UNDER THIRTY - Society of Manufacturing Engineers

Kyle RhodesAge: 28Dow Chemical Co.Seadrift, TXLike his father and grandfather, Kyle Rhodesstudied chemical engineering before goingto work in a chemical plant. Hired right aftergraduating from the University of Washingtonwith a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, Kylehas worked at the Dow Chemical Co.’s ethylene oxideand plastics manufacturing facility in Seadrift, Texas,for six years now, holding multiple engineering positionsincluding the titles of Run Plant, Process Automationand Improvement Engineer.Until April, he’d been an improvement engineer atthe Seadrift plant, and has worked mostly in processand automation roles since joining Dow. “I’m representingthe plant here in Seadrift as part of a projectteam,” Kyle said regarding Dow’s recent investmentsin the Gulf Coast area, some of which is going to theSeadrift facility.Working at a plant always interested Kyle, afterhearing stories from his grandfather, who ran a plant inMontana, and from his dad, who worked for 3M. “Mydad once told me that scientists come up with greatideas,” Kyle recalled, “but to actually get anything done,you need an engineer. That’s what drew me to this, tothe manufacturing environment—if you really want toget involved, you need engineers around.“It’s dynamic, that’s the best one-word descriptionfor it,” Kyle said of his work. “You can come in on anygiven day with a plan, and circumstances at the plantcan change that instantly. There’s a lot of troubleshooting,a lot of thinking on your feet, and I’ve enjoyed thatgreatly. There’s a lot of problem-solving.”In nominating Kyle for 30 Under 30, Roger Painter,Seadrift GPPE Production Leader and Kyle’s supervisor,wrote: “Kyle is a natural leader and has demonstratedmany of the attributes of a seasoned veteran. For hisproject teams, he leads by example. He ensures hisUNDER THIRTYteams make sound decisions based on data, and theyconsider alternative approaches in order to identify theoptimum path forward. Kyle establishes high standardsof personal excellence in executing his work, relating toothers, and behaving in alignment to Dow’s ethics code.This same behavior becomes an expectation for thoseon his teams, or the teams he is supporting.”Painter also had high praise for Kyle’s abilities as ateam leader, technical capabilities, and his engagementwith fellow employees and company programs. “Kylemaintains a very high level of productivity and quality inhis work. When presented with a challenge, Kyle appliessound judgment and problem solving techniques toidentify the best solution. He works independently, butrecognizes when to pull in needed resources to improvethe project efficiency. Kyle proactively shares knowledgewith his fellow colleagues, especially when mentoringthe less experienced engineers. He takes independentaction to offer coaching to the new engineers, whilemaintaining an exceptionally heavy workload for anengineer of his experience level.“Kyle works well with others within the organization,including peers, technicians and stakeholders,” Paintersaid. “He proactively seeks to understand differencesof views, and strives to ensure the best overallapproach is selected. Kyle voluntarily communicatesproject and organizational needs to his stakeholdersand management. What is noteworthy is that he notonly highlights the opportunity, but recommends a solution.Regardless of the circumstances or how heavyhis workload is, he is always willing to help. Kyle isengaged in several Dow initiatives, including steeringteam member for the New Professionals Network andserving as student advisor for Co-Ops working at theplant. He manages both of these activities in additionto his normal work responsibilities.” METHIRTY UNDER THIRTY PROFILES26 ManufacturingEngineeringMedia.com | July 2013