Imperial Profiles
Synthesizing Years of Research and Knowledge
Bill Kienzle is a rarity in the sugar business these days. He’s one of a few chemists in the industry still conducting research at a sugar producer’s in-house laboratory.
From Study Hall to Sucrose: Gaining a Real-World Education
This summer, for the first time, Imperial Sugar Company (ISC) is offering an internship program that allows six outstanding engineering students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in their field.
Certified in Making the Workplace Safe
“If you boil it down, my role is to make sure that the way the people come into the plant is the way they leave,” says Gonzalez, environmental health and safety (EHS) manager at Imperial Sugar Company’s (ISC) refinery in Gramercy, La., where she’s responsible for the welfare of co-workers on the job.
Home from the War, Back on the Job
Today, Eric Terry works as a char house operator in Imperial Sugar Company’s Port Wentworth refinery. This time last year, he was in the Afghan city of Jalalabad, serving in the U.S. Army as a gunner – one of the soldiers who rides on top of a tank or Humvee, manning a .50-caliber or M240B machine gun.
Darrell Gerdes: Perfection Scientist
Like a modern-day Columbo, Darrell Gerdes, manager of research and new product development for Imperial Sugar Company (ISC), spends much of his time troubleshooting, coming up with new ideas and examining the evidence until something “clicks.”
From Vendor to Valued Partner
When Joe Lucas joined Imperial Sugar Company in September 2009, he was asked to transition the industrial sales group from a transactional sales approach to a consultative one – a change that promises to make Imperial a top competitor in the overall sweetener market.
Emily Smith: Developing Specialty Sweeteners
In its efforts to ramp up product development, Imperial Sugar Company recently added a new member to its R&D team: Food Scientist Emily Smith.
Providing Customers Brand Name Sugar – Plus Market Insight
Jennifer Wilkes has worked as a salesperson in the foodservice industry for roughly 25 years. Given her experience, it’s not hard for Wilkes to “get in the door” with customers.
Nakisha Hill: Savannah Roots, People She Loves
If there’s one person who knows just about everything that moves into Imperial Sugar’s large Port Wentworth, Ga., sugar refinery, it is Nakisha Hill. It’s her job … as the company’s Receiving Clerk.
Andre Jeffries: Driving Out Failure Before It Happens
Being able to predict mechanical failure in a factory operating hundreds of machines 24/7 can mean the difference between hours of costly downtime and increased productivity and earnings.
Kevin Jeffries: Safety is a Core Corporate Value
Kevin Jeffries is uncompromising in his belief that workplace safety must be a core value of any corporation’s culture. He also sees views the environmental safety challenges of everyday business only as opportunities, not as problems.
William Mcghee: Focus on Safe Sugar Packaging
William Mcghee is one of Imperial Sugar Company’s new leaders at the company’s state-of-the-art cane sugar refinery at Port Wentworth, Ga. As Packaging Manager, he is responsible for safe operation of the fast-moving sugar packaging facility where millions of pounds of sugar are readied for customers.