It is now two years since I began this consulting journey and as I reflect on this time, I harken back to the words on my website – Building Relationships Everywhere. Happily, I do have colleagues, coauthors, and clients all over the world.
If I put pins in a map for my clients globally, there would be over ten countries including Italy, India, and Canada. Of course, that’s in addition to my domestic clients. The clients include startups, and universities as well as Fortune 500 companies, chemical operating companies, engineering companies, and equipment companies. I have had the opportunity to help solve process problems and to create strategies for business growth. It has been both humbling and very exciting to provide guidance and assistance to these groups. My cell phone keeps ringing and contacts via LinkedIn continue to connect and reach out to me.
I have also been fortunate to travel for client visits, on-site testing, conferences, and paper presentations. These face-to-face trips provide for a wealth of information transfer and allow for creative problem solving. Plus, I always enjoy meeting face-to-face to build relationships with new people and familiar faces.
Building Relationships in Writing Together Too
Additionally, my new book, Integration & Optimization of Unit Operations, was published in July 2022. This book takes a different approach and provides a broader view to encourage an integrated and holistic approach to chemical engineering. A global collection of industry experts, with a combined 350 years of experience, systematically discuss specific chemical process steps with design questions and troubleshooting ideas. There’s also examination of complex processes with different unit operations, including solids processing and recycle flows, and the importance of integrated process validations.
So, what’s in-store for 2023? My consulting is expanding into lithium production, battery material powders and recycling of lithium-ion batteries and production scrap/waste. This is exciting as I hope to lead the industry to help transform it from small-scale to full-scale operations. Stay tuned for insightful columns and blogs.
Yet as 2022 draws to a close, as always, I would like to thank the collection of people everywhere who have helped me for the past two years to shape my consulting. Please keep reading my blog and my LinkedIn posts and let me know your ideas and feedback; I’d love to hear from you. I am optimistic for the future and look forward to providing you with even more meaningful content in the new year as we strive toward sustainable growth, innovation, creativity, and community to make us stronger.