Justin Grumski of the Performance Materials Segment will be visiting the automotive trade show in Detroit for the fifth time this April. Along with colleagues from other business units, he will be looking after Evonik’s stand at the show. For the three days of the SAE he will be present at the stand, talking to visitors and describing the exhibits.

Grumski, who joined Evonik six years ago, previously studied plastics engineering at Pennsylvania State University and then worked for Bayer. But despite his wealth of expertise he says: “I spend the weeks before the SAE immersing myself once again in the relevant topics, so as to be well prepared for absolutely all of the questions put by visitors to our stand.” The level of background knowledge of the visitors varies: Students are generally not yet well acquainted with the materials, while others are experts in the field. Grumski finds it particularly stimulating to exchange views with the experts. “Trade shows like the SAE offer the opportunity to network. It’s fun getting to know lots of people and convincing potential customers of the merits of our products,” he says.

But there’s more to it than the technical preparation, as he explains with a grin: “The right choice of shoe is extremely important. We’re standing a lot, and if our shoes pinch that’s a real problem and the three days can feel like a year.”