Larry Somma is a man on the move. As an accomplished endurance athlete, he has competed in 21 marathons and 17 Ironman triathlons. Accomplished in his career, Somma has landed roles that put on a few more road miles – taking him from his home state of Connecticut to Chicago, London, Miami, Boston and finally Houston, where he now serves as Vice Pre...
By Richard Shaw, Director – Sustainability & Circular Economy Sustainability is foundational to everything we do at AmSty. That's why we're proud to showcase our history and progress in our sustainability reports. This year's report, "Building Momentum," speaks to our continued headway in building a more sustainable future for our employee...
By Kevin Stallmo, Sales Director In the last book I reviewed, The 5 Graces of Life and Leadership by Gary Burnison, I mentioned another great book that took our team to the next level of resilience, The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday. This book was inspired by Marcus Aurelius, one of the greatest emperors of the Roman Empire. In January of 202...
By Dr. Randy Pogue, CEO Whether you've landed your first "real" job fresh out of college or have been in the workforce for a handful of years, it makes sense to put your nose to the grindstone and get the job done to the best of your ability. Nothing wrong with that. It's what you were hired to do. But where are you headed? If you're not deli...
By Tim Barnette, Vice President – Polymers & Sustainability Plastics, as an industry, has entered a new domain once thought unattainable. Circularity is no longer just a concept or even a goal – end-to-end plastic recycling is already here. This new reality was evident at NPE2024 – where companies from around the world came to Orlando for the f...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
By Richard Shaw, Director, Circular Economy & Sustainability AmSty is a leading producer of polystyrene and styrene monomer. In other words, we make plastic – a material that enhances our everyday lives in many ways, from food packaging, medical supplies and bike helmets that keep us safe to refrigerators and insulation that keep us comfortable...
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...