Carus: Celebrating a Century

A look at Carus’ past, present and future

Celebrating a CenturyJuly 2015

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2 July 2015 | Carus: Celebrating a Century | A NewsTribune publication

1-815-223-4058 • LaSalle, IL

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www.valleyfabinc.com www.osrsinc.com

CONGRATULATIONSON YOUR

YEAR ANNIVERSARY100TH

www.machmaintenance.com

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A NewsTribune publication | Carus: Celebrating a Century | July 2015 3publication

Carus: Celebrating a Century

426 Second StreetLa Salle, Illinois 61301

(815) 223-3200 (800) 892-6452www.newstrib.com

PublisherJoyce McCullough

Editor Danielle Saletzki

Vice-President, Sales & Marketing

Scott Stavrakas

WritersTom CollinsJeff Dankert

Kegan Pakula

PhotographersScott Anderson

Kegan Pakula

DesignerDanielle Saletzki

Chances are good you’ve seen the bold, bronze letters of CARUS over the entrance to the brick office building across from the old Westclox plant in Peru. You’re most likely aware of the manufacturing facility tucked behind the historic Hegeler Carus Mansion in La Salle. If you’ve raised children in the last 20 years, they probably learned a thing or two about science from a Carus-sponsored camp or chemistry demonstration, and

if you have family in the area, it’s a safe bet someone you are related to has worked for Carus Corporation at some point. But what else do you know about this century-old company that’s been a major employer in the Illinois Valley for generations?

Did you know that within Carus’ La Salle facility chemists are researching innovative new ways to clean up polluted land, treat water to make it safe for drinking,

and remove toxins from the air? Did you know that the products made locally by your friends, relatives, and neighbors who work for Carus are shipped all over the world to be used in rescue masks, municipal water systems, and in industries as diverse as electronics, mining, and fashion? Did you know that Carus has seven locations in the United States and Europe, and employs roughly 400 people?

What Carus does for customers can most easily be summed up with the company’s vision statement: Bringing together customers, employees, and specialty chemistries to create innovative solutions. The following pages will give you an inside look at Carus’ role in the Illinois Valley, its hundred-year history, and at the ways the company is shaping its next hundred years.

Carus Corporation turns 100How much do you know about the company that’s called your community home for the last century?

Contents4 Carus’ History7 Inside the Carus Laboratory10 Back in time12 Carus Products Have some Unexpected Uses14 Distinguished service17 tuition Assistance is Just the Beginning21 A Century of Change, Innovation, and Improvement

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1915-2015Founded 100 years ago in

La Salle, Carus is the world leader in permanganate, manganese, oxidation, catalyst, and blended phosphate technologies. Thousands of cities use Carus products to provide clean drinking water to residents. Carus has enjoyed a century of growth and success right here in the Illinois Valley. Here’s an overview of Carus’ first 100 years:

1915 - Two years before the U.S. enters World War I, the price of European imports has begun to soar. The U.S. experiences a shortage of potassium permanganate. Twenty-five-year-old Edward Hegeler Carus, a mathematics professor, comes home to La Salle to find a solution. Carus creates a makeshift laboratory in an old barn behind his family’s home in La Salle, the Hegeler-Carus Mansion, and begins developing a

process for the manufacture of potassium permanganate.

1920s - In the aftermath of World War I, potassium permanganate prices drop, forcing all U.S. producers out of business. Of the more than 20 shuttered U.S. manufacturers, Carus is the only one to eventually reopen its doors. Carus invests in new, more efficient technology. By 1923, the company is back in business.

1930s - In the mid-1930s, Carus builds a new plant

for the manufacture of two growing product lines: manganese sulfate, and hydroquinone. Carus was the first company to provide large quantities of manganese sulfate to Florida for use in fertilizer for the state’s sandy soil. This fueled a boom in Florida’s agricultural industry. Hydroquinone is a chemical used for developing photos, which Carus manufactured until the late-seventies.

