Industry perspectives: Market influencers

Long-term planning ‘drives’ a carbon-free future

A conversation with Ann Nicholson, Corning’s vice president of investor relations

Since development of the ceramic catalytic converter in the 1970s,³ Corning Incorporated (Corning, N.Y.) has helped lead the way in emissions control in the automotive and other industrial sectors. Even now, sustainability continues to drive both business and social priorities at Corning, which was named to Time magazine’s “World’s Most Sustainable Companies” list for 2024.

In an interview with Bulletin editor Lisa McDonald, Ann Nicholson, vice president of investor relations at Corning, shared insights on Corning’s current work and plans to support a greener future for the ceramics and glass industry.

Q: Which application areas are the focus of investments and advancements right now?

A: Emissions reduction—cleaning emissions from gas combustion engines—is one focus of research and development efforts. Engines are getting more sophisticated, so their emissions are changing, and regulations are continuing to tighten.

More broadly, we are investing in research to support a cleaner environment. We have research on carbon capture technologies, and then we have—and have always had—some kind of development in the energy storage space. A lot of times, renewable energy systems give you energy when you do not really need it, so you need to be able to store it for later release.

Q: Which manufacturing process steps are a focus for innovation?

A: We do not disclose anything specifically, but two broad categories are 1) improving yields so we are throwing less stuff in a landfill and 2) diverting materials from the landfill and recycling them back into new products. We do that with glass. We make a sheet of glass, trim the ends, and put those trimmed ends right back in the tank.

In addition, one of the biggest sources of energy usage during the manufacturing process is in the firing. We have engineers and scientists that focus on things such as burner technology to make the process more energy efficient.

Q: What are some of the biggest benefits and challenges to materials innovation within the United States?

A: The way we are organized, there are lots of opportunities to exchange information. We have a centralized research facility, and each of our scientists are involved in multiple projects. They work on teams that include ceramic engineers, mechanical engineers, and industrial engineers, among other specialties. So, there is ample opportunity to learn from different people and cross populate ideas.

The challenge is sometimes work–life balance. From a cost perspective, it makes sense for us to be in the region where the customer is. So, we have facilities in Europe, the U.S., and Asia, but that means you can be on the phone 24 hours a day. We recognize work–life balance is important, and we encourage our scientists to balance their schedules.

Q: Do differing regulations between various countries or regions affect your ability to conduct research and innovate?

A: We do not view regulations as limiting factors on innovation but more as guidelines to push us to be better, innovate more, and give our customers what they are looking for so that it meets those standards.
Innovation can take time, and it is hard to invent on a schedule. So, a key to navigating new regulations is to be looking ahead and anticipating those changes. For example, who is working on the next generation of emissions engines? Or what is happening in the world of hybrid vehicles? We call that planning “technology roadmaps.”

Q: Looking ahead, what other developments is Corning prioritizing?

A: We have worked on emissions control within the automotive industry for decades, but we continue to explore other sectors where this technology can apply. We also have some teams looking at developing technical glasses to replace soda lime glass in certain applications.

Learn more about Corning’s sustainability initiatives in the company’s 2023 Sustainability Report at https://www.corning.com/worldwide/en/sustainability.html.

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From home-grown to global competitor

A conversation with Chris Kraft, senior director of thermal and foundry commercial operations at HarbisonWalker International

As North America’s biggest supplier of refractory products and services, HarbisonWalker International (HWI) serves a customer base that spans such industries as iron and steel, aluminum, copper and heavy nonferrous metals, ferrous foundry, glass, power generation, refineries and petrochemicals, chemicals, gasifiers, incineration, cement, pulp and paper, and lime.

Since February 2023, HWI has been part of Calderys Group, which has opened European, Middle Eastern, and African markets as well as Asia–Pacific markets to HWI solutions, including its “green steel” applications. The move makes it possible for HWI products to be manufactured at Calderys facilities that provide proximity to customers in those regions.

“As a combined organization, we can leverage what Calderys has globally and utilize that in the market in the Americas,” says Chris Kraft, senior director of thermal and foundry commercial operations at HWI. “And similarly, what we have in the Americas can be offered in Europe, the Middle East, and APAC [Asia–Pacific]. Working through that has not been without challenges: figuring out who does what and how we’re doing things. But it’s also been fun.”

Overcoming supply chain and talent pool concerns

The company has recovered well from COVID-19-era supply chain constraints, Kraft says. During that period, when conventional wisdom held that vendor diversification was key to maintaining access to materials, HWI sought to work more closely with its most reliable established suppliers. Risk management necessitated identifying alternative vendors and avoiding dependence on a single source, but “we were sticking with them through a crisis situation,” Kraft says. “That collaboration helped put us in a better position, and we’re continuing that moving forward.”

Access to talent is another story, especially at HWI’s manufacturing locations but also within the ranks of professionals at the company. The company maintains relationships with a core group of universities (among them Rutgers, Clemson, Ohio State, and the University of Missouri) to increase its access to graduating seniors through classroom guest lectures and on-campus job fairs or recruiting events. In addition, HWI’s innovation group established joint projects with research institutes and universities to advance its R&D and widen its network of contacts in the next generation of talent.

But its relationship with the outgoing generation has presented challenges as well. Earlier this year, with an eye to organization-wide succession planning, HWI offered a voluntary retirement incentive that created opportunities for younger workers. At the same time, it resulted in a loss of knowledge that available candidates cannot in all cases replace. This shift coincides with the trend toward delivery of more complex solutions that can necessitate a stronger customer support capacity.

Navigating the data dilemma

“Everyone wants to make decisions based on data, but the data needs to be converted to useful information that supports predictive analysis,” Kraft says. “As a supplier, we’re trying to understand our customers’ needs and understand where they want to go. We then try to match our capabilities to help them make better informed decisions.”

At this point, Kraft says they are not always sure exactly where they are going, or where they want to finish. Regardless, “this is very exciting to HWI, and we do believe that we are a great partner in this uncharted territory,” he says.

Sustainability figures prominently in that equation in terms of customer and internal initiatives. One significant change is in recycling of unused materials. Kraft recalls how 30 years ago, customers were responsible for dealing with their stores of unused bricks. Today, HWI is developing programs for dealing with those surpluses in an environmentally responsible manner. The company is also analyzing its energy and water consumption, exploring waste reduction, and evaluating the impact that use of alternative fuels has on the refractories.

“New standards are being forced upon industry by regulations or standards. And when customers ask what we’re doing for sustainability, we need to be able to answer that question for various reasons, but one is because it is the right thing to do,” Kraft says.

Kraft says there is currently a lot of innovation regarding sustainability. If it all supports using less resources to do what they need to do, “That’s great. I hope that continues,” he says.

Learn more about HWI’s latest sustainability initiatives at https://thinkhwi.com.

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