Why Collaborate? Cargill VP Scott Portnoy Responds

View from the top: In an interview on 2/14/08, Cargill Corporate VP Scott Portnoy shares his thoughts on why BiOH polyols offer partners a long term business advantage.

The energy Scott Portnoy generates is palpable, especially when the topic is BiOH Polyols. “It’s really exciting. It’s all part of a trend we see globally toward more sustainable inputs,” says the Cargill Corporate Vice President whose job is to set strategic priorities across not only the Biofuels and Bioindustrial platforms, but in the Food Ingredients and Systems businesses as well.

"BiOH polyols are all about replacing the standards and technology of today with polyurethanes that come from a renewable resource,” he says. “We may not replace 100% yet, but it’s significant in terms of sustainability. We’re offering a lighter carbon footprint."

"With BiOH polyols you have a triple win … renewability, performance – and it is competitive."

When asked how BiOH’s messaging links into the Cargill advertising campaign running across media outlets nationally, Portnoy was quick to point out how BiOH polyols are a working example of the “collaborate-create-succeed” mantra at Cargill.

"When we got started, we worked with two development partners, Hickory Springs and Woodbridge (an automotive industry foamer). We wouldn’t have been able to move as fast without that collaboration. We created something truly unique, something new to the world. It’s a true example of how you can succeed in the marketplace."

The Cargill partnership continued beyond the launch as BiOH chemists work with each customer to formulate a product that works inside their manufacturing system to meet their specific product needs.

The future … and a nod to pure talent

Portnoy fully expects the BiOH business to continue its innovation with a focus on R&D. "We’re at the beginning of a journey in a large potential space for Cargill and the polyols industry," he says. "From gaining market share to deploying technology, this opportunity is very large. If you use the S curve analogy, we’re at the beginning of that curve."

He also acknowledges the role of talent. "It’s important to note the kind of talent we’ve brought to bear with this opportunity. We were fast to market because of extremely good talent. And we’re also appreciative of the talent of our customers and partners on this opportunity. Talent is a sustainable advantage we hope to leverage in this business for a long time to come."

collaborate, create, succeed

If you can benefit from making a responsible choice and partnering with an industry
leader, contact us at customerservice_polyols@cargill.com or call 1-877-POLYBIOH
(1-877-765-9246).

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