Plastics industry veteran Todd Karran has joined new polypropylene supplier Heartland Polymers as CEO of petrochemicals.
Karran has 35 years of industry experience, including serving as president and CEO of resin maker Nova Chemicals from 2015-20. His position at Calgary-based Heartland includes all aspects of the firm's business, officials said in a news release.
Heartland recently began production of homopolymer PP at a new plant in Strathcona County, Alberta, and plans to add random copolymer PP in 2023. Once commercial production is underway, Heartland is expected to produce more than 1 billion pounds of PP annually.
The site near Edmonton uses local propane feedstock supplied by parent company Inter Pipeline. The site's primary source of propylene monomer will be an on-site propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant, which is expected to provide integrated service to the PP plant in the third quarter.
In the release, Karran said he had been intrigued by the Heartland project since hearing about it at an energy conference.
"It was clearly a unique project, being the only one of its kind in Canada," he added. "Seeing Heartland embrace the CIAC [Chemistry Industry Association of Canada] Responsible Care program and its commitment to working alongside [other] partnerships … was a clear indicator that this organization is focused on doing things the right way."
Regarding the new PP plant, Karran said that he's "amazed by the state-of-the-art design of the complex and all of the forethought that went into the plant."
"There's nothing like it out there, and I'm very excited to be a part of the continued success," he added. "My goal is to bring my experience and mentorship to Heartland Polymers. I see it as a chance to help Alberta and help Canada."
During Karran's time at Nova, the firm successfully completed or started multiple growth projects, including the expansion of a cracker in Corunna, Ontario, building a second resin technology facility in Ontario and building a new polyethylene plant in Joffre, Alberta, a town located between Edmonton and Calgary.
"I see my role like every other role: They're all critical," Karran said. "We have different accountabilities, but we're all part of the same team, and I look forward to sharing my knowledge in an industry that I am passionate about."