GROUNDBREAKING FOR NBR PLANT/GLOVE FACILITY
(DECEMBER 2021) - U.S. Representative Morgan Griffith, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, local officials, and leaders from Blue Star were among the dignitaries on hand at a ceremonial groundbreaking for a $714M manufacturing facility to be built outside Wytheville, Virginia. Hailed as the world’s first vertically integrated nitrile glove manufacturing operation, the facility includes a nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) plant and high-tech glove manufacturing complex.
M&H Consulting has been contracted by Blue Star to provide overall project development, engineering, design, procurement assistance, onsite construction management, and operational readiness support.
Nitrile gloves are made from nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), an oil-resistant, synthetic rubber. These gloves are essential PPE for medical, laboratory, and examination personnel, but have been scarce since global supply chains were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The new facility provides a more reliable, entirely domestic production source that will eventually manufacture up to 60 billion gloves annually.
In addressing attendees at the groundbreaking ceremony, Scott Maier, CEO of Blue Star NBR and Blue Star Manufacturing, said, “We’re going to have a lot of help from everyone in this community to build this company up to be the world-class manufacturing facility that it’s going to be.” He added that the NBR plant should be operational by August 2022, with glove manufacturing beginning by February 2023.
For more details, see local media coverage of the event: WDBJ TV , WFXR TV, and SWVA Today
M&H CONSULTING TO DEVELOP FIRST NBR PLANT IN 25 YEARS
(OCTOBER 2021) - M&H Consulting (M&H) was selected by Blue Star to provide project development support for a new nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) plant, the first of its kind built in the US in more than 25 years, and a new high-tech glove manufacturing complex. M&H assisted Blue Star with initial planning, cost estimation, and permitting activities for the NBR plant and is providing continuing project development support with project management, facility design, engineering, supply chain support, execution oversight, construction and inspection management, and operational readiness support.
NBR is a synthetic rubber that is a key ingredient in producing disposable nitrile gloves used for laboratory, examination, and medical applications. Demand for nitrile gloves and other PPE (personal protective equipment) became acute in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasing PPE production and repatriating critical supply chains are key parts of the US government’s overall strategy to improve preparedness for future pandemics and medical emergencies. The facility will be located in Progress Park, an industrial complex outside Wytheville, Virginia. When fully operational, the plant will be capable of producing approximately 90,000 metric tons per year of NBR. The facility is expected to start production in August 2022.
M&H Consulting is also providing project development support for Blue Star Manufacturing, LLC., to develop a vertically integrated nitrile glove manufacturing operation on the same campus. This initial, advanced, eco-conscious, efficient, automated, and AI-driven glove manufacturing facility will be capable of producing between 5 to 8 billion gloves annually.
“We are pleased to partner with Blue Star to develop these urgently needed facilities,” said M&H Consulting President Lisa Costello. “M&H Consulting and our partners have extensive experience in managing large facility projects. By integrating seamlessly with the Blue Star project team from the earliest phases, we have been able to provide a complete functional solution for developing these projects.”
NEW ARTICLE BY PAUL JACOBS IN ESG REVIEW
(MAY 2021) – We are pleased to announce that an article written by M&H Consulting’s Paul Jacobs was recently published in the Second Quarter 2021 issue of ESG Review.
Entitled “The ESG Ecosystem – A Framework for Understanding The Scope of Sustainability KPIs,” the article provides a comprehensive overview of environmental, social, and governance factors, their impacts on the world, and the four groups of organizations within the ecosystem: framework and standard setters, data and analytics providers, investors, and stakeholders.
“In discussing ESG with people of different backgrounds, responsibilities, and experience levels, I discovered a need for a complete overview of the subject,” explained Jacobs. “Most reference materials focus on one or a few aspects of ESG in great detail. I wrote this article to help people see the big picture.”
M&H CONSULTING AWARDED RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECT BY BW ENERGY
(MARCH 2021) - To power their operations, offshore oil and gas facilities need large amounts of electricity, almost all of which is currently generated from fossil fuels. However, a growing number of forward-thinking companies are exploring the environmental and commercial benefits of renewable power generation. M&H Consulting is working with one of these companies to determine their best path forward.
