{"id":12559,"date":"2025-08-19T16:08:51","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T16:08:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hexpol.com\/rubber\/?p=12559"},"modified":"2025-09-12T18:00:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T18:00:07","slug":"hexpol-compounding-americas-welcomes-co-ops-interns-impact-from-day-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hexpol.com\/rubber\/hexpol-compounding-americas-welcomes-co-ops-interns-impact-from-day-one\/","title":{"rendered":"HCA Co-Ops &amp; Interns:  Impact From Day One"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"12559\" class=\"elementor elementor-12559\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-0c23989 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"0c23989\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-d220b54\" data-id=\"d220b54\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1d8b551 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1d8b551\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>HEXPOL Compounding Americas (HCA) strengthened its emerging talent pipeline this year through a combination of proven strategies and a renewed focus on attracting young professionals through its co-op and internship programs.<\/p><p>Judging how HCA helped participating students advance their industry knowledge and real-world experience certainly has concrete metrics:<\/p><ul><li>Joined an over $500,000 equipment upgrade, ensuring quality and on-time delivery<\/li><li>Weighed and mixed 400+ ingredient batches and tested milled rubber for orders and studies<\/li><li>Supported over 100 candidate interviews across two sites that resulted in more than 20 new hires\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/li><\/ul><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/todd-mowery-2a0847b\/\"><strong>Todd Mowery<\/strong><\/a>,<strong> Chief Human Resources Officer<\/strong>, HEXPOL Compounding Americas, says the vision for both programs is to create real-world learning experiences that empower students and early-career professionals to grow, contribute, and lead.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019re striving to cultivate a diverse pipeline of future talent, aligned with our values, inspired by our mission, and prepared to drive impact from day one,\u201d he notes.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/p><h4><strong>Success Factors: Culture, Goals &amp; Mentors<\/strong><\/h4><p>Mowery believes HCA\u2019s culture plays a critical role in the success of the company\u2019s co-op and intern programs, which are in year one of a reinvigoration he and his team have initiated. \u201cIt\u2019s not just about what projects they work on\u2014it\u2019s about the environment they work in, how they\u2019re supported, and whether they feel like they belong. Our culture sets the tone for their experience.\u201d<\/p><p>The stronger and more intentional the company can be welcoming and embedding the students into the culture, the more likely the programs will produce skilled, engaged and loyal future associates.<\/p><p>\u201cIntegrating emerging talent like interns or co-ops into existing teams can be a huge value-add if done thoughtfully,\u201d he adds. \u201cSetting clear goals for the students and associate teams they\u2019re joining is a key success factor.\u201d<\/p><p>Other difference-makers include closely matching the type of work with the skills of the students and carefully choosing dedicated mentors and coaches to lead and assist the students on their path from student life to professional life.<\/p><h4><strong>What\u2019s Next?<\/strong><\/h4><p>Looking ahead to 2026, Mowery wants to build on this year\u2019s success by enhancing program structures, deepening student engagement, and broadening the reach. \u201cWe plan to expand the program by adding interns in additional functional areas across the organization, growing the effort at a sustainable and strategic pace,\u201d he notes. Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 recruitment efforts will again include the University of Akron and Youngstown State University, while adding The Ohio State University. Additional university partnerships on the horizon will further diversify and strengthen the company\u2019s emerging talent pipeline.<\/p><p>HCA drew inspiration for its 2025 co-op and intern programs from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gojarrett.com\/\"><strong>Jarrett Logistics<\/strong><\/a>, a trusted HCA vendor for over a decade with a strong track record of developing young talent even before their careers begin. Jarrett\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/robertchurgovich\/\"><strong>Rob Churgovich<\/strong><\/a>, Vice President of Human Resources, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jessica-crawford-6bb262a\/\"><strong>Jess Crawford<\/strong><\/a>, Human Resources Manager, shared valuable insights and best practices from their own programs with Mowery and his team, which helped lay the foundation for HCA\u2019s revitalized approach.<\/p><h4><strong>The Co-Ops<\/strong><\/h4><p>Two chemical engineering students from the University of Akron\u2014Matthew Bellamy and Connor DeLury\u2014joined HCA as co-ops in May. Since then, they have prepared over 400 lab batches for chemist-driven projects, first weighing batches using specific lists of ingredients and then running the batches through a mixer to produce rubber from the raw ingredients.