ILTA Member Feature: Adam Miller, Flint Hills Resources
Adam Miller, Area Operations Manager, Texas Refined Products System for Flint Hills Resources, got his start in the terminal industry after spending four years in the military after college. Miller found a job at a petrochemical company as a reliability engineer—a role that eventually led him to pursue a project manager position within Flint Hills Resources (known at the time as Koch Pipeline).
“I transitioned from the project manager role to various leadership roles, such as maintenance manager, operations supervisor and operations manager,” Miller said. “These leadership roles gave me my first experiences with the terminal industry. The best part of my job is helping my team enhance their capabilities and reach their full potential. It brings me a lot of fulfillment to see them succeed.”
Over the course of his career, Miller has seen the level of automation employed in the industry increase, which he says in turn has created opportunities for individuals to develop a new skillset to work and interact with these new technologies.
“Societal and regulatory expectations have also increased over time, driving technological transformation and innovation at the terminals,” Miller explained, predicting some of the changes the industry may see over the next several years to decades. “Over the next five to 10 years, I think the trend I mentioned before on increased automation, greater expectations from a regulatory and societal perspective may continue. The technology will help enable facilities to run more efficiently and have fewer manual processes.
“The liquid terminals industry may also be utilized more for renewables and possible petrochemicals as the industry continues to evolve.”
Miller knows firsthand the kind of opportunities provided by pursuing a career in the liquid terminals industry and encourages others to do the same.
“The liquid terminal industry can provide you with a meaningful career that is both challenging and rewarding. You will be able to work on complex problems, interact with high tech equipment and work for a company that provides materials that society needs to run daily,” Miller said. “Liquid terminal companies are also well positioned to handle demands of the future and will provide you with a stable career going forward. You will be able to learn skills and develop capabilities that can be transitioned into various career fields, setting yourself up for future challenges as your career progresses.”
For those early in their careers, Miller recommends staying curious and looking for ways to get involved so you can learn and improve your skills.
“There are a multitude of areas to learn from in this industry, and the more you can be involved, the more you will learn,” he said. “Begin building your professional network in the industry, which can be invaluable as you encounter challenges as you progress in your career.”
Being involved with ILTA is an ideal way to do just that.
“My favorite part of being involved with ILTA is interacting with others in the industry and learning from them to help improve my and my team’s performance,” said Miller, who participated this past year with the ILTA Professional Development Committee, attended ILTA’s conference and trade show, and will be presenting at TOPS in December.
In his spare time, you’ll often find Miller enjoying camping with his family and spending time outdoors.