April 7, 2004 – "Spouses' Day" is fast becoming a tradition at Hovensa. The first such occasion was held last month; the second took place last Saturday, when Hovensa officials welcomed employees' wives and husbands for a day of information about the refinery and fun.
At both sessions, according to a release, Lawrence J. Kupfer, Hovensa president and chief operating officer, shared his vision for the future of the company, and members of the Hovensa Leadership Team talked about their areas of responsibility in the refinery operations.
Bill Sullivan, director of deep conversion, cited numerous everyday products that are made from petroleum — including the clothing of synthetic fabric he was wearing.
Vince D'Ippolito, technical services manager, involved volunteers in his presentation on "How We Make Gasoline — from Dinosaurs to Today." Other presenters covered maintenance and compliance with environmental protection regulations.
Then the visitors boarded buses for a guided tour of the refinery that included stops at the terminal docks, fire station and control room on the east side of the complex.
One spouse who attended the March 5 event said of the experience: "My family has been associated with this refinery for 25 years. My father, brother and husband all work here. Learning how oil is refined, what products are produced, and seeing the equipment and control rooms up close makes me feel very proud of the work they do."
According to the release, the idea for Spouses' Day came from the spouse of an employee who thought family members would be interested in learning more about the refinery. Some 140 spouses took part in the first two events. Kupfer said the company will continue to host the program until all interested spouses have had an opportunity to participate.
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