Q: Can you share a bit about your journey with S&B and your role within the company?
A: I joined S&B in 2011, serving in several pivotal roles, starting as a Technical Service Manager and moving up to a Project Manager. Today, I focus on construction-driven engineering for enhanced project execution. My work for Enterprise and Phillips 66 has received numerous industry awards from Engineering News-Record (ENR) and Associated Builders and Contractors of Greater Houston (ABC). I have also served on various industry committees and advisory boards, including the Engineering and Construction Contracting (ECC) Association, Construction Industry Institute (CII), and Construction Users Roundtable.
Q: How does your extensive field experience influence your work today and the success of large-scale projects?
A: Moving from a Technical Service Manager to a Project Manager has given me a great perspective on large-scale projects. My time on the project site, being directly involved with the day-to-day construction challenges, has been invaluable. Now, overseeing projects from a more conceptual standpoint, I leverage that hands-on experience to anticipate issues and streamline processes for our construction teams. This blend of field knowledge and project management allows me to mitigate potential problems before they arise.
Q: You've emphasized the importance of customers engaging with S&B early in their projects. Could you elaborate on why early engagement is so crucial?
A: Early engagement is fundamentally about influence—the sooner we're involved, the greater our impact on cost and schedule outcomes. Early phases offer the most significant opportunity to introduce efficiencies, such as Advanced Work Packaging (AWP) and modularization, which can enhance project delivery. The key is to embed these approaches early when they can be executed more fluidly and with minimal disruption. Making these changes later in the process can often lead to a scramble to realign teams, rework plans, and manage escalating costs, which can compromise the project's success.
When integrated from the start, we can streamline processes, avoid rework, and ensure that projects are delivered on time and within budget. We offer our clients various services, including engineering (E), engineering and procurement (EP), engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM), as well as engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC).
Q: Can you discuss how S&B's expertise in the midstream and petrochemicals sectors sets it apart?
A: Our strength lies in our people and their profound industry knowledge. The depth of experience within S&B allows us to tackle complex challenges and deliver exceptional results. Our team's ability to share knowledge and work collaboratively underpins our success in delivering projects that meet and exceed client expectations. Our rich history includes many petrochemical projects:
In S&B's early days, we successfully expanded a polyethylene plant for Exxon in Baton Rouge in 1969.
S&B successfully delivered a polystyrene plant for Chevron Chemicals, utilizing prefabricated modules to improve efficiency—a novel idea in 1998.
S&B designed and built the first propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant in North America for PetroLogistics in 2010.
In 2022, S&B played a significant role in the construction of the world's largest propylene oxide/tertiary butyl alcohol (PO/TBA) plant for LyondellBasell.
The team completed one of the world's largest PDH plants for Enterprise in 2023.
Over the past 20 years, S&B has engineered and constructed more than 20 NGL fractionation facilities, with capacities of up to 150,000 barrels per day.
The notable collaboration with Chevron Phillips Chemical on the 1-hexene project at the Cedar Bayou Complex in Texas and a subsequent larger-capacity plant at Sweeny showcased S&B's ability to replicate and enhance its success during the COVID-19 pandemic and global supply chain disruptions.
Q: Looking back, is there a particular project or achievement that stands out to you?
A: One standout petrochemical project is the Phillips 66 Sweeny project, which we delivered successfully during the challenging times of COVID-19, winning numerous industry awards. This project exemplifies our team's resilience and ability to maintain project timelines and budgets, even under difficult circumstances.
(The $1.4-billion expansion of the Phillips 66 natural gas liquids complex in Sweeny, Texas, transformed the facility into one of the nation’s largest NGL processing hubs and quadrupled the site’s capacity. Challenged by hurricanes and the COVID pandemic, S&B completed the massive project two months ahead of schedule and $100 million under budget. This earned S&B the 2022 ENR Best of the Best Award for Energy/ Industrial projects for the Phillips 66 Sweeny Hub Phase 2 Expansion (SHP-2) project)
Q: What future challenges and opportunities do you foresee in the midstream and petrochemical space?
A: The industry is evolving, with a growing focus on sustainability and efficiency against rising costs and a changing workforce. However, there are solutions to help navigate these issues. For instance, modularization offers a significant opportunity to address the ongoing labor challenges. That’s why early engagement with a leading EPC firm like S&B remains critical for the project’s success. It's about optimizing every aspect of the petrochemical project for efficiency, safety, and performance.
Q: Finally, what’s ahead for you and what excites you about S&B’s future?
A: I'm looking forward to tackling more complex and challenging projects. I aim to continue contributing to our clients' success by executing flawlessly and contributing to their long-term operational excellence.
What I love is how S&B invests in the people. Boasting a team that many would call the ‘best of the best’ of the industry, we pride ourselves on a culture where extensive experience, diverse knowledge, and unparalleled teamwork remain key to our collective success and continued learning. I can’t wait to see where we go.
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