About Us
Paul
Balmert is the Principal of the Balmert Consulting. Over his thirty
year working career in line management and staff positions, Paul
gained a reputation for his expertise
in the "business of improving businesses" for a wide
variety of manufacturing functions: maintenance, quality, distribution,
human
resources, and business strategy. He's studied, developed and taught
the best methods in business problem solving and performance improvement.
More significantly, he's practiced and honed these methods in the
real world of manufacturing. Paul has developed and implemented
solutions that work for problems as diverse as improving safety
performance,
changing public perception of a corporation, simplifying a salary
system, cutting maintenance cost, and improving productivity.
At
Balmert Consulting, we believe that operations execution is the "difference
that makes the difference." Our practice focuses on helping
those responsible for managing operations in a wide range of industries
fulfill their critical role in the enterprise by providing these
managers with:
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Safety leadership training
-
Methods to troubleshoot operating problems
-
HSE performance
improvement strategies and tactics
-
Design and implementation of training programs
for operating staff
-
Development of long range strategic plans for
operations functions such as maintenance, operations, EHS and
training.
Our approach
to solving business problems uses the best of proven improvement
techniques: benchmarking, understanding root cause, system theory,
management training and development, work process and quality improvement.
We employ these techniques devoid of the excesses of the "program
of the month" and without the bureaucracy of complex organizations
and methodology. The improvement methods we use have stood the test
of time; they're readily understandable; most important, they work.
Joining
Paul are a team of consultants who bring a depth of experience
and a passion for world-class execution:
"Skeets" - Vice
President of Execution
 Meet "Skeets". We often get asked,
where did the neat little guy in our logo come from? How'd he get
his name? What does
he do
around the office? Does he represent that in your youth you were
track stars? Let me start there - Nope!
The fact of
the matter is, when we started to visualize "Execution and getting
things done!" the image of a hurdler came to mind. We couldn't
put him down. He was a man in motion. Our attraction to the image
grew. High hurdles are by far the most challenging track and field
event and we are all about taking on the toughest challenges. Being
a hurdler requires speed, strength and agility. To be a winner in
business today requires speed, strength and agility and that's what
we focus on to get things done. The image wouldn't leave us, so we
adopted him and made him Vice President of Execution responsible
for getting things done! Meet "Skeets"!
Oh, and where
did his name come from? Reynaldo "Skeets" Nehemiah was the all time
king of the high hurdles. What Nehemiah did better than anyone else
in the late 1970s and early '80s was run the 110-meter high hurdles.
Though he missed the '80 Moscow Olympics because of the U.S. boycott,
he thrice set the world record in his event, the last time in the
summer of '81, when he ran a 12.93 in Zurich to become the first
hurdler to break the 13-second barrier. So, over coffee and a few
e-mails a logo was born and named.
Around the
office he's constantly in motion challenging us to tackle the tough
stuff, to make a difference, to develop and use our speed, strength
and agility. "Execution is the difference that makes a difference" and "Skeets" has
got job security!
 Scott
Pignolet's twenty-six year career with DuPont included assignments
in project engineering, maintenace management and sales. Scott
developed a reputation for successfully and
safely
developing, selling, and managing technology
based services and products to the construction, petroleum,
petrochemical, chemical, pulp and paper, mining, and utilities
industries around the world.
He
is active as a consultant, trainer, coach, and speaker.
He is applying his experience and skills to improve sales
force efficiency, make leaders more effective and enhance
the safety execution skills of line managers and supervisors.
He has a keen interest in articulation and the thought
process that results in clear, crisp, results-oriented
talks and presentations: what makes a message concise,
compelling and convincing. Applying those learnings he
co-authored Balmert Consulting's Influencing
Skills for EHS Professionals.
Scott
leads the business development initiative for Balmert Consulting.
He develops client relationships and identifies client
needs to improve operational execution. On occasion he
steps into the classroom as an instructor of Balmert Consulting's Managing
Safety Performance and Influencing
Skills for HSE Professionals. He is also
an instructor for the National Insulation Association.
Scott
is the Chairman of the Board of Village Learning & Achievement
Center www.villagelac.org a
Houston based non-profit that provides services to people
with disabilities. He also directs and produces a weekly
television show for
cable television
and develops
web sites.
He is
a graduate of Cleveland State University and holds a
BS in Civil Engineering.
 Rafael
Mendez is a 1962 B.S. Chemical Engineering graduate from
Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He recently
retired from Union Carbide Corporation after working for
almost 40 years in Manufacturing and Distribution Management
in the chemical industry both in the USA and oversea
During his career at Union Carbide
he was responsible for managing large manufacturing facilities
like Olefin, Oxo Alcohols, Ethylene Oxide, Low Density
Polyethylene, Vinyl Acetate among others. He had a five
years assignment in Sao Paulo, Brazil where as Director
of Operations he was responsible for managing Union Carbide
Manufacturing, Distribution, Purchasing, Engineering,
Environmental, Safety and Health operations in Latin
America and South Africa. He
was awarded the prestigious Union Carbide Chairman award
for his work during this assignment He also managed Union
Carbide USA Gulf Coast Pipeline system and various owned
and contracted distribution terminals. In addition, he
has also been responsible for managing functions like Purchasing,
Health/Safety and Environmental, Engineering etc.