M&H Consulting was recently awarded a contract by BW Energy to analyze and assess the feasibility of supplementing fossil fuel power generation with renewable technologies for BW Energy’s Hibiscus Alpha Mobile Offshore Production Unit (MOPU), which will be installed off the coast of Gabon, Africa.
As originally designed, the MOPU’s electrical power would be created entirely by natural-gas-driven generators. The M&H Consulting analysis will investigate whether in-situ wind and solar technologies could be used to generate up to 25% of the facility’s power requirements, thereby reducing its carbon footprint and potentially providing savings in operating costs and regulatory compliance.
M&H Consulting will fully evaluate the design and installation of wind and solar power generation options, including capital, operating, and maintenance cost calculations; size, weight, and logistical considerations; and uptime and reliability factors. Their analysis will also determine the greenhouse gas per kW impact for each option and the volume of natural gas and diesel fuel saved.
“We are pleased to partner with BW Energy to evaluate the practicality and sustainability of their energy options,” said Lisa Costello, MBA, President of M&H Consulting. “We support their commitment to cleaner energy and understand their need for accurate, complete information to guide decision-making.”
UNDERSTANDING ESG: OVERVIEWS NOW AVAILABLE
(JANUARY 2021) - M&H Consulting has added three online sustainability overviews providing a concise, informative summary for each component of ESG:
Each overview presents the major themes and issues for that segment, as well as a discussion of its potential impacts on business.With the flood of information being published on sustainability/ESG, these overviews are designed to provide a clear, practical introduction for managers and stakeholders in all types of organizations.
M&H CONSULTING JOINS SASB ALLIANCE
(December 2020) - M&H Consulting is now a member of The Sustainability Accounting Standards Board Alliance (SASB Alliance).
The SASB Alliance is a new membership program for organizations and individuals that support the need for more decision-useful, cost-effective sustainability disclosure. The SASB Alliance has two groups, one for organizations and one for individuals. Both levels offer education and resources designed to provide preparation for the growing practice of sustainability accounting and disclosure.
SASB Alliance members share the belief that today’s capital markets need standardized sustainability disclosure and effective ESG integration into investment practices – for the benefit of both companies and investors.
INTRODUCING SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTING SERVICES
(JULY 2020) - M&H Consulting is pleased to announce a major addition to its service line with full-spectrum consulting for Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) risk management. M&H Consulting assists clients at all levels of need, from planning their first sustainability initiative to enhancing an established ESG culture of sustainable value.
Companies worldwide are placing increasing emphasis on strengthening their ESG performance. In addition to helping reduce safety and environmental risks, sound sustainable practices improve brand perception and public reputation, better prepare a company for regulatory compliance, and increase a firm’s attractiveness to investors.
“ESG issues impact every facet of a company and its operations,“ said Lisa Costello, President of M&H Consulting. “Managing sustainability risks properly requires not only changes in processes and procedures, but a transformation in the culture of a company. Our sustainability team assesses how our client’s organization ranks within their peer group, identifies opportunities for improvement, and develops plans to implement those improvements. The ultimate goal is to create sustainable value for our client.”
Learn more about M&H Consulting sustainability services here.
HELPING PREPARE THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS
(July 2020) - A group of Rice University MBA Program students recently gained practical experience in a hands-on project management course. M&H Consulting’s Business Development Director Paul Jacobs was part of the effort, serving as a sponsor and contributing real-world knowledge and direction to enhance their learning experience.
Practical Lessons
The students were participating in a project management course led by Valerie Walker, Lecturer in Management – Operations Management for the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University. Teams of five students each were tasked with managing a complex, mock development project and presenting their findings to the class at the end of the semester. This was Jacob's second year to serve as a volunteer sponsor for one of the groups.
Jacobs created a scope for the project, challenging his group to develop a new “Acme Energy” oil production facility offshore Brazil. Although the project is fictitious, details are based on his prior work in engineering offshore platforms and more than 12 years of consulting and E&P company experience.
Communication is Key
In addition to building practical project management skills for the students, Jacobs emphasized one key principle contributing to the student's effectiveness as leaders. “Communication is the single most important driver for success,” said Jacobs. “A project manager’s job is not only to communicate with his or her team, but also to facilitate communication between members of the team.”
Jacobs led status meetings with the team in bi-weekly video conferences. “This is a talented group of individuals and they typically did a good job of asking for the proper information. When they needed it, I questioned them until they were headed in the right direction.”