1940s - World War II

1950s

New technology installed in the 1950s drastically improved Carus’ manufacturing process.

1960s

CAIROX® (originally spelled Carox) was the first product Carus promoted at trade shows.

Dr. Edward Hegeler Carus Corporation, founder of Carus Corporation

Dr. Carus built his potassium permanganate plant behind his family’s home, the Hegeler-Carus Mansion.

1910s

1930s

One of Carus’ earliest products, Manganese Sulfate helped to build Florida’s agricultural boom.

1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s

1940s

Carus’ manufacturing facility in La Salle, as it looked in the 1940s

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Happy Anniversary Carus

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A NewsTribune publication | Carus: Celebrating a Century | July 2015 5

spikes demand for potassium permanganate, used in nylon production at the time. Carus expands its facility and operates around the clock. For its wartime efforts, Carus becomes one of the first companies to be offered the Army-Navy E Award. Carus respectfully declines the recognition, avoiding publicity and possible threat of sabotage.

1950s -Dr. Edward Hegeler

Carus gives management responsibilities to his sons, Blouke and Paul. Blouke leads a significant plant modernization, and after ten years, Carus has patented technological advances that position the company as a world leader in potassium permanganate production. By 1961, a batch of potassium permanganate, which had taken a week to produce in 1951, was produced in 12

hours. Carus intensifies its marketing and researches new product uses. The company develops the potassium permanganate method for water treatment, and introduces it to cities throughout the U.S.

1960s - Carus grows to become the world’s largest producer of potassium permanganate. Production capacity is at an all-time high. Carus creates the brand

name CAIROX®, increases its sales and marketing staff, and strengthens its position in diverse markets like metal descaling, air purification, and beeswax bleaching.

1970s-Carus offers new environmental solutions and new services to identify and meet customer needs. New solutions include air scrubbing technology. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Safe Drinking

1990s

Carus’ remediation products appear purple as they get rid of dangerous toxins in soil.

1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s

1970s

Carus’ researchers developed new environmental solutions throughout the 1970s.

1980s

Carus’ DENOX potassium permanganate was used to create stone washed jeans in the 1980s and 1990s.

2000s

Three generations of leadership: Dr. Edward Hegeler Carus, Blouke Carus, Inga Carus

2010s

Scott Hoge, Vice President of Global Operations, and Ralph Moshage, Corporate Engineering Manager, accept the 2014 Governor’s Sustainability Award.

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PDC Laboratoriesis proud to have supported

Carus for over 30 years.

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2999 St. Vincent Ave. • La Salle, IL 61301PH: 815-223-9800 • www.jbcontracting.com

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR 100TH ANNIVERSARY

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Water Act are established. Carus helps industries and communities meet new regulations.

1980s - Carus completes a major plant expansion. One year later, a global recession and the loss of Carus’ largest customer give Carus the opportunity to demonstrate its resilience. With research and innovation, Carus emerges with new solutions for wastewater treatment, air purification, and the electronics industry. Carus also enters the fashion industry, developing a product used by designers to create the iconic stone washed denim look.

1990s -Carus enters the soil remediation market with technology that treats chlorinated ethenes (carcinogens found in degreasers and dry cleaning solvents), cleaning polluted land so it is once again safe for use.

2000s- Carus acquires the potassium permanganate business of Industrial Química del Nalón (IQN) of Oviedo, Spain. The focus of the newly-formed European

subsidiary is to grow Carus’ international market reach. Inga Carus, formerly European Sales Manager for Carus Corporation, becomes President and CEO in 2005, representing the third generation of the Carus family to lead the company.

2010s- Carus completes its two largest acquisitions to date: Alexander Chemical in Indiana, and Sierra Chemical in California and Nevada, which manufacture and distribute products for municipal, agricultural, mining, and industrial uses.

