From Horsham to Allentown

00:00:00: Hello, I'm your host Adam Brunner and welcome to the Evonix Minute.

00:00:05: Your quick bi-weekly podcast for all the important stories, news, and announcements for Evonix North America region.

00:00:12: The date is February twelfth, twenty twenty six.

00:00:15: And on today's episode, we share some exclusive conversations with members of Evonix oil additives team who have relocated from their former home of Horsham, Pennsylvania to our Allentown Innovation Hub.

00:00:26: That story coming up in just a minute.

00:00:38: Exciting developments are happening at Avonix Allentown Innovation Hub.

00:00:42: The Oil Additives business line has officially relocated from Horsham, Pennsylvania to Allentown, a move that positions the team for future growth and fosters collaboration.

00:00:52: Here's Tom Mallon, head of Region America's Oil Additives, discussing the benefits of the move.

00:00:56: This

00:00:57: decision to move here was strategic in that we have access to more resources.

00:01:02: and closer proximity to other business lines, so it's just made a lot more sense.

00:01:06: We were leasing that facility.

00:01:08: This facility is wholly owned by Ivonic, so there have been a lot of investments here, and it's a state-of-the-art facility with lots of analytical equipment.

00:01:15: The benefits, I think, brought her access to a network of other employees as well, so we can use the resources that we have amongst the other business lines, not only equipment, analytical equipment, but also human resources.

00:01:28: This enables synergies for oral additives, such as a potential collaborations with the silica business line, to develop enhanced flow assurance solutions for pipelines.

00:01:37: Here is Hannah Cornell.

00:01:38: product development and lab manager for Flow Assurance.

00:01:42: So for Flow Assurance, we're a growth initiative for oil additives.

00:01:46: So essentially, we develop additives that can enable flow of fluids at low temperatures.

00:01:52: Being at the Allentown site, they also have centralized

00:01:54: analytics here.

00:01:55: So that's something

00:01:56: that all the business lines can take advantage of.

00:01:58: In the past, we had done some

00:02:00: types of analysis

00:02:01: that we previously need to send to the centralized analytics in Darmstadt.

00:02:08: a couple samples that we needed.

00:02:09: So specific testing on to the site

00:02:11: instead of having to shift to another facility

00:02:15: or maybe even go to like an external analytical lab.

00:02:18: The oil additives team is also addressing emerging challenges in hybrid and electric vehicles.

00:02:22: One recent breakthrough is a de-icing additive for plug-in hybrid vehicles, ensuring reliable performance in extreme cold conditions.

00:02:29: Here's Tom again, discussing how the team is adapting to industry trends.

00:02:33: portion of our business is with internal combustion engine, but there's a trend as you know for electrification and the plug-in hybrids have some unique situations with their oil in the car where it doesn't heat up enough.

00:02:47: so it's like a de-icing additive that we

00:02:50: have that's

00:02:51: sort of a topper that goes in with the lubricant additive and that's something that has a lot of potential as the hybrid vehicles become more and more prevalent in the market and that's probably about ten percent of the market right now of new vehicles.

00:03:05: So those numbers are going to grow over time and we're positioning ourselves to take advantage of those opportunities.

00:03:12: To celebrate the relocation, the oil additives team hosted an open house at the Allentown site in January.

00:03:18: The event featured lab tours, product demonstrations, and networking opportunities embodying the collaborative spirit of the new location.

00:03:25: Justin Langston, head of the technical service department for the Americas, was instrumental in planning the transition.

00:03:32: At first it was just putting the plants together.

00:03:34: So we got a footprint here in Allentown.

00:03:37: It was smaller than the footprint that we had in Horsham.

00:03:41: So we had to figure out how we were going to fit all of that equipment.

00:03:46: And also it gave us a good opportunity to like optimize.

00:03:50: Because in Horsham things were just kind of naturally added on.

00:03:54: We put something in a lab because we had space.

00:03:56: But here we could start from the beginning.

00:03:58: Old equipment, instead of moving old equipment.

00:04:01: that you're not going to keep for very long, maybe now is the time to get the new stuff and get that stole to you.

00:04:06: So like financially it made a lot of sense because instead of paying the high service cost every year, we just got the new equipment.

00:04:12: So we save money there.

00:04:13: But then also there's like safety benefits to that new equipment, productivity benefits because it runs faster.

00:04:18: So that was like a win-win-win.

00:04:21: Yvonnex Oil Additive's business line is driving the future of lubricant innovation while creating a vibrant community at the Allentown Innovation Hub.

00:04:29: With their sites set on collaboration and growth, the team is ready to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.

00:04:34: Here's Hannah once again.

00:04:35: As others have probably mentioned, the portion

00:04:36: was a standalone site, whereas now being at the Allentown site, you know, having all of the business lines

00:04:43: here.

00:04:44: Yeah, I enjoy it.

00:04:44: It feels

00:04:45: kind of like a campus

00:04:46: or

00:04:46: a community.

00:04:47: You know, when they say that this is, you know, the R&D hub of the

00:04:50: U.S.,

00:04:51: I think that really is very accurate.

00:04:53: It's setting you

00:04:54: on a positive route for the future.

00:04:59: And that's the news.

00:05:00: I'm Adam Brenner.

00:05:02: Thank you for spending some time with us today on The Ivanic Minute.