Manufacturing 2023: ANDY GIRVIN

As plant manager for New Jersey chemical manufacturer AdvanSix’s largest factory, Girvin has navigated some challenges this year.

In April, 340 union workers went on strike at the Hopewell plant, seeking wage increases. The strike ended in May, but that didn’t end troubles at the plant, which annually produces 400,000 tons of caprolactam, a compound used in synthetic fibers, and 600,000 tons of ammonia. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported in April that the Hopewell facility violated the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act 66 times over the past eight years. U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan wrote a letter to Girvin and AdvanSix’s CEO expressing concern for the health of nearby residents. In June, a hazmat team was called to the plant for a liquid ammonia leak.

Girvin earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Virginia and an MBA from William & Mary. In 1994, he went to work as a project engineer for Honeywell, working as global asset manager for its resin and chemicals division, which was spun off into AdvanSix in 2016.

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