Purposeful Leadership: Transforming BASF Operations in Sparta, TN

Wisconsinite and chemical engineer, Andy Schmitt, is the manager of BASF’s site in Sparta, Tennessee, making sure operations run smoothly and efficiently and keeping 120 employees safe and happy.

Driven by his love of math, science and chemistry, as well as the influence of his father, a math and science teacher, Andrew “Andy” Schmitt, chose to pursue a career in chemical engineering.

After over a decade of experience in manufacturing and operations, Andy joined BASF 12 years ago. For the past seven, he has led the site in Sparta, Tennessee. Learn more about the challenges he has faced, the improvements he’s made and his leadership style below.
 

A connection between site and community

The Sparta, Tennessee site supports the BASF Performance Materials business, and produces engineered plastics, which as Andy explains, includes plastic parts in the car, “whether that's engine components, oil pans, electrical connectors, or even center consoles,” as well as in industrial tools, such as drills.

As Site Manager, Andy is responsible for smooth operations in Sparta. This involves not only adhering to safety regulations and fostering a strong safety culture but also ensuring that production is carried out properly and on time while meeting quality standards.

Additionally, he leads the site’s community relations efforts and engages with key local stakeholders and institutions. This includes the Mayor of Sparta, various local organizations, and Tennessee Tech University, where he chairs the Chemical Engineering Board of Advisors. “To me, it's about getting out there, making sure that BASF is a visible presence in the community and really being a partner while also giving back and being a good partner and helping Sparta grow. Having strong community relations is going to help BASF be a strong business,” Andy reflected.

The makings of a successful transformation

A major aspect of Andy’s job as site leader is driving profitability, which requires setting a team-first vision and engaging everyone at the site. "The biggest part of setting a vision for the site is getting buy-in from the team, from everybody that needs to contribute to that. It’s also about making sure that all the employees have bought into that vision. How do you convey that message? Everybody wants to be on a winning team, so we want to send the message of ‘this is how we're going to win; this is how we're going to get to where we want to be’," he explains.

During his tenure, the Sparta site has:

• increased production levels by over 15%, by removing production bottlenecks and optimizing production rates.
• reduced waste to landfill by over 50% by taking better advantage of raw materials, exploring alternative streams to reincorporate into production and expanding the recycling program.
• achieved 1.5 million hours without a recordable incident and 2 million hours without a lost time injury (LTI)*, which amounts to six years without a recordable incident and eight since the last LTI in 2017.

Sustainability is also an important aspect of his job, and has influenced many decisions and actions taken in Sparta, such as improving the onsite recycling program or replacing old lighting with energy-efficient LEDs. The focus on sustainability is not only aimed at being environmentally responsible, but it also contributes to the overall efficiency at the site, which also leads to greater employee comfort and increased productivity levels.

To enhance the work environment on the plant floor, Andy and his team have incorporated other improvements, such as digitization and automation. The site now utilizes robots to assemble the boxes that are used to package the finished product, a task that was previously performed by operators which can have an ergonomic impact. The team also introduced auto-guided vehicles to move materials from the packaging line to the warehouse racking system. These changes simplify processes and allow operators to focus on more value-added tasks.

“We're all out for the same thing. We're all out to drive the profitability of the site and make the Sparta site successful,” Andy explained.

Insights from a seasoned leader

Today, with over 25 years of experience in manufacturing, Andy reflects on his early days in the industry and admits that he was uncertain about what the future held for him then. “Coming out of school, I didn’t think I was going to end up where I am right now. It's one of those things that happened over time, and it evolved to the position I'm in. I look at all of the roles I've had in the manufacturing world, in supply chain and procurement, continuous improvement, even product management, and this feels like a natural progression,” he said.

He recognizes the importance of being open to opportunities and challenges, even those that might not necessarily have aligned with his original expectations or career path, and encourages new graduates entering the industry to adopt the same mindset.

Andy’s leadership journey has involved managing teams at various levels, and because of these experiences, he believes that to lead effectively, a manager has to understand the people on the team. “Go out, talk to people, understand them not just from a work standpoint, but the person behind the employee. We spend more time at work than we do at home sometimes, and the reality is, it can't all be work. We need to get to know each other and understand what drives and motivates them. That’s how you’ll be successful in your leadership role,” he recommends.

*Lost time injury (LTI) are individual occurrences of injury in the workplace which results in the employee having to take a minimum of one full working day away from work. 

 

Published on August 4, 2025, by Mariana Licio.

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