Meet the Team
November 9, 2021

Estin

Estin is Environmental Health & Safety (ESH) engineer and part of the Evonik Animal Nutrition business line. In his people story he talks about what makes living and working in Blair so special.

Compared to other places where you’ve worked, what is special and unique about Evonik in Blair? 

Everyone seems to genuinely care about each other here, regardless of department or role. I also see a high emphasis on safety throughout the site. People seem interested in not only complying but contributing to making the Blair site a safer place.  

What do you love about Blair? How do you spend your time when you’re not at work? 

I live in the nearby city of Omaha. I find that there is a lot to do in the city, even during a pandemic.  The city is full of trails to run and bike on and contains groups that meet up to do these activities, socially distanced of course.  Omaha has a really nice zoo, as well as some great restaurants.  And the people in Nebraska seem to have what someone described to me as “Nebraska Nice”.   

How would you describe your team? For example, what do you like best about your coworkers? 

The group of people here is truly a team. It is really nice to see the different departments working together for common goals. Also, as someone who is not from here, my fellow employees have been quick to offer me ideas of things to do in town, places to go, and tips for how to survive snow (something I have almost no experience in).   

I’ve enjoyed being part of a larger organization as well, with colleagues outside of Nebraska  and talking with coworkers from all over, even in Germany. The people who initially interviewed me will even reach out from time to time, even though we work in different departments in different time zones.   

How would you describe the work environment and the company culture? 

The company as a whole seems to really care for the team. Through some of the various programs they have, it is apparent that they care for the growth of the employees. This includes offering trainings and courses, reimbursing tuitions, and sending employees to other sites. There are many of my coworkers who have worked for other Evonik sites, some in other countries. On top of that, various projects bring people in from across the country and world. This creates a unique culture where everyone is welcome, and we can learn from other site’s successes and areas for improvement. 

When we aren’t in a pandemic, what special events does Blair have that make it fun to work there?  Are there any fun things you have done during the pandemic that were hosted virtually? 

I have only been here during the pandemic. Despite this, people are still very friendly and welcoming.  We have numerous precautions for preventing the spread, and you can tell that Evonik cares about the health and wellness of its employees. Additionally, Evonik offers fun opportunities, like reimbursements for gym memberships or discounts on a membership to the zoo in Omaha. 

What brought you to Evonik? 

I initially met Evonik at the LSU career fair.  I was instantly amazed at how nice the people were, and how much they really seemed to enjoy their job and the company they worked for.  As I began to travel to interview, and meet more people within the company, I learned that this attitude was the standard.  From my research, Evonik seemed like a really great company with really great culture.  From talking with them, I could tell they were interested in their employees, and were willing to invest in them to help them grow.

 

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