At the Octane National Symposium, held in Indianapolis in late-April 2024, Monument Chemical brought together key players together for once-of-a-lifetime experience.
From April 22 to 24, over one hundred industry experts and technicians flew in from all over the country to swap stories and gain insight into the future of octane fuels. Monument’s Indianapolis Octane National Symposium created an intersection for proven experience and fresh perspectives to give attendees a valuable look into emerging industry trends — and how we’re taking full advantage. And true to Monument fashion, we took the conference experience to another level, hosting it at the Heritage Center with a truly one-of-a-kind tour at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“As a leader in the Octane space, it was our goal to bring together key players in our industry to share best practices on the nuances of Octane measurement,” Indresh Mathur, Director of Innovation and Customer Solutions at Monument, explained. “In addition, we shared our expanded capabilities and investments in the renewable fuels business, particularly in the racing industry, as well as how we leverage decades of history and experience through Haltermann Solutions to support our customers in all the areas they need. This Symposium is just one of many ways we’re raising the bar.”
After a night of networking and introductions, the first day of the three-day event included technical sessions and panel discussions, featuring business leaders from Sunoco, Marathon, ExxonMobil, Argonne Laboratory, and more, as well as several members of the Octane measurement and racing community.
“Our speakers were thoughtfully chosen to facilitate the most effective transfer of knowledge across the industry,” Sarves Peri, VP, Business Leader Monument Renewables and Fuels, shared. “There are a lot of highly experienced leaders entering retirement, so we wanted to give their expertise a platform to educate the young people in our field who are shaping the landscape and designing the future of Octane and Cetane measurement.”
“Following the conference, participants were eager to share positive feedback with the Monument team,” Indresh added.
“Monument did a great job coordinating the event and keeping all the attendees engaged with the presentations, while creating a relaxed, open atmosphere where we could all share insights and stories about our experiences in testing fuels,” Zachary Santner, Manager, Product Engineering and Business Optimization at Sunoco Performance Products, shared. “Building my network of resources for octane testing gave me a lot of confidence in continuing to find parts and service for our old equipment — which is extremely valuable for Sunoco and me personally in navigating any issues my team might encounter related to the knock engines.”
That afternoon, a bus took all attendees to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a special access tour led by the head of track operations. Working closely with Milestone, everyone was able not only to get exclusive access to the track itself, but also to see and learn all about a real pace car first-hand.
“I feel like Monument went above and beyond any expectation that anyone had,” Stacy Perry, Refining Analytical & Development’s Quality Programs Compliance Specialist, Marathon. “The tour of the raceway was a once in a lifetime experience for me. But my favorite part of the experience was meeting individuals who have been in the business for many years. Hearing their experience and life lessons is an invaluable practice that provides benefits to everyone. I learned more in the two days of this symposium than I have learned in the ten years I have been in the refining industry.”
Day two featured a highly technical agenda in collaboration with the Joint Regional Octane Group Meeting. Sessions were tailored specifically to these members, while all other attendees had the opportunity to tour The Heritage Lab, as employees shared the history of our research, as well as our current and emerging capabilities in renewable fuels.
“The Center was an amazing venue,” Stacy added. “I got a chance to walk around the woodland trails and fell in love with the creative world they have created!”
From one-of-a-kind tours to invaluable networking and knowledge sharing, Monument is extremely proud of the success of our first Octane Symposium. We’re grateful for our collaboration with CFR Engines Inc., the regional groups, our sponsors, and all the participants in coming together to share valuable perspectives and insights.
“Our role as an industry leader goes far beyond buying and selling Octane and Cetane reference fuels,” Sarves explained. “It’s our responsibility to understand the big picture, how the industry environment is changing, how that impacts our customers’ needs, and how we respond with solutions. And we then share that information with our partners and even our competitors. That’s what being a leader is all about, and we’re very excited about what the future has in store.”
“I’m honored to step into this role and deeply grateful for the trust placed in me,” said Sarves. “Monument has a strong foundation rooted in technical expertise, commercial excellence, and a commitment to customer partnership. I look forward to working closely with our teams and our customers as we build on that strength – accelerating growth, advancing innovation, and doing it all with the reliability and integrity our partners expect from us.”