When Amy Hudson started her career, she never imagined she’d end up leading operations for a massive industrial project – or earning a United States patent for an innovative cleanup system. But as Operations Superintendent at Golden Triangle Polymers (GTP), Amy thrives on big challenges, constant learning, and tackling the unexpected.
The Patent That Started as a Simple Idea
While working at Chevron Phillips Chemical’s facility in Orange, Amy was part of a small team who helped invent a new system that removes polymer pellets and other contaminants from water reservoirs. The problem they wanted to solve? How do you remove plastic waste from water reservoirs before it becomes a bigger issue?
Environmental stewardship is central to our values, driving our efforts to prevent pellet loss and protect our waterways. By implemeting in-house solutions, we can proactively minimize pollution and uphold our commitment to sustainability for future generations.
Amy, Gerald Bergeron, and the team started brainstorming, testing solutions, and refining their approach. Eventually, it clicked – they had something worth patenting.
Water and stormwater from areas with polymer resin pellets are collected in basins with booms, weirs, and screens to contain the pellets. The water flows into on-site ponds before draining into waterways. However, during heavy rain and flooding, the system can be overwhelmed, pushing pellets past barriers and into waterways.
A floating weir skimmer in the water reservoir captures debris, allowing water to be recycled while ensuring pellets are collected and disposed of properly. This helps minimize pellet loss and keep our waterways clean.
After four years, it became official. This system is now something that is used at other Chevron Phillips Chemical facilities including Orange and Cedar Bayou.
“Sometimes the best ideas come from just trying to solve a simple problem,” Amy said.
What Does an Operations Superintendent Actually Do?
Amy is part of a large team of people building Golden Triangle Polymers and working on one of the largest polyethylene reactor extruders in the world. It’s a whole new level of problem solving – and she’s here for it.
Amy makes sure the operations team is ready to run the plant when it’s fully up and running. That means:
- Building the team: Hiring, training, and structuring the workforce
- Developing processes: Creating plans to operate equipment that’s never been used before
- Ensuring safety: Overseeing site security and making sure everything runs smoothly
And she’s doing all this on a construction site with multiple contractor companies – something rarely seen at this scale.
“It forces us to be collaborative,” Amy said. “We have people coming in from all over with different experiences, and we’re learning from each other every day.”
Giving Back to the Community
Amy isn’t just focused on operations – she’s also deeply committed to community involvement in Southeast Texas as a resident of Orange. One of her favorite volunteer projects at GTP was collecting more than 30 bicycles and donating them to Orange Christian Services. Amy loved seeing the direct impact it made on the community’s youth.
“It’s personal,” she said. “Seeing how we can make a difference in our area reminds us why we’re here.”
Looking to the Future
Amy is excited to look back on this time of building a greenfield facility and being able to say “Wow, we actually did that.”
The future of engineering is wide open, and she encourages young people to look into STEM careers. “It’s all about balance. Technical skills matter but so does knowing how to communicate and work with people. If you like solving problems, you’ll do great.”
Golden Triangle Polymers is a game-changer. With cutting edge technology, a world-class operations team, and a commitment to both innovation and community impact, GTP is setting new standards in the industry. As the plant moves closer to full operation, one thing is certain: this is just the beginning of something big.
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