Carus is nationally recognized for excellence in community service as the 2010 recipient of the National Association of Manufacturers’ Sandy Trowbridge Award. The company also reduces energy use at its largest manufacturing facility twenty-eight percent in five years, becoming a four-time recipient of the Responsible Care® Energy Efficiency Award, and a 2014 recipient of the Governor’s Sustainability Award. P.O. Box 290, Earl, NC 28038

Ph 704-482-0003 Fax 704-482-0633

Congratulations to Carus!

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Congratul

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Carus Corpo

ration!

Celebratin

g 100 yea

rs of

communit

y commitment

and

great ch

emistry!

Gail Borde

n & Team

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Dr. Pamela Dugan, Market Program Manager for Carus, travels often. Most recently she was in Kentucky, performing product trials at a coal-mining site. The mining process creates wastewater that must be treated for heavy metal contamination before re-entering the water cycle, and Dugan is one of several Carus employees working with miners to develop the most effective solution. Her trip is an extension of work that began in La Salle, inside Carus’ research laboratory.

“We’re very excited about our newest technology, which provides a much-needed solution for metal removal at mining sites located in remote areas. The mines are tough to get to, but the mine water must still be treated. Our customers appreciate that we develop new products to help them solve some of their toughest problems,” said Dugan.

Carus’ La Salle laboratory has a long history, not unlike the company itself, and has held many of the secrets to Carus’ century of success. In the company’s earliest days, Carus’ research centered around finding innovative ways to improve the manufacturing process. Carus’ ability to produce better product faster

Inside the Carus Laboratory

In the 1960s, Carus intensified its product research, leading to advances in water treatment, soil remediation, and air purification. Today in Carus' laboratory, innovators use specialty chemistries to create solutions for customers around the world, and young scientists gain experience and knowledge from a century of expertise.

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and more efficiently than the competition was the reason it survived the years following WWI, when European exports of potassium permanganate put all other U.S. manufacturers of the product out of business.

In the 1960s, Carus chemists shifted their focus to explore new ways to

meet customer needs. In the decades that followed, Carus developed new ways to treat contaminated water and clean polluted air and soil. Researchers developed solutions for the electronics industry, and even came up with a product that helped fashion designers create the iconic stone-washed denim of

the late 1980s. Today, Carus’ laboratory staff remains dedicated to ensuring the highest product quality, and using specialty chemistries to create innovative solutions for customers around the world.

Preparing for the next 100 years

Another key to Carus’ longevity is found in the young people Carus invites into the lab to learn about what goes on there.

“The most vital resource we can develop in our labs is the next generation of talent that will continue this important work,” said Marie Marcenac, Carus’ Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Business Development.

On any given day in Carus’ labs you may find interns performing tests, school groups taking tours, or new hires learning the business from experienced mentors.

“We look forward to seeing new and returning interns arrive each summer. They apply their learning and enthusiasm to new product development, engineering

projects, or literature study. They are challenged to apply their skills to real life business opportunities. The experience leads some to return as full-time Carus employees,” said Dan Hartsough, Carus’ Product Development Manager.

Katie Hoffert is a shining example of young talent finding opportunities to learn at Carus. The 20-year-old Biology and Biochemistry major at Mount Mercy University is completing an internship at Carus this summer. Hoffert, a native of Hollowayville, IL, is the winner of Carus’ Centennial Scholarship contest, which called on students across the country to propose new ways of using specialty chemistries to create innovative environmental solutions.

“Katie’s proposal was highly creative and clearly demonstrated an innovative, well-thought-out solution to the emerging issue of finding ways to remove pharmaceuticals from drinking water,” said John

Katie Hoffert of Hollowayville is Carus’ Centennial Scholarship winner. Hoffert won a paid internship, and a $10,000 scholarship.

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Thank you for being a good

corporate partner

Mayor Jeff Groveand

Council Members

1025 Peoria Street • Peru, Illinois 61354Phone 815-223-8808• Fax 815-220-3529

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Saluting Carus Corporation on 100 years

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Boll, Technical Service Manager at Carus.