<\/p><p>After handing off the rubber to R&amp;D Lab Technician Anthony DeWitt to mill the samples into a thin sheet, Bellamy and DeLury would pick things back up to trim the sheets to create samples for rheology testing, cure the remainder of the slab and run physical data tests on the samples following the testing sheets written up by HCA chemists.<\/p><h6><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/matthew-bellamy-4a0074264\/\"><strong>Matthew Bellamy<\/strong><\/a><strong>, Chemical Engineering Co-Op, University of Akron<\/strong><\/h6><h6><strong>Describe HEXPOL in one word: <\/strong>Innovative<\/h6><p><strong>Reflections:<\/strong><\/p><p>\u201cI&#8217;ve noticed how the work of chemists making new formulas is somewhat like a puzzle. When compounding rubber, everything you add changes everything. Changing one ingredient will have several effects that need to be balanced out by other ingredients, which also have several other effects. In other words, things get very complicated very fast. This aspect of the rubber compounding industry is the main draw of my interest so far.\u201d<\/p><h6><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/connor-delury-b1752a226\/\"><strong>Connor DeLury<\/strong><\/a><strong>, Chemical Engineering Co-Op, University of Akron<\/strong><\/h6><h6><strong>Describe HEXPOL in one word: <\/strong>Versatile<\/h6><p><strong>Reflections:<\/strong><\/p><p>\u201cInitially, I thought rubber compounding was a simple process. Through hands-on experience, I\u2019ve learned how intricate and precise the process is and how even a 0.1g variation can significantly affect a batch. I\u2019ve gained skills in initiating and adjusting compounds to meet specific requirements, as well as managing lab operations. This immersive experience challenged me to problem-solve, adapt quickly, and contribute meaningfully to real-world projects from day one.\u201d<\/p><h4><strong>The Interns<\/strong><\/h4><h6><a style=\"background-color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/aaron-groner-561691258\/\"><strong>Aaron Groner<\/strong><\/a><strong>, Operations Engineering &amp; Maintenance Intern, Youngstown State University<\/strong><\/h6><p>Youngstown State University\u2019s Aaron Groner, a mechanical engineering student and intern with HCA\u2019s operations engineering and maintenance team, hit the ground sprinting when he joined the company in May. After a traditional onboarding, he traveled from Northeast Ohio to HEXPOL Whitewater in Wisconsin to join the industrial controls team\u2019s long-planned 10-day machine interface and product traceability upgrade. He saw first-hand\u2014and used his hands and intellect\u2014to help bring an over $500,000 capital investment to life for the Whitewater operations team and ultimately for customers.<\/p><h4><strong>Describe HEXPOL in one word: <\/strong>Innovative<\/h4><p><strong>Reflections:<\/strong><\/p><p>\u201cTo future interns, I would say that this internship is a great way to get exposed to a real-life work experience. You will not be treated as an intern, more so a regular associate with professional obligations and responsibilities. The scope of the internship will depend on your work ethic and if you put the effort into learning the business and practices, you will be rewarded with great opportunities and experience.\u201d<\/p><h6><a style=\"background-color: #ffffff\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/caroline-keller-b0407a2b4\/\"><strong>Caroline Keller<\/strong><\/a><strong>, Human Resources Intern, The Ohio State University<\/strong><\/h6><p>Caroline Keller\u2019s inspiration for pursuing a human resources major at The Ohio State University stems from the COVID-19 pandemic and the times she overheard her mom problem-solving human resources issues while working from home. She had no experience in manufacturing environments prior to starting as an HCA human resources intern in May. Since then, she\u2019s split her time between HEXPOL Burton and HEXPOL Barberton, where she helped human resources managers Destany Salas and Kim Franks conduct over 100 candidate interviews, which resulted in more than 20 new hires.<\/p><h4><strong>Describe HEXPOL in one word: <\/strong>Welcoming<\/h4><p><strong>Reflections:<\/strong><\/p><p>\u201cBefore working at HEXPOL, I had no idea what rubber compounding even was or how detailed the process could be. Being in HR gave me the opportunity to learn, not just from researching the various roles we were filling, but through conversations with employees who\u2019ve been here for years to understand what the work entails. Explaining job responsibilities to candidates pushed me to better understand our manufacturing process, how we stand out as an employer, what makes someone a great fit, and why so many associates have been with us for so long.\u201d<\/p><p>Contact Corporate Talent Acquisition Manager <a href=\"mailto:theresa.ferritto@hexpol.com\"><strong>Theresa Ferritto<\/strong><\/a> or <a href=\"mailto:todd.mowery@hexpol.com\"><strong>Todd Mowery<\/strong><\/a> to learn more or discuss ways to collaborate with HCA on its 2026 co-op and intern programs.