The Lubrizol Corporation is a global provider of specialty chemicals for a wide variety of markets including transportation, industrial, and consumer. Founded in 1928, it operates more than 100 manufacturing facilities, sales, and technical offices around the world.
Looking back on your upbringing, how did your early exposure to engineering lead to your subsequent 30-year career within the chemical industry?
I became a practical engineer at a very young age on my family's farm in Kentucky. We used chemical engineering for mixing pesticides and fertilizers, electrical engineering for wiring fences, mechanical engineering to fix equipment, and even civil and biomedical engineering for plowing fields and caring for animals. While I often disliked farm chores, they taught me invaluable lessons about engineering, leadership, and time management.
Every task required planning, from crop rotations to animal care, which instilled critical project management skills. Later, my love for math and chemistry solidified my career path. Chemical engineering felt like the perfect combination. My professors at the University of Kentucky inspired me early on, and their influence made me confident in my choice of profession. I’ve never looked back.
Lubrizol has a legacy dating back to the 1920s when it made its name in automotives. How diverse are the applications of your products going into 2025?
Lubrizol is fundamentally a surface technology company. Our work began with improving automobile lubricants to enhance durability, reduce emissions, and optimize engine performance. This expertise in surface science has expanded into countless other markets. Today, we address surface chemistry for everything from hair and skin to cleaning products and polymers.
Our polymers exhibit unique surface properties such as lubricity and resistance to chemical attacks. This allows them to be used across multiple end-use applications, like industrial piping and residential plumbing, medical devices and athletic footwear. Looking ahead, emerging technologies like flying cars and missions to Mars demand entirely new surface solutions, and we are committed to innovating in these areas to meet those future challenges.
Breakthroughs in material science are enabling more sustainable innovations to emerge. How does this inform and fit into your "win now, win later" approach?
The philosophy, inspired by Dave Cody of Honeywell, drives our approach; winning now involves reformulating existing products to be more sustainable, like our Carbopol molecule. Initially synthetic, we recently introduced a bio-derived version, Carbopol Fusion, which is biodegradable. It stands out as a transformative innovation and has been met with enthusiastic market reception. It is used in countless products, from personal care and pharmaceuticals to agriculture and coatings, and has already won seven awards for its groundbreaking impact. This step-by-step approach allows us to introduce bio-based components while working towards fully bio-derived solutions.
Winning later focuses on creating entirely new molecules and processes for sustainable applications. Transitioning fully to bio-derived products is challenging due to the limited availability of biologically based feedstocks and the complexities of maintaining consistency in biomolecules. Nonetheless, we are committed to methodical progress while ensuring that solutions remain beneficial to society and environmentally responsible. Additionally, our advancements in AI are revolutionizing our approach to beauty and personal care. Through initiatives like our Beauty Research Institute in Shanghai, we’re leveraging AI to analyze skin and develop better formulations.
What are the main barriers to achieving fully bio-derived molecules, and how are you addressing them?
The two primary challenges are feedstock availability and the inherent variability in biomolecules. Bio-based materials often compete with the food chain, such as plant-based oils, which can lead to ethical and supply issues. For example, using palm oil risks deforestation, and repurposing used cooking oil for aviation fuels faces supply limits.
Balancing these factors is critical to avoid unintended societal harm.
The second challenge is biomolecule variability. Unlike synthetic molecules, which are consistent, biomolecules can differ due to impurities or natural fluctuations. This inconsistency makes production more complex. Despite these hurdles, we are confident that solutions will emerge over time, and we are working diligently to overcome them.
How do you view the balance between localization and collaboration in the chemicals industry?
From an innovation standpoint, collaboration is essential. Open innovation with partners like CP Kelco has enabled us to co-develop molecules that serve multiple industries. For example, CP Kelco's expertise in food additives complements our work in beauty and personal care products, allowing us to bring new technologies to diverse markets.
Localization is equally critical. We adopt a "local for local" strategy, investing in regions like Southeast Asia, India, Brazil, and China to manufacture and innovate close to the markets we serve. This ensures not only efficient operations but also the development of local talent, which is vital for our global footprint.
Lubrizol has been present in Singapore for 40 years and you recently invested $200m to build your largest manufacturing site in India. What is driving growth in the Asia-Pacific region?
China led regional growth from 2000 to 2020, and while it remains strong with a GDP growth of 4-5%, Southeast Asia is now outpacing it. Countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand are experiencing significant economic development, leading to increased demand for lubricants, particularly for motorcycles, as populations transition from bicycles to motor vehicles.
As economies in the region develop, disposable income rises, driving demand for home and personal care products like liquid soaps, shampoos, and detergents. Additionally, household upgrades to appliances like refrigerators and air conditioners, which rely on our lubricants, reflect this shift toward a mid-market economy.
Lubrizol has faced multiple chemical fires, leaks, and lawsuits in recent years. How is Lubrizol addressing safety concerns in light of these incidents?
Safety is our top priority and fundamental to our operations. We emphasize proactive risk management, extensive training, and robust decision-making tools to prevent incidents.
Our investments in fail-safe systems and process hazard analyses ensure that operations can shut down safely during emergencies like hurricanes or power outages. This rigorous approach helps protect both our employees and the communities where we operate, reinforcing trust in our commitment to safety.
Last year, you told us about the importance of cross-state regulations and political dynamics in election years. With a new incoming administration in the U.S., what will you advocate for in the coming years?
Regulatory reform is essential for advancing the chemical industry and ensuring it continues to operate as a modern and progressive one. We need to make sure that permits are being granted so we can bring new and improved molecules and the best technologies to market every day. Often it’s very hard to get approval or permits to upgrade or enhance manufacturing facilities. Delays in this process hinder innovation and societal benefits.
We want to work closely with governments worldwide to ensure they understand our technologies and their benefits in a timely manner. The longer it takes, the longer we are leaving great technologies sitting on the shelf. By aligning with regulatory bodies, we hope to expedite the introduction of innovative solutions that address global needs efficiently.