Carus awarded Hoffert a paid internship and a $10,000 scholarship. She plans to attend medical school and eventually go into obstetrics and gynecology.

“My time here at Carus has been such a learning experience. I am doing experiments and using equipment that is all new

to me, so the amount of knowledge I take home every day is huge,” said Hoffert. “Carus has given me an opportunity to learn how to help people in different ways.”

Whether an intern’s

education leads to a career in medicine, or product development, Carus employees who mentor students say they’re just happy to have helped a young person pursue a career in science.

“That’s our goal whenever we interact with young people, whether it’s through school visits, internships, or plant tours. We want to see them get excited about science, because

careers in science provide so many opportunities to have a positive impact on the world,” said Sean Davenport, Technology Program Manager at Carus.

“The most vital resource we can develop in our labs is the next

generation of talent that will continue this important work.”

Marie Marcenac, Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Business Development.

Saint Bede Academy congratulatesCarus Corporation

on their 100th Anniversary.

Best wishes for continued success and innovation, developed from

a deeply rooted history and a commitment to our communities

Saint Bede Academy24 US Highway 6 • Peru, IL • 61354

www.st-bede.com

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We applaud youon 100 years

in the community!

4130 Plank Rd. • Peru, IL 61354www.lk-cs.com

Marketing | Design | Print | Mail | Web | Statements

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Back in timeCarus was featured in this News

Tribune article July 31, 1952. The piece references 1917 as the year Carus' first plant was built, but company founder, Dr. Edward Hegeler Carus, had begun manufacturing and selling product prior to 1917, primarily using makeshift equipment set up outdoors.

Best wishes for your continued success!

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Wishing you much successfor the next

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100 years ago, Carus began with a single product, potassium permanganate. Throughout the years Carus’ product lines have grown to include many innovative solutions and specialty chemistries. Still, potassium permanganate remains one of the most versatile. Marketed primarily for environmental uses like cleaning water, soil, and air, customers have found many uses for the “chameleon chemical.” Here are some of the ways potassium permanganate has been used in the last 100 years.

producing saccharin

coloring metal

disinfection

odor control

stain removal

bleaching beeswax

cellophane production

organic oxidation

treating metal surfaces, like those found on jet engine turbine blades, or metal wire

bleaching textiles and paper pulp

treating drinking water

treating wastewater

radioactivity scavenging

nylon production

zinc sulfate purification

starting backfires (to help control wildfires)

groundwater remediation

anthrax remediation

wood staining

For decades, Carus chemists have experimented in the company’s La Salle laboratory to discover and perfect new solutions using potassium permanganate. Several of the uses listed here were discovered outside of Carus’ labs, and were not promoted by Carus Corporation.

Potassium Permanganate uses

staining the coat of a mule or horse to change its color

giving jeans the “stone-washed” look

pharmaceuticals

used as a reagent in chemistry labs

manufacturing paint

Carus Products Have Some Unexpected Uses

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descaling screws/bolts

treating diseases in sea animals, such as turtles and fish

deodorizing and sanitizing chicken coups to remove bacteria,

agriculture

restoring the natural color of bleached antlers

cleaning aquariums

greensand activation

air purification

zinc purification

manufacturing electronic circuit boards (helps prepare the plastic for adhering copper connectors)

treat and prevent illness

removing heavy metals in water discharged from mines

preventing corrosion in pipes

creating heat for therapeutic purposes

treating hazardous waste

removing rust

used as an antifungal treatment

aging or antiquing props used in television and film

by giving them a brownish color

used in outdoor survival kits (for disinfection, starting fires, and creating distress signals in snow)

extending the life of fresh-cut flowers

A 1952 News Tribune article reported the following uses:making gas masks

preserving food

purifying carbon dioxide for soft drinks

army medical research

purifying gasses

used in the atomic project

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By Tom CollinsNEwSTRIBuNE SENIOR REPORTER

Have you ever noticed volunteers picking up litter at the Illinois and Michigan Canal in La Salle? Chances are they’re Carus employees taking part in Carus’ 19-year tradition of keeping the canal clean. Less visible to the public is the company’s 100-year tradition of continuous improvement, which has led to major conservation efforts at Carus’ La Salle manufacturing facility.

