Michael W. Borders, P.E., is supervisor for Plant Engineering—Control Systems at Eastman Chemical Co. (www.eastman.com), in Kingsport, Tenn. Eastman Chemical, which was founded in 1920 to supply photographic chemicals to Eastman Kodak and became an independent company in 1994, manufactures and markets more than 1,200 chemicals, fibers and plastics products. With 2002 annual sales revenue of $5.3 billion, Eastman Chemical has approximately 15,800 employees and manufacturing sites in 17 different countries.
Borders joined the Control Systems group, which is part of Eastman’s Worldwide Operations Support Services organization, in 1988. During his tenure, he has worked on automation projects ranging from the smallest programmable controller applications to large, multi-year, distributed control system projects, and projects for Eastman locations in the U.S. as well as several international sites. Borders has a degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee.
Francisco J. Campa is director of engineering at The Dixie Group (www.thedixiegroup.com), in Calhoun, Ga., a leading manufacturer of floor coverings. The Dixie Group, with 2002 sales revenue of just over $500 million, is the fifth-largest U.S. manufacturer of carpets, and includes Bretlin, Candlewick Yarns, Carriage Carpets, Fabrica and Masland companies and brands.
Campa’s experience in manufacturing processes, quality systems and continuous improvement has been used to set up full-scale process control systems, including instrumentation, networking and integration. He has also spent a lot of his time upgrading old and manual equipment by applying the latest technologies to improve operation and performance. Campa holds mechanical and electrical engineering degrees from the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, in Monterrey Mexico.
Larry O’Brien, research director, has been part of the automation consulting team at ARC Advisory Group (www.arcweb.com), since 1993. ARC, located in Dedham, Mass, is a research and advisory company for users and suppliers in the manufacturing industries. O’Brien is currently responsible for tracking the Process Automation Systems (PAS) market. He has authored market research, strategy, and custom research reports on topics including instrumentation, process fieldbus, collaborative partnerships and total automation market trends.
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