124 Millennium - A Marquis Who’s Who Magazine SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING Millennium Magazine Featured Listee DR. RON LUTZ PROCESS ENGINEER Braskem League City, TX Dr. Ron Lutz found himself bored on his first day at Braskem in 2011, when he was assigned to read a stack of manuals. He had recently completed a 33-year career with INEOS and brought a wealth of experience to his new role. He expressed his boredom to the director of research and development over lunch, who suggested he visit the pilot plant associated with the manuals to see them in action. Dr. Lutz followed his advice and never returned to finish the manuals. He has not been bored with his work since. Dr. Lutz is a process engineer at Braskem, an international company that produces polyolefins, a type of polymer that contains polypropylene and polyethylene, two of the most used plastics. Technically retired as of January 2026, he was brought in to train a new hire in a key technology position. What was meant to be a short-term assignment has become an extended stay, giving him 48 years in the plastics manufacturing and engineering industry. Dr. Lutz began his career in 1978 at Standard Oil Co. as a research scientist, focusing primarily on products such as milk bottles and containers for chemicals and oil. Here, he played a crucial role in developing catalysts for milk bottle production. He identified and resolved operational issues caused by contaminants in the polymer components, making the company’s proprietary catalyst more efficient and cost-effective. When Standard Oil Co. became Amoco in 1985, Dr. Lutz remained on board and eventually advanced to engineering manager at the Chocolate Bayou plant in Texas. He holds several patents and patent applications and was actively involved in teaching quality principles. He also received the Quality Award for developing a catalyst and implementing technology that could measure physical properties online. The catalyst remains in use today. A certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Dr. Lutz worked extensively in both olefins and polymers. Though creating polymers can be challenging, he and his colleagues excelled at identifying and resolving problems at their root causes. He attributes his success to qualities such as determination, a willingness to take risks and the ability to listen to others.
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