Primed for Success: The Story of Scientific Design Company

Peter Spitz has spent his entire career in the chemical and energy industries. Holding a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from MIT, he has worked for a large oil company, for a petrochemical research and engineering company, and as a consultant to the global chemical industry. Peter has a broad background in areas ranging from R&D and process development to corporate strategy and financial analysis. He was the founder and president of a respected international consulting firm, Chem Systems Inc., which was acquired by IBM in 1998. Peter is the author of two books, “Petrochemicals. The Rise of an Industry”, and “The Chemical Industry at the Millennium”. He has written numerous articles on industry trends and is one of the founders of the Chemical Heritage Foundation in Philadelphia. He has been a keynote speaker at important industry meetings and is an early founder and overseer of the Chemical Heritage Foundation (now Science History Institute).

• The global industry is poised for change.- Fuels and Chemicals Research help win World War II.- Three entrepreneurs join forces.- Conditions are perfect: A new industry grows rapidly.- Scientific Design becomes successful.- The big breakthrough: Mid Century Process.- More inventions: Nylon intermediates, Isoprene, Propylene Oxide.- Other firms: A period of breakthrough inventions.- The leading engineering firm for petrochemicals.- Oxirane and the formation of Halcon International.- A reach too far.- An Ending.- Epilogue.