ...
Richard Shaw Director of Circular Economy & Sustainability I thought I knew about polystyrene, coming to AmSty in April after a three-decade career in the paper and packaging industry. But what I thought I knew didn't even scratch the surface. Having spent the last six months immersing myself in Amsty, a company leading the way in circular recy...
Randy Pogue, AmSty CEO At AmSty, our goal is to help our end customers produce the most sustainable products using polystyrene. With increasing public desire for sustainable products that enhance our everyday lives, brands are hungry for innovation that will help them meet their ambitious sustainability goals and consumer demand. We're proud of the...
I have always been fascinated by spaceflight and, in particular, the Apollo project. I was a child during those years and have vivid memories of Neil Armstrong's famous first steps onto the lunar surface. I still have the newspaper from that morning, proclaiming "Man on Moon!" That accomplishment was a triumph brought about by the collective might ...
Anne Boudreaux is captivated by food packaging. It might seem like a strange fascination, but not when you consider her upbringing and education. A chemical engineer and Amsty Senior Account Executive, Anne grew up in Delaware with a father who was in the packaging films industry. Anne understood at an early age the innovation required to move the ...