BASF’s Jerry Lebold: Finding skilled workers is a tough but solvable problem

BASF Senior Vice President Jerry Lebold discusses equipment readings with Utilities Operator David Gass. Photo by Don Kadair

One thing Jerry Lebold, BASF senior vice president, has learned over the years is the importance of having the right team with the right skills and talents, reports 10/12 Industry Report in its latest issue.

That’s particularly important now, given the wave of retirements impacting the industry. “There’s a lot of knowledge that gets lost when someone who has worked for 30 or 40 years retires,” Lebold says. “Our challenge is knowledge retention and getting new team members to learn from that.”

Another hurdle—a cultural preference for four-year college degrees over manufacturing careers. Read more about Lebold’s “Toughest Challenge.”