When you think of effective leadership, what comes to mind? Maybe it’s confidence. The ability to make difficult decisions. The capacity to adapt and innovate. A vision—and the power to motivate others to embrace it.
All of these characteristics are important in a business leader. And, when you meet Anthony Drugeot, you will probably add another element to that list: Putting people first.
“Teams and people in general make my day,” Anthony says. “I enjoy navigating difficulties and successes together and celebrating those moments whenever we can.”
As our director of European operations, Anthony supports connections among teams and people across the three operational sites that make up Borax Europe:
- Coudekerque, France: Since 1902, this production site has manufactured high-value borates. Today, it produces specialty borates, including those for the highly regulated pharmaceutical and nuclear power industries.
- Nules, Spain: This facility, strategically located near the Castellon Port, efficiently handles packing, compacting, and distribution throughout the region.
- Rotterdam, Netherlands: Here we store, pack, and deliver industrial borates from our Wilmington, California port to Europe, Africa, India, and the Middle East.
In a role with such broad-reaching scope, Anthony’s ability to prioritize people’s needs enables him to provide solutions that serve customers, employees, and the communities in which we operate. The key, he says, is finding common ground among all the people involved.
He explains, “I’m often in a position to shape teams from scratch—whether to overcome a short-term challenge, start a new business, or manage a transition. I really enjoy those periods, sharing a common purpose and working fast to become match-fit together.”
Adding value to customer relationships
After completing a postgraduate degree in economics and finance, followed by his national service, Anthony started his career as a financial controller, leading accounting and financial teams in electronics and automobile manufacturing organizations.
Those experiences gave him insights into the vital nature of supplier relationships, especially in organizations that operate on lean manufacturing principles.
“The materials industry is truly fascinating,” he says, “but historically, it has been driven by heavy processes and heavy equipment, both associated with long-term investments. My background—understanding the nuances of the manufacturing supply chain—enables me to bring a customer-oriented perspective.”
Leading operations by listening
That perspective has helped him develop a unified view of the different operations he oversees, ensuring he always keeps in mind the value that borates offer to customers across regions and industries.
He notes, “My responsibilities include our high-value specialty products and two logistics sites. It’s a portfolio that makes U.S. Borax worthy of being known internationally because the combined operations give us the capacity to increase production, tailor production batches to meet specific needs, and deliver when a customer is counting on us.”
And keeping those operations efficient and capable starts with the people who are at their heart.
“Since I started in this role two years ago, my mandate has been clear. My teams are counting on me to listen and lean on the strength of the expertise they have developed for years. By making the most of the capabilities of our people, we are able to develop new business opportunities.”
Putting safety first for people and community
Across Borax Europe operations, attention to safety is paramount.
“My first priority every day is safety—for my people, for the environment, and for the local community,” Anthony says. That trifecta is at the heart of European regulations for materials providers, and Anthony embraces and elevates not just the letter of the law but also its spirit.
All Borax Europe facilities are clean and well-maintained. Meticulous safety procedures are followed throughout the sites with regular training and refresher sessions. As much as possible, production water is recycled, as is production waste. Depending on the site, water testing is conducted multiple times per week. Specially designed facilities help prevent contamination during loading, while protective packaging prevents damage during transit.
Anthony recognizes that keeping our commitment to environmental and workplace safety is essential as Borax Europe continues to evolve and innovate in new markets.
Discovering opportunities to maximize quality borates
Strong best practices across operations extend into the practices within each facility as well. Our Coudekerque site must meet extremely high requirements for purity and quality of the specialty borates it produces.
“The new laboratory at Coudekerque is a key pillar of our strategy to maintain and strengthen quality requirements,” Anthony says. “This applies not only to the pharmaceutical and nuclear industries, but also to other sectors that require robust quality assurance. Additionally, having a state-of-the-art laboratory enhances our research and development programs.”
“For example,” he explains, “Optibor® BQ, our battery-grade boric acid, is an exciting product. Because it’s designed for use in cathodes and capacitors, it meets the needs of cathode producers who are all converging around similar specifications and looking to improve battery properties. Having strict quality control and safety practices in place makes it easier for us to add capacity and even expand our production lines, to better serve those customers while maintaining our commitment to employees and the community.”
Cultivating a collaborative vision
Anthony says remaining actively connected to the people around him is essential to his success.
“Outside of work, I spend my time involved in local associations. Also, I love connecting with friends. And, not least, running twice a week is more than just a hobby for me; it's a need, a privileged time for breathing and reenergizing.”
That mindset—both grounded and open—is what enables the flexibility needed to see new opportunities that help us build a better future for everyone.
Anthony at Coudekerque operations celebrating International Women's Day.
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