The century-old company sells products for removing pollution from water, air, and soil, and Carus’ focus on the environment goes far beyond its product lines.

“Carus' commitment to education and the environment drives our community outreach programs,” said Chairman and CEO Inga Carus.

To serve its neighbors in the Illinois Valley, Carus has partnered with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Cities of La Salle and Peru to offer free household hazardous waste collection and electronics recycling events.

Top left: Carus employee Ralph Moshage volunteers to direct traffic during a Carus-sponsored recycling event. Bottom left: Every year Carus honors a “Volunteer of the Year,” the employee who has devoted the most time to community service. Brian Smith, Michelle Brady, and Dr. Chithambaranthanu Pillai (left to right) are the most recent recipients of Carus’ “Volunteer of the Year” award.

Distinguished ServiceFrom volunteer work to daily operations, Carus’ commitment to

environmental excellence is evident in all that they do

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Best Wishes Carus Corp.

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Congratulations on 100 years and still going strong!

Congratulations on 100 years and still going strong!

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Such efforts have led to national recognition. In 2010, Carus received the National Association of Manufacturers’ Sandy Trowbridge Award, given each year to one company that best exemplifies the giving spirit of the manufacturing industry.

Carus has also received widespread recognition for green efforts within its plant walls. In the last six years, Carus has reduced energy use at its La Salle facility by 28%. The company began participating in the Department of Energy’s Save Energy Now LEADER program in 2009 and has achieved greater energy efficiency each year since.

In 2014, Carus received the Illinois Governor’s Sustainability Award. In a letter to Carus’ Corporate Engineering Manager Ralph Moshage, former Gov. Pat Quinn stated that Carus’ “commendable green practices serve as a model of environmental stewardship for residents, businesses, and

institutions throughout our state.”

“This achievement is the result of plant-wide efforts to operate in the most environmentally-friendly manner,” Moshage said. “The award reflects the hard work and diligence of every employee.”

The Governor’s Sustainability Award is given annually to Illinois organizations that demonstrate a commitment to environmental excellence through outstanding and innovative sustainability practices.

“Carus’ provides innovative environmental solutions to customers around the world. In staying true to our company’s vision, we are committed to operating responsibly and sustainably,” said Dave Kuzy, Carus’ president and chief operating officer. “To be recognized repeatedly by industry leaders for our environmental efforts is a great honor.”

The American Chemistry

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Council has also recognized Carus’ conservation achievements with the Responsible Care® Energy Efficiency Award each year since 2010. Twice, the company has landed on a short list of organizations also receiving exceptional merit

distinction. Both times, Carus was the only non-Fortune 500 company on the list.

In 2014, Carus was selected by the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) to participate in the center’s One Billion Gallon Water Challenge. Carus is recycling

non-contact cooling water used in its manufacturing process, allowing the company to cut its water use significantly. The goal of the ISTC challenge is to promote water conservation efforts by businesses, industries, communities, and the general

public. ISTC is supporting significant projects, such as Carus’, as models of the type of effort that will lead to the conservation of one billion gallons of water statewide. Carus’ project alone will save more than 60 million gallons of water each year.

This year Carus partnered with the Cities of La Salle and Peru to provide two e-cycling events where residents were able to recycle TVs, computers, and other old electronics.

Saluting Carus Corporationand their commitment to the Illinois Valley

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Carus’ commitment to education is a win for employees, their children, and many of your kids too!

