SOCMA Announces 2015 Performance Improvement Award Winners

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Nearly 40 SOCMA member facilities will receive 2015 Performance Improvement Awards for outstanding commitment to continuous improvement in environmental, health, safety and security (EHS&S) practices at the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA) 94th Annual Dinner, December 7, in New York.

"Our judges, who represent companies not participating in the awards program, have selected an outstanding group of Gold, Silver, Bronze and Sustainability Award recipients," said Dr. J. Holland Jordan, Managing Director of ChemStewards®. "Our judges, who use a double-blind process, commit a great deal of time reading and discussing each application before making their decisions. Being a part of the process also helps judges set and achieve goals at their own plants by learning first-hand about best practices used at these award-winning facilities."

For the second year in a row, the Baker Hughes Kilgore Blend Plant is the recipient of the Gold Performance Improvement Award. "This facility continues to far exceed all standards set forth in the ChemStewards program and is a shining example of what companies should be doing to achieve excellence in their EHS&S programs," Jordan said. "One judge said the Kilgore Plant application impressed him so much that he would like to work there. It 'blew me out of the water, and I hope my plant can aspire to be like theirs,' he said."

Judges were particularly impressed with the Kilgore Plant's excellent OSHA recordable and injury rates, with zero recordable incidents in the last three years. The company has established a safety culture by holding frequent meetings with staff and implementing an incentive program to reward those adhering to safety standards. The Kilgore Plant also has a new recycling program, both for products and refuse, and inspects its spill containment equipment on a daily basis. The facility's dead stock inventory has been drastically reduced, and a member of the staff serves on the Local Emergency Planning Committee.

Silver Performance Improvement Awards will be presented to 15 facilities showing excellence in one of the five ChemStewards Core Principles: Stakeholder Communications, Product Stewardship, EHS&S in Planning and Operations, Employee Training and Engagement, and Resource Management and Waste Minimization. 

Twenty SOCMA member facilities will receive a Bronze Performance Improvement Award for maintaining strong EHS&S programs. Click here for a complete listing of Gold, Silver and Bronze winners.

The ChemStewards Sustainability Award once again belongs to Fairmount Santrol's Alpha Resins. For the third year in a row, the company's proactive efforts to build a sustainable culture wowed the judges. "This company has gone above and beyond by coupling its sustainability goals with employee bonuses," one judge commented. "In addition, they are reaching out to the supply chain and getting (companies) on board, as well as offering (their own) sustainability awards." Fairmount Santrol's Alpha Resins has an excellent corporate policy on sustainability with measurable results, and the facility has ongoing projects to further reduce waste and hazardous materials.

"Congratulations to all of our 2015 award winners," Jordan said. "We look forward to seeing you in New York to celebrate these outstanding accomplishments."

About SOCMA

Since 1921, SOCMA has represented a diverse membership of small, medium and large chemical companies located around the world. Collectively, SOCMA members are key drivers to a successful economy, contributing $24 billion annually to the U.S. GDP. For more information visit www.socma.com.

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SOURCE Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates

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