William E. Choate, M.S., Ch.E.

1990 Morning Star Road  El Dorado, AR 71730  870-864-9284  wechoate@earthlink.net 

www.linkedin.com/in/wechoate

Accomplished and versatile SENIOR PROCESS ENGINEER with 20+ years’ experience in a
variety of roles in the chemical process industry. Unique-multidimensional
process perspective from chemistry training and experience.
Proven problem-solving, decision-making, and innovation capabilities. Articulate
communicator
and effective facilitator building and sustaining team work to achieve organizational
goals.

Key Skills and Knowledge Areas

 Process Analysis &  Material & Energy
 Process Safety
Optimization Balances
 Hazardous Materials  Batch & Continuous  Wide Chemical Process
Handling Processes Experience
 Practical  High Temperature
 Six Sigma Methods
Troubleshooting Processes
 Expedient Process  Multiple Project  Quality Plans &
Mastery Management Inspection
 Analytical Chemistry  Bulk Solids  Small Capital
Methods Processing Projects
 Production  New Product  Extensive Computer
Engineering Development Skills
 P&ID Development  Loss Prevention  Organized / Detail
and Use Practices Oriented

P rofessional E xperience

ANGUS CHEMICAL COMPANY. – A SUBSIDIARY OF DOW CHEMICAL – Sterlington, 2007–

LA 2009
(Only Company devoted to nitroalkanes and nitroalkane derivatives)

Senior Technology Specialist

Primary responsibilities: process safety, asset utilization, equipment and piping mechanical integrity,
and compliance with standards and specifications. Completed Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA)
for all manufacturing and utility processes at the Sterlington Site. Provided technology, MOC, and
reactive chemical handling support to production operations.
Selected Accomplishments & Projects:
 Completed evaluation of site manufacturing, storage, and utility processes identifying the number
and quality of layers of protection necessary to mitigate potential risks from processes.
 Audited site chemical process, storage, and handling equipment to ensure that maintenance and
planned inspections are done as required to minimize the risk of chemical releases (mechanical
integrity)
 Reviewed site MOC’s for process change impact on reactive chemistry or process safety
 Approved temporary site registration, design, and use of leak repair clamps on a case by case
basis.
 Developed work practices, procedures, and management system for team implementing program
to manage impairment of safety systems during plant operation.
  Completed action items for site compliance with design, installation, modification, and operating
practices related to process safety and loss prevention. Safer and more reliable process operations
were the result.
 Participated in PHA, RCI, and HAZOP conferences as required.

SPECTRA TECHNOLOGIES, LLC. – 11AT OPERATIONS – East Camden, AR 2004--

2007
(Defense Contractor Supplying Energetics, Munitions, and Weapons Components)

Program Quality Engineer – Explosives, Weapons, and Munitions

Provided Quality Engineering management and support for M232-155 mm Howitzer charge
components, Claymore mines, titanium tetrachloride cold smoke cartridges, 105 mm rounds, and
plastic bonded explosive charges. Managed production processes manufacturing laminated cloth
liners and igniter bags for M232 charges and Claymore mines. Designed, implemented, and operated
a Material Property Laboratory. Facilitated SPC, SQC, and data analysis programs at Spectra.
Operated pilot scale planetary mixer to validate plastic bonded explosive batch mix recipes.

William E. Choate, M.S., P

Ch.E. age Two

SPECTRA TECHNOLOGIES, LLC (Continued)

Selected Accomplishments & Projects:
 Managed Quality Program and production and process engineering for M232 liner assembly.
Led process startup and scale-up to achieve better than standard yields and a 20% increase in
the target daily production rate.
 Managed Quality Program, production and process engineering for initial Claymore mine
assembly.
 Implemented Materials Testing Lab for Energetics eliminating contract analysis costs from
contracts. Performed all required analyses for production and for sales of energetic materials.
 Developed SQC and SPC programs for Spectra’s contract programs and new program
solicitation responses.
 Quality Programs and production for Signaling Cartridge.
 Engineering and management of polymerization processes for plastic bonded explosives. Expertise in
preparation and mix casting of plastic bonded explosives.
 Managed Quality Program and initial production of 105 mm rounds.