At Carus, a typical year begins with school science fairs in need of judges. Teachers know a call to Carus can solve that problem. The company has professionals in chemistry and engineering willing to volunteer. Throughout the late winter and early spring,

Carus employees teach kids about business and career planning as Junior Achievement volunteers. Summer brings Carus’ Summer Science Camp for kids, the company’s internship program, and the Scientific Work Experience Program for Teachers (SWEPT). Fall is full of educational school visits, chemistry demonstrations, plant tours, and career fairs. And all throughout the year,

Carus helps employees put their kids through college with a unique employment benefit, the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).

Tuition AssistanceCarus has given more

than $3.8 million in tuition reimbursement to help students whose parents work for Carus graduate debt-free.

“Carus has been an extension of what our families wish they could do on their

own,” said Jonathon Lauf, son of Carus employee Shelley Corban, thanking Carus on behalf of all who have received assistance. “In a day and age when student loans are a burden for so many people, this help will allow us to better provide for our own kids and pay it forward. We will be feeling the benefit of this for years and years to come.”

Lauf is one of 263 students

tuition Assistance is just the beginning

Emillo Philippeau and Jack wallace draw a sample of water from a test tube at Peru Catholic School during Carus' 14th annual science camp. The free day camp is open to students entering the sixth grade. This year's campers were from LaMoille, La Salle, Ottawa, Peru, Spring Valley, Tonica and utica.

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who have gotten help from Carus since the company started its Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) in 1987. Carus also reimburses tuition for employees who pursue higher education, but employees say it’s the help made available to their kids that sets Carus apart.

“It’s unheard of really,” said Carus employee Tony Sparks,

whose son is enrolled in law school with tuition assistance from Carus. “For the company to maintain TAP as a crucial program, even through tough financial times, is amazing.”

Carus covers up to 60% of tuition expenses for TAP participants, and a partnership between Carus and Bradley University means that for

those students attending Bradley, the school waives the rest of the bill. Carus employee Ken Theisinger has three sons, and all three graduated from Bradley under the program. His son Clay is now Director of Teaching and Learning at La Salle-Peru Township High School.

“Someone’s educational goals and dreams should never be blocked by a fiscal barrier. Thank you to Carus for removing that barrier so that my brothers and I can pursue our dreams,” said Clay at a recent reception held by Carus to honor TAP scholars, and celebrate the dreams they are all pursuing.

Sparking an early interest in science

Thousands of students in the Illinois Valley and surrounding areas see the fun side of science each year thanks to Carus volunteers and Carus-sponsored

programs.School visits bring

chemistry demonstrations to auditoriums full of middle-school students each year as Carus takes part in the American Chemical Society’s National Chemistry Week. As many as 40 Carus volunteers take part annually, often turning “Chemistry Week” into “Chemistry Month” and reaching more than 2,000 middle-school students throughout the Illinois Valley area.

Going beyond the classroom “You better get ready for

some massive science fun!” Ask La Salle 6th-grader Jack Wallace what he would tell a friend thinking of signing up for Carus’ Summer Science camp, and this is his answer. He finishes with a rating, “ten out of ten stars!”

Wallace, and twenty-six other campers, spent a week of their summer break

Left: At a TAP reception this spring, Jonathon Lauf thanks Carus' Chairman Emeritus, Blouke Carus, for the tuition assistance Carus Corporation has provided, while his mother, Shelley Corban, looks on. Right: Longtime Carus employee Tony Sparks poses with his son Daniel and wife Leslie. Daniel received tuition assistance from Carus while pursuing his Bachelor's degree. He begins law school in the fall.

Congratulations Caruson your

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conducting experiments and participating in demonstrations at Carus’ 2015 Science Camp. The free camp began in 2000, and has grown to include roughly 30 campers each year, six school teachers Carus hires as instructors, and about 25 student “Lab Rats,”

former campers who volunteer to assist camp director Don Loebach.

“This camp is what got me interested in science,” said Olivia Ferarri, who is studying forensic serology at Illinois Valley Community College, with plans to transfer to

Loyola University. Science camp typically takes

place in June, and is open to students who will enter the 6th grade in the fall.

