According to R&P News (subscription required), Columbian Chemicals Co. has appointed Kevin Boyle to the position of president and CEO, succeeding Jae Sup Lee, who is retiring. Mr. Boyle is currently a member of the company’s board of directors and has more than 20 years of experience in the chemical industry. Most recently he was president and CEO of OCI Chemical, a wholly owned subsidiary of DC Chemicals Ltd. of South Korea (which is also the parent company of Columbian). Boyle has also held positions at Petrofina, which now part of the French-based Total S.A.
October 9, 2008
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Marshall Closing
12-5-2008
Nate Neimuth
In the weeks preceding meeting with the company over the decision and effects of the plant closure emotions have ran high. It has been a roller coaster of thoughts trying to prepare for a future that seems to have no true closure for the employees. From the first word of the decision, shock went through us all. Our meeting with Chairman Lee and Mr. Oneill in October led nothing to the thought this was in the very near future for Marshall, quite the contrary. The evening and the following day after the announcement employees and families were literally brought to tears. Anger seemed to be the prevailing message throughout the plant into day two. All of these thoughts and emotions are to be expected in this type of crushing news, no matter what business or Company it involves.
With the idea of there may be a small ray of hope in the form the Company would be able to offer something more worthy to its dedicated employees, hope was now the thought for us all. We have been told time and time again what a great Company we work for at Columbian. In this time of the greatest need for us all the true great Company we work for turns and walks away from its people with nothing to offer but a slap in the face. What you have brought to the table for us to offer to our members is nothing but insult to injury. The Company is by no means currently destitute or in dire straights. Marshall is currently making money and in the black even though we were budgeted for a 2.1 million dollar loss for 2008. We have done our part in trying to make Marshall a profitable business again in this very competitive market. With the price of oil still dropping daily Marshall and Columbians profits will exceed all expectations for 2008. Coupled with this and the highly potential sale of the Marshall property in the near future will by the minimum add millions if not hundreds of millions to the Company’s value.
For you to come to this table with such a meager offering of severance just adds insult to injury for us all. Columbian never has been about people and should never claim to be in public. Columbian is about big business and nothing more than that. The closure is based totally on a business decision and not people, we know that. Bringing your contractual lawyer style tactics to this table and in these circumstances is a complete insult to me and my members. You should have been instructed to come with an offer that would be very acceptable to all concerned with no need for negotiating. Instead you try to negotiate a bigger pay check or bonus for yourself and the firm you represent by offering us less. We at this table know for a fact that the salary personnel at Marshall will be given a lot better severance offering than ours. This allowable tactic by Columbian just shows what a truly great Company we have worked for and I guess we have come to expect.
As our thought of hope has now diminished and turned to resentment we try to keep our chins up with our dignity and pride in tact, as you try also to take that from us along with our jobs. Shame on DC Chemical and the board of directors who govern Columbian Chemicals, not only for deciding to close the plant, but also for allowing you to throw us a bone with no meat on it as we leave the plant for the last time.
Lyle Barker
President – Local 888c
ICWUC/UFCW
Comment by Lyle Barker — December 6, 2008 @ 4:57 am