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-250ccb9 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"250ccb9\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-9275547\" data-id=\"9275547\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-06cff52 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"06cff52\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.hexpol.com\/rubber\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2025\/08\/matthew-copy-1.jpg\" title=\"\" alt=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 800px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 800\/800;\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Matthew Bellamy, Chemical Engineering Co-Op, University of Akron<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-402ee82\" data-id=\"402ee82\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c4ee1a4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"c4ee1a4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.hexpol.com\/rubber\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Connor-DeLury-at-Barberton-2-1.jpg\" title=\"\" alt=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 800px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 800\/755;\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Connor DeLury, Chemical Engineering Co-Op, University of Akron<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-206a53a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"206a53a\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7a8c8ed\" data-id=\"7a8c8ed\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-68ea453 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"68ea453\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.hexpol.com\/rubber\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2025\/08\/AAron-copy-1.jpg\" title=\"\" alt=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 800px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 800\/800;\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Aaron Groner, OPs Engineering &amp; Maintenance Intern, Youngstown State University<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-c7a0017\" data-id=\"c7a0017\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fc48cbc elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"fc48cbc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.hexpol.com\/rubber\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/caroline-copy.jpg\" title=\"\" alt=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 800px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 800\/800;\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Caroline Keller, Human Resources Intern,            The Ohio State University<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>HEXPOL Compounding Americas (HCA) strengthened its emerging talent pipeline this year through a combination of proven strategies and a renewed focus on attracting young professionals through its co-op and internship programs. Judging how HCA helped participating students advance their industry knowledge and real-world experience certainly has concrete metrics: Joined an over $500,000 equipment upgrade, ensuring [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":108,"featured_media":12417,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_markets":0,"wds_primary_product-areas":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[54,55],"tags":[],"markets":[464,399,400,402,404],"product-brands":[],"product-areas":[422,387,424,42],"industries":[],"class_list":["post-12559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","category-news","markets-automotive","markets-automotive-and-transportation","markets-building-and-construction","markets-energy-oil-and-gas","markets-wire-and-cable","product-areas-advanced-rubber-compounding","product-areas-corporate","product-areas-high-performance-compounding","product-areas-rubber-compounding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hexpol.com\/rubber\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12559","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hexpol.com\/rubber\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hexpol.com\/rubber\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hexpol.com\/rubber\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/108"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hexpol.com\/rubber\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12559"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.hexpol.com\/rubber\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12559\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hexpol.com\/rubber\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12417"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hexpol.com\/rubber\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hexpol.com\/rubber\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hexpol.com\/rubber\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12559"},{"taxonomy":"markets","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hexpol.com\/rubber\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/markets?post=12559"},{"taxonomy":"product-brands","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hexpol.com\/rubber\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product-brands?post=12559"},{"taxonomy":"product-areas","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hexpol.com\/rubber\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product-areas?post=12559"},{"taxonomy":"industries","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hexpol.com\/rubber\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/industries?post=12559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}