Getting teachers involvedEvery teacher is asked

the question, “why do we have to learn this?” at least

once. Carus’ Scientific Work Experience Program for Teachers (SWEPT) aims to help teachers answer that question with real-world experience.

By providing teachers employment opportunities at its La Salle and Peru

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Tim Postula, Carus' Midwest Regional Sales Manager, discusses different water samples during the 14th annual Carus Science Camp held at Peru Catholic School.

Carus employee Dan Atorthy and Mendota Student Aaron Garza test the properties of liquid nitrogen during a 2014 Carus chemistry demonstration.

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CONGRATULATIONS CARUS ON YOUR 100TH

YEAR ANNIVERSARY. BEST WISHES FOR

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facilities, Carus allows them to see science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) at work in a business environment, and to interact with professionals in STEM careers.

“SWEPT has given me the chance to consider the needs of my students in an entirely different way,” said Erin Laurence, one of Carus’ 2014 SWEPT Teachers. “Thinking about education as a way to prepare future workers helps to evolve the learning process in the classroom. Without participating in this program, my experience was limited to the classroom. Now, I am much more aware of the needs of the 21st century workforce.”

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Michel Keeling, 11 of La Salle (right), leaps on a 2 liter bottle of soda as he launches a rocket while his friends, Patrick Harmon, 11, of utica, and Maclane Rinearson, 11, of Ottawa, watch in the parking lot of Peru Catholic School.

The City of Peru Salutes

City ClerkDave Bartley

MayorScott Harl

City TreasurerGary Hylla

1st Ward AldermenTony Ferrari Becky Mueller

2nd Ward AldermenMike Radtke Tom Payton

3rd Ward AldermenMike Sapienza Dave Waldorf

4th Ward AldermenJim Lukosus Dave Pottho�

®

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12 Gunia Drive • LaSalle, IL 61301 • www.fi cekelectric.com • 815-223-2775

FICEK ELECTRIC & COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, INC.

BEST WISHES & CONGRATULATIONSON YOUR100TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY Full Service Electrical & Low VoltageContractor Specializing in Datacom, Telephony, Security &Information Technology Services.

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Carus 715.indd 20 7/8/15 10:25 AM


By Jeff DankertNEwSTRIBuNE REPORTER

What began in a barn has evolved over 100 years to become a modern-day manufacturing plant.

Carus manufactures chemicals that aid in cleaning water, air, and soil. For example, Carus products can be found in protective respirator masks.

It began as the United States entered World War I. The U.S. experienced a shortage of potassium permanganate, used in pharmaceuticals, saccharin and pigment. Edward Hegeler Carus, a 25-year-old mathematics professor, left teaching and made a laboratory in a barn behind his family’s home in La Salle. Carus developed a process to manufacture potassium permanganate. By 1918 he had a new office, a new laboratory, a new building. Constant improvements in Carus’ manufacturing process allowed the company to survive after the war, when all US competitors went out of business.

The plant today operates in the same location where Dr. Carus first made potassium permanganate, behind the Hegeler Carus Mansion in La Salle. Ken Pisarczyk, Blouke Carus Fellow and Vice President of Carus Technologies, has worked at the plant 43 years, and has seen many changes.

“Our manufacturing has become participative, where the operators are all there to make decisions and not just follow a rote recipe,” Pisarczyk said. “We’re using more statistical controls and using more developed process control technology than we ever have the past.”

There is more automation of

A Century of ChAnge, InnovAtIon, And Improvement

Carus has spent the last 100 years finding more sustainable ways to produce product. In 1951, the company demolished its old smokestack. Now the manufacturing process uses hot water and creates steam instead of smoke.

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controls, he said.“The engineering group has

been constantly working on that,” he said.

This falls to Ralph Moshage, Corporate Engineering Manager, who has worked at Carus for 19 years. He also worked as an engineering intern during high school and college.

