John Chee: Bridging Technology, Marketing, and Sales in Polymer Solutions

At Covia, innovation is driven by passionate experts who see beyond the ordinary. John Chee exemplifies this spirit, bringing a unique blend of technical ability and commercial insight to the world of mineral-based polymer solutions.

A Multifaceted Journey in Polymer Science

With a career spanning more than three decades, John's professional path is a testament to depth and versatility. His academic background is as comprehensive as his professional experience – a blend of chemical engineering, polymer science, petroleum science, and mechanical engineering that prepared him for the complex world of material innovations.

John’s professional career began in 1993, when he joined Lotte Chemical as a chemical process engineer working on polyolefin products. While he started in a more technical role, he was also able to excel in research and development, sales, and marketing at Lotte, Dow Chemical, and Imerys. That comprehensive skillset and extensive experience helped set the stage for his current role at Covia.

Merging Technical and Commercial Expertise to Create New Possibilities

John joined Covia in October 2023 as a technical sales and application technology manager for polymers and quickly focused on developing products that can help Covia branch out into new markets and offer more value to existing customers.

“What I'm doing is pulling out new value propositions for our products,” John said. “We’re working on applications that no one's done before, whether it's an existing product or a completely new development.”

To bring new ideas to the market, John needs to be able to work with both polymer scientists and customers to identify new products and modify existing ones to offer new value propositions. His aptitude for application and product technology allows him to partner with scientists to modify products and improve their physical and mechanical properties. John also understands market trends, navigates pricing, and works directly with customers to understand their needs and identify new development opportunities.

“Some companies have used certain products for 20-30 years,” John explained. “We can use all of our previous experiences and information to generate fresh ideas that can create a synergistic experience for Covia and our customers.”

Mineral Additive Innovation in Action

One area of opportunity that John is particularly excited about is nepheline syenite, a mineral with extraordinary potential used in Covia’s MINBLOC® HC and HIFILL® N additives. With only one mine in North America, this sustainable material offers unique properties that set it apart from other fillers. Its chemical composition of alumino silicate, potassium, and sodium provides remarkable characteristics for polymer applications.

According to John, nepheline syenite was originally used for its ability to incorporate antiblocking functionality in polymers. Ongoing research and development led to a new value proposition for this silica-deficient mineral – transparency. Nepheline syenite has a very similar refractive index to PVC, nylon, and PET, allowing it to be blended with these polymers and yield products that require a high level of transparency and clarity and other key properties.

“We can compound nepheline syenite to create clear molded products with other physical properties, such as added durability, dimension stability, gas-barrier reinforcement, and other characteristics,” John said.

Looking Forward to the Future of Mineral Additives

As Covia continues to expand its innovative mineral solutions, John Chee has the perfect blend of technical mastery and market insight. His ability to work with scientists and customers to transform complex scientific concepts into practical, marketable solutions plays a key role in growing the company's mineral-additive solutions.

That future looks even brighter with the addition of the Covia Innovation Center in Concord, North Carolina. The state-of-the-art building will include new equipment and laboratory space where John and scientists can collaborate on cutting-edge applications.

“I’ll be spending a lot of time at the new Innovation Center to work with team members and to generate new data sets for our products,” John explained. “Customers are excited about the samples and ideas we can share, so we’ll be able to try different equipment used throughout various industries and combine all our findings to estimate the performances.”

While John is deeply committed to his work, he also values personal time. An avid golfer who travels frequently for business, he cherishes moments with his family and remains dedicated to continuous education. There’s always more to learn, and John strives to understand more about his work and how he can help drive innovation and provide customers with the solutions they need for greater success.

Learn more about how Covia is expanding sustainable product offerings.