The Art of Optimization

Ray Laplante has always loved a good challenge, especially when it involves fine-tuning complex systems of technology, supply chain and business processes to create something greater than the sum of its parts.

“I’m wired to identify inefficiencies and find solutions to address them,” says the vice president of business optimization for Baystar. “In this business, a single penny per pound can change the game. You multiply that penny by 2.2 billion pounds, and you realize just how critical optimization really is.”

Ray’s passion for polymers started in a chemistry lab at the University of Massachusetts, where he majored in chemical engineering (and met his future wife).

“My wife was my lab partner,” he says with a smile. She double majored… chemical engineering and dance. Picture Flashdance meets thermodynamics.”

After graduation, the couple moved to Houston, the epicenter of chemical engineering, where Ray began his career at Exxon working with polypropylene technologies. He quickly gained a reputation for bridging technical and commercial worlds, developing new materials, scaling up manufacturing, and eventually moving into product management roles.

“That’s where I learned to think like a business leader,” Ray says. “I went from the plant floor to managing P&L, overseeing logistics, customer service, and everything in between.”

His career path continued to evolve, from executing global technology sales and creating a specialty polymers product line at Chevron to plant management and business leadership roles at Westlake. “I’ve been very fortunate in my career. Each role gave me a new lens on what makes a business run, and more importantly, what makes it thrive.”

That experience, combined with his natural drive to make good things great, prepared Ray for his role as Baystar enters its next chapter. “A fast-growing company, a new unit, and a big opportunity to help influence the direction of the business from the ground up. I’m built for it,” he says.

As Vice President of Business Optimization, Ray’s responsibilities include technology, procurement, logistics, customer service, as well as sales and operations planning. Essentially, every lever that impacts efficiency, cost, and service.

“It’s about building a high-functioning machine from the inside out,” he says. “Baystar’s newest unit, Bay 3, is one of the most flexible polyethylene production technologies in the industry.

“Commodity scale combined with specialty precision is what makes the polyethylene space so compelling” says Ray. “This is an industry where no two days are the same. You’re constantly walking a tightrope between cost control and value creation. But if you have the right people, you can make it work.”

And for Ray, it always comes back to the people.

“You can have the best equipment or technology in the world, but if you don’t have the right people, you’ll fail. What impressed me about Baystar was the caliber of the team. There’s a real sense of shared ownership here. When something goes wrong, it’s not one person’s problem, it’s everyone’s. That’s how you build resilience.”

Looking ahead, Ray says he is encouraged by the industry’s increasing focus on sustainability and responsible innovation. “Plastics are essential to modern life, from medical and food packaging to natural gas pipelines. I’m excited to be part of a team that’s building smart, flexible systems that support growth for our customers and help them advance their sustainability goals.” 

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