“When I came back there were three different control rooms in the permanganate plant,” Moshage said. “All the

walls were full of switches, lights and timers and recorders, everything had to be turned on and off.”

In the late 1990s-early 2000s, Carus engineers began upgrading.

“We put in programmable logic controllers, PLCs, used to control the process,” Moshage said.

This made it easier to troubleshoot problems. What might have taken days now

takes just a few hours, he said.Operators communicate

with the manufacturing process via a desktop computer, he said.

“The other thing we did, we increased the amount of information available to run the plant more efficiently.”

Over the past five to six years, electricity needed to make permanganate has been cut by more than 25 percent, Moshage said. “The whole

idea is to make the plant more efficient, more reliable and to use less raw material.”

Increasingly, manufacturers are focusing on sustainability to stay competitive. Customers are beginning to demand proof of sustainable operations.

“You’re seeing a lot more concerns about sustainability, on being more environmentally responsible, much more so than we ever have in the past,” Pisarczyk said.

CongratulationsCarus Corporation

on 100 yearsin the community.

300 Walnut Drive, Peru815-223-7904ivymca.com 32

3848

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Saluting Carus on theirCentennial Milestone

SPECIALTY FABRICATIONS, INC.TANK TRAILER REPAIR SERVICE

STAINLESS STEEL - ALUM. - MILD STEEL - EDIBLES

(N & I-90, EXIST 147)2716 HIGHWAY N - SOOUTH, RT. 1

COTTAGE GROVE, WISCONSIN 53527www.sfi tanks.com

(608) 873-6293323840

Congratulations on

100 Years

From your friends at

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We salute your longstanding commitment to success.Congratulations Carus!

Zion United Church of Christ

6th and Grant Streets, Peru, Illinois

Involved in the Community Since 1852 32

3849

Congratulationson 100 years!

It truly is somethingto be proud of.

Mendota, Illinois

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Carus 715.indd 22 7/8/15 10:25 AM


As Quality Control Manager at Carus, Lori Setchell’s job is to work with her team to ensure customers consistently receive top-quality products. In her 30 years at Carus, she has spent a good deal of time sharing her workspace with young people interested in science careers, guiding students who tour Carus’ laboratory, and mentoring interns.

“Education is important and encouraged at Carus, and it is one of the most important messages we share,” Setchell said. Over the years, Setchell has been pleased to see a growing number of girls take an interest in chemistry and engineering, career fields that have historically been male-dominated.

“Encouraging young women to be engineers or scientists is a passion of mine,” said Setchell, who is proud to work for a company that provides so many opportunities, and role models, for young women as well as young men.

“At Carus, when I started thirty years ago, women were working in the laboratory and even on the manufacturing floor,” Setchell said. “Looking around Carus, professional women are present in all areas, finance, manufacturing, quality, customer service, human resources, and sales and marketing.”

“Carus is unique in both the chemical and manufacturing industries, having a woman Chairman and CEO and a number of women in key positions throughout the organization,” said Carus’ Chief Financial Officer, Susan Buchanan. “I believe women at Carus bring a strong sense of commitment, leadership, drive, depth of experience, diversity and talent.”

Lori Setchell, Quality Control Manager at Carus, leads students on a tour of Carus’ laboratory. Setchell says inspiring young people to pursue careers in science is one of the most rewarding parts of her work at Carus.

ALL PHONES: 773.737.9200

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Come Celebrate with Us!Carus Corporation Holiday Open House

In celebration of our centennial year

Friday, December 11, 20155pm-8pm

Carus Headquarters315 5th Street, Peru

Donations will bene� t the Illinois Valley Youth Choir!

Featuring performances by the

Illinois Valley Youth Choir!

Free milk and cookie bar!

Beautiful holiday decorations in an historic building!

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Carus: Celebrating a Century

Business

Transcript of Carus: Celebrating a Century