Editorial: Commitment to Quality
Written by: Tom Isonhood
Dear Readers:
Fall is here, and cooler weather is on the way! It’s been a long, hot summer at Ergon. I am surprised the year is passing so quickly, and that it’s time for another issue of FOCUS. The summer months are always a busy time for our companies, and this year is no exception. One of the reasons why we’ve been so busy is that our enterprise is growing and expanding. We would like to welcome four new companies recently added to the Ergon family. These companies are:
• Innovative Adhesives Company of Kansas City, KS – A manufacturer of specialty asphalt additives and adhesive products for the roofing, concrete and paving industries.
• Tier Electronics, LLC, of Menomonee, WI – A manufacturer of power converters for the power quality, alternative energy, and specialized motor control markets.
• Ergon – Knoxville, Inc., of Knoxville, TN – A 200,000 bbl asphalt bulk storage facility located on the Tennessee River.
• Ergon Europe MEA, Inc. – A new Ergon company for Europe, Middle East, and Africa markets with a sales office in Brussels, Belgium, and a tank terminal in Antwerp, supplying Europe with naphthenic base oil and transformer oil.
Other things happening within the company include the ongoing construction of our joint venture ethanol facility, Bunge-Ergon Vicksburg, LLC. Ergon Refining, Inc., is preparing for construction of three major units: a hydrogen generation unit, a propane deasphalting unit, and a high pressure hydrotreater. Lion Oil Company is planning to increase their crude capacity from 75,000 bbl/day to 85,000 bbl/day.
Earlier this year, Magnolia Marine Transport Company (MMT) launched a new vessel, the M/V Katherine Berry, and has another under construction, the M/V Mari Lampton. MMT has also purchased four new barges for black oil service and is scheduled to receive another two barges this fall for ethanol service. Ergon Exploration, Inc., has a new drilling program in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Two wells are already permitted and more may be planned. The first well is being drilled with the largest drilling rig in Pennsylvania and is also expected to be the deepest in the state. These are just a few examples of the growth being planned or implemented within our company and of management’s continued commitment to serving our customers and markets.
Growth is good, and we all
know that in order to get the
work done, it takes people to do it. Our employees frequently take the extra step and are the basis for the long- term success of Ergon. The Ergon quality management system seeks to include our employees into the planning and decision making processes concerning their jobs and in the improvement of work processes. Our employees know what works and what does
not work.
This publication is about the employees of Ergon, and we sincerely hope you enjoy it. We always welcome contributors – please let us know if you are interested in authoring an article. We would also love to hear your feedback and any ideas for future publications. Have a great autumn!