Since joining Balmert Consulting in 2002, Rafael has participated
in the development of many of the core training programs
and provided training for numerous clients both in the
USA and other areas of the world. He has also participated
and lead teams in assessing various clients safety systems
resulting in specific and prioritized recommendations to
improve their overall safety performance
He was born in Cuba so he is totally
fluent in Spanish and learned Portuguese during his assignment
in Brazil. He is a member of the American Institute of
Chemical Engineering
 Gary
Wigginton recently retired from the DuPont Company after
a 33-year career in manufacturing, sales, and marketing.
His assignments took him to a variety of locations including
Wilmington, Delaware; Coral Gables, Florida; Paris, France
and Houston, Texas.
His
most recent responsibility in DuPont was to lead the successful
implementation of Six Sigma process improvement technology
in his business. Prior to that he served as Plant Manager
at DuPont’s LaPorte, TX plant where he had responsibility
for more than 1000 people and the operations of four Strategic
Business Units. While at LaPorte the plant established
several safety records and was recognized by the Texas
Chemical Council as “Best in Class”. The site also received
the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence.
Gary
has worked with various Houston area industry and community
organizations. In 1999 he served as Chairman of the Board
of the East Harris County Manufacturers Association and
led the chemical industry rollout of the EPA-required Risk
Management Program. He was also active in the LaPorte-Bayshore
Chamber of Commerce where he served as Chairman of the
Board.
Gary
has a keen interest in safety and process improvement.
He takes a practical, no nonsense approach to business
and is a strong believer in teams and the power of collaboration
in achieving breakthrough performance. Gary grew up in
Missouri- the “Show Me” state, which probably accounts
for his mantra “show me the data” when tackling problem
solutions. He received a BS in Chemical Engineering from
the University of Missouri at Rolla.
 Hernan
Torrellas is a 1968 BS Mechanical Engineering graduate
from The University of Puerto Rico. He recently retired
from Union Carbide Corporation after working for 34 years
in manufacturing assignments in Puerto Rico and the USA.
Hernan
has a very diverse background. During his distinguished
career with Union Carbide he served in different positions,
business segments and locations. He was Employee Relations
Manager in Puerto Rico. During his career he was responsible
for managing facilities such as Olefins, Ethylene Oxide,
Low Density Polyethylene, and Polypropylene. He managed
Union Carbide's USA Gulf Coast Pipeline system. During
this assignment Hernan was awarded the prestigious Union
Carbide Chairman award for work in community safety.
He
also has been responsible for managing Purchasing, Stores,
and Safety, Health, and Environmental Affairs. Hernan's
last assignment was Plant Manager of the Polypropylene
and Catalyst facility in Norco, Louisiana.
As a site leader with Union Carbide
Corporation and Dow, "Hernan "Tuto" has taught safety leadership classes to hundreds of supervisors
and managers. In
addition he also was responsible for teaching a corporate
course on managing safety, health, and environmental compliance
in the USA and Kuwait. He regularly teaches technical safety
courses to an audience of operating staff. Since joining
Balmert Consulting, he has designed and taught troubleshooting
courses for operations and maintenance staff, managing
execution. Tuto has additionally authored several our our
most popular newsletters on the practical issues involved
in troubleshooting.
He was born in Puerto Rico and is
fluent in Spanish and English.
Jim
Morris - Consultant
Trainer
 Jim
Morris, a 1964 BS Chemical Engineering graduate of Louisiana
State University Baton Rouge, attended Yale University
and received a MS in 1966 and a Ph.D. in 1969 in Engineering
and Applied Science (with major emphasis in Chemical Engineering.)
Jim did research in high pressure polymer chemistry and
published a dissertation entitled The Copolymerization
Kinetics of Carbon Monoxide and Vinyl Acetate. In
1969 Jim began work in Baton Rouge with Exxon Mobil Chemical
Company in a new high pressure polyethylene venture.
Jim held several technical and supervisory positions in both the technical and
operations areas, at two Exxon Mobil plants in the Baton Rouge area, before transferring
to Baytown, Texas. There he managed the operations of a large Butyl Rubber facility
and a Polypropylene plant with five lines and two separate technologies. While
being responsible for all aspect s of the operations (safety, workforce, and
efficiency), he played a key role in developing an integrated business partnership
with the packaging vendor. Throughout his operations career, Jim was involved
in teaching in-house courses to technical and operations employees, including
communications and management skills courses.
The last several years of his career
with Exxon Mobil were spent as the Safety & Environmental
Manager for the Baytown Chemical Plant. This position included
the Safety programs for the site, emergency response for
fire, medical, and HAZMAT, compliance with government requirements,
as well as the Safety in Design oversight for the site
operating units. He was heavily involved in the development
and documentation of a system of Operations Safety Practices,
which included adherence assessments to this system, both
in and outside of the Chemical Plant. He also taught other
safety process and management courses. Environmental responsibilities
included the monitoring and permitting areas for the site.
Jim retired from Exxon Mobil after almost 34 years in
Operations, and began teaching chemistry at the Kingwood
College campus of the North Harris Montgomery County College
District. His interest in teaching has spanned his entire
career with Exxon Mobil, and has continued to the present. He
feels strongly that his interest in teaching and his operations
experience can bring reality and reason to college students,
as well as to those in industry seeking to improve their
knowledge and skills capabilities in the arena of safety.
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Balmert Consulting
is in the business of business process improvement. Our consulting
focus - no matter what the problem or where it is found - will always "follow
the money" to The Four P's.
© 2000
- 2007 Balmert Consulting |
