Turnaround at BP Chemicals; performance and relationships are key

BP Chemicals has undergone a dramatic turnaround in 1997 from its performance in the early 1990s. There are less than half the employees compared to 1990, and capacity has been reduced by approximately 1.75 mt/year through selling or closing plants. New investments in Asia and expansion in the US and Europe have replaced the lost tonnage. Plans include $1 billion in improvements at the Grangemouth, UK cracker site.