GREAT LAKES CHEMICAL CORP. – SOUTH ARKANSAS SITE (www.glcc.com) – El 2001–2003

Dorado, AR
(Plant of Great Lakes Chemical, the world’s leading producer of bromine, phosphorus, and
antimony based flame retardants)

Senior Process Engineer – Flame Retardants

Provided process engineering support for bromostyrene and polystyrene processes. Managed small
capital improvement projects. Developed new chemical processes, revamped unit operations, and
converted batch processes to continuous. Created mass and energy balances. Served as technology
and process knowledge adviser.
Selected Accomplishments & Projects:
 Designed and implemented an aqueous recycle for a multistage reactor reducing caustic and
catalyst costs $200K annually.
 Achieved $150K annual cost reduction by identifying and qualifying a new, more efficient
process catalyst.
 Achieved 15 additional days monomer production capacity using lean manufacturing tools to
minimize campaign turnaround time. Annual value of $500K in additional sales capacity.
• Reduced polymerization campaign turnarounds by 15 days by using monomer from bulk
storage. Increased annual polymer capacity by 200 MT.
  Designed and initiated implementation of extruder revamp that delivered > 200 MTA capacity
increase in capacity.
 Demonstrated more efficient monomer dewatering by coalescers. Reduced filter maintenance
providing an additional three monomer stream days annually.
 Increased MTBF for rotating equipment through improved equipment selection, seal design,
and operation.

EASTMAN CHEMICAL COMPANY – TEXAS EASTMAN DIVISION (www.eastman.com) – 1980–2000

Longview, TX
(Texas Eastman is a division of Eastman Chemical, a leading international chemical company
employing 15,000 in 30 countries, producing more than 400 chemicals, fibers, and plastics,
and generating $4.59 billion in annual sales.)

Senior Chemical Engineer – Multi-Product Chemical Semiworks, MPCSW (1992–2000)

Served as key team member in operation and maintenance of the MPCSW. Directed product storage,
packaging, and shipping processes. Installed new unit operations, reconfigured existing unit
operations, and provided for safe handling of hazardous materials. Resolved process problems and
maintained production schedules.
Selected Accomplishments & Projects:
 Managed $750K high-pressure reactor installation project. Completed ahead of schedule
and $100K under budget.
 Spearheaded $300K railcar loading project. Delivered $50K annual cost out through railcar
quantity shipments.
 Designed and managed $100K drumming station revamp to safely handle hazardous
liquids.
 Achieved $100K reduction in annual catalyst cost by identifying catalyst poison and
removing by distillation.
 Optimized fixed bed reactor to achieve design capacity. Increased distillation capacity by
150K pounds annually.
 Increased bagged product capacity by 1.4 MPY by design and implementation of a PLC
controlled crushing and bagging process.
 Expanded solid glycol capacity 900K pounds annually through an improved melt
crystallization cooling system.
 Achieved $250K savings through on-site distillation campaign avoiding toll distillation costs.

William E. Choate, M.S., P

Ch.E. age Three

EASTMAN CHEMICAL COMPANY – TEXAS EASTMAN DIVISION (Continued)

Advanced Chemical Engineer – (1980–1992)
Executed assigned process improvement projects and generated new projects in commercial plants.
Collected and analyzed process data; analyzed collected samples in lab. Constructed and operated bench
scale models of whole or partial processes. Installed, monitored, and analyzed process experiments.
Selected Accomplishments & Projects:
 Reduced hydrogenation catalyst costs by 50% by switching to more robust catalyst.
 Revamped extractor to better recover feed stocks from water by installing re-distributors.
Recovery increased 50%.
 Operated and maintained the Animal Nutrition Semi-works supervising six operators. Directed
product storage, packaging, and shipping processes.
 Developed new products for commercial plants and Chemical Semi-works (CSW). Collected and
analyzed data for future scale-up’s. Evaluated economics for manufacturing new products.
 Process Improvement studies, modeling, and installations for five world scale plants.
 P atents
Patent Description Patent Number
1 Continuous process for the preparation of 2-ethyl- 5,146,004
2(hydroxymethyl)hexenal and 2-butyl-2ethyl-1,3-propanediol
2 Continuous process for the recovery of 2 ethyl-hexenal and a tertiary 5,177,267
amine from a mixture comprising of 2-ethylhexanal, 2-ethyl-
2(hydroxymethyl), a tertiary amine, and water.
3 Continuous process for the preparation of 2-ethyl- 5,235,118
2(hydroxymethyl)hexenal and 2-butyl-2-ethyl-1,3-propanediol
4 Isomerization of dimethylcyclohexane dicarboxylate. 5,231,218;
W09410124

E ducation & C ertifications

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY – Starkville, MS
M.S. Ch.E.
TROY STATE UNIVERSITY – Troy, AL
M.S., Education
AUSTIN PEAY STATE UNIVERSITY – Clarksville, TN
B.S., Chemistry, Math, & Physics

P rofessional D evelopment
Statistical Process Control (SPC)  Kepner-Tregoe Problem Solving
Total Quality Management (TQM)  Strategic Negotiations
Distillation Symposium  Innovation  DOT Training
OSHA Management of Change  Six Sigma  ZBA
Heat Exchanger Symposium  OSHA PSM
Experience Compression Lab  ChemCad
Value-Stream Mapping  MS Project
Quality Engineering  LOPA
Performance Management
Energetics  RCI
HAZWOPER
Explosives