experience

Donald E. Oulman, P.E.

General Background

  • Work group based management experience
  • SPC/SQC implementation experience
  • Design of Experiments (DOE) experience
  • Extensive process 1st principle modeling experience
  • Aspen+ and HYSYS steady state and dynamic modeling expertise
  • Strong computer skills
  • Envisions and implements new processes which result in improved profitability
  • Customer focused through plant visitations and development of customer and supplier partnerships
  • Works with and through other people to achieve mutual goals
  • Strong 'hands on' process/project engineering background
  • Effective communicator through strong listening and speaking skills

Chemical Management Background

DEO Consulting LLC        Durham, NC                                      1 employee

2013 - Present     Principal 

  • Collaborative process improvement and process optimization.  

STEPAN COMPANY           Millsdale, Illinois Pilot Plant              40 employees

2008 - 2013        Senior Engineering Fellow

  • Developed a project screening tool named ‘Supply Chain Process Mapping’ to systematically define and evaluate the efficacy of a new or modified chemical process before investing large amounts of resources.
  • Developed a phthalic anhydride off-gas recovery process to reduce environmental discharge by producing a saleable commodity.

2001 - 2008       Engineering Fellow     

  • Invented and piloted a 2nd generation new sulfonator feed delivery system that improved feed distribution accuracy.
  • Invented and piloted a continuous novel bleaching, hydrolysis and esterification reactor system that offers lower capital cost than conventional batch processes.
  • Modeled and piloted a continuous hydrolysis and drying process for converting alpha Sulfo Methyl Ester products to their respective acids.
  • Invented a new sulfonation process technology improvement to increase sulfonation capacity with lower capital cost than conventional sulfonation capacity expansion alternatives.

1998 - 2001       Engineering Associate

  • Invented a new sulfonation technology that has increased production rate on Stepan’s conventional sulfonators by 20-50%.
  • Invented a new sulfonator feed delivery system that improved feed distribution accuracy.
  • Wrote a 1st principle computerized sulfonation model that led to commercial sulfonation process improvements resulting in improved product quality and increased production rates.
  • Conducted DOE that led to improved product quality.

STEPAN COMPANY           Millsdale, Illinois Plant                     400 employees        2,000 MM ppy

1995 - 1998       SPC/Process Improvement Manager

  • Designed and installed an automated Macintosh based process data collection system for all of Stepan’s North American sulfonation facilities.
  • Wrote training materials and conducted training for Managers, Supervisors, Operators and QC Technicians in SPC and SQC fundamentals at all of Stepan’s North American sulfonation facilities.
  • Initiated DOE practices to understand and improve sulfonation processes.

STEPAN COMPANY           Winder, Georgia Plant                      80 employees         250 MM ppy

1991 - 1994       Technical Manager       QA, Maintenance, Engineering and Computer Services

  • Coordinated a sulfonation area work group to increase production capacity from 100 to 120 MM ppy while improving product quality and unit mechanical reliability from 80% to 92%.
  • Implemented SPC and SQC systems that result in less than 0.4% rework generation.
  • Implemented an OSHA Process Safety Management system to meet new federal regulatory requirements.
  • Implemented a computer-based engineering project management system to objectively prioritize technical resources.
  • Implemented a computer-based preventative maintenance system to reduce unschedule production outages and to improve product quality.
  • Directed the design, construction and start-up of a new  30 MM ppy chemical production facility using highly hazardous materials within a six-month deadline with no personnel or environmental incidents.
  • Participated on a team to implement the Crosby Quality Improvement Process which changed the plant from individual to team-based focus.

1988 - 1991       Production Manager

  • Reorganized staffing and shift structure - production increased from 60 MM to 250 MM ppy while operating staff increased from 20 to 37
  • Implemented a computerized logistics-based scheduling system and a computerized raw material and product inventory management system improving on-time shipments from 80% to 93%
  • Implemented a computerized operating procedure data base to insure consistent product quality
  • Instituted a progressive disciplinary system resulting in operator annualized turnover rate decreasing from 20% to 5%

1985 - 1988       Process/Project Engineer and Safety Director

  • Envisioned and implemented a $2MM capital project that debottlenecked a continuous sulfonation plant, increasing capacity from 15 MM to 30 MM ppy and increasing annual gross profit by $2.25 MM.
  • Increased the organic capacity of an activated sludge waste treatment plant with minimal capital investment to accommodate plant production growth from 60 MM to 250 MM ppy.
  • Expanded warehouse facilities.
  • Increased alkoxylation facility capacity by 15 MM ppy through batch cycle optimization and equipment debottlenecking to meet increased customer product demand resulting in no missed shipments.
  • Envisioned and implemented a heat recovery system on a sulfur burner facility that was recognized for innovation via the A.C. Stepan Award in 1983 including a trophy and $10,000 prize.
  • Developed a plant-wide safety program resulting in industry recognized low incidence of serious and disabling injury.

STEPAN COMPANY           Northfield, IL Corporate                   1200 employees      1,500 MM ppy

1979 - 1985       Manager Corporate Process Engineering

  • Assisted with start up of multi-million dollar expansion of Phthalic Anhydride plant to increase production capacity from 84 MM to 210 MM ppy.
  • Managed an esterification plant relocation and startup to consolidate expenses of two operating facilities into one.
  • Managed design and startup of an innovative closed loop waste water recovery system to reduce plant annualized waste treatment cost by $500,000. 
  • Managed energy recovery projects reducing plant annualized operating cost by  $500,000.
  • Managed design and startup of a synthetic lubricant process utilizing excess plant capacity.
  • Provided technical assistance to domestic and international satellite plants.

SALSBURY LABS               Charles City, IA Plant                       60 employees         25 MM ppy

1972 - 1979       Process/Project Engineer

  • Constructed and operated a high pressure gas-liquid hydrogenation pilot plant which led to construction of a commercial production facility
  • Worked with chemists and maintenance groups to implement full scale production of six new cyclical organic chemicals
  • Optimized an organic arsenical process with multimillion dollar per year sales, increasing throughput by 50%
  • Implemented sorption recovery systems that increased profitability by $1MM annually

Special Training

  • Explosion and Fire Protection
  • Hazard Evaluation Systems
  • OSHA Process Safety Management
  • Crosby Quality Improvement Process
  • SPC/SQC
  • DOE methodology
  • Fuzzy logic and neural network data analysis
  • HYSYS steady state and dynamic modeling
  • Aspen+ steady state and dynamic modeling
  • Aspen+ Exchanger Design and Rating modeling
  • JMP statistical software

Recognition - Awards

  • A.C. Stepan, Jr. Innovation award – 1988
  • Channahon School District recognition for implementation of a system wide computer LAN with new learning based computer installation.
  • A.C. Stepan, Jr. Innovation award – 2001

Professional Affiliation

  • AIChE - 1972
  • Registered Professional Engineer – Illinois #062038123 – 1976 – Present

Chemical Background

  • Batch and continuous reactions
  • Flammable, toxic and carcinogenic chemicals
  • Sulfonation, sulfation, esterification, amidation, amine oxidation, quaternization, nitration, arsenation, neutralization, ethylene cracking and polyethylene
  • Solid bed catalysis, absorption, waste treatment, boilers, distillation, adsorption, liquid-liquid extraction, solid-liquid separation, solids drying and solid size reduction