As ExxonMobil’s Joliet refinery turns 50, generational employees share their devotion to the plant

Jeannie Wheeler Myers of Channahon was a teacher 20 years ago when her dream job opened up – a math teacher at her children’s school.

ExxonMobil Joliet Refinery also offered Myers a position. Myers had worked as a contractor there, she said.

Because Myers couldn’t decide, she went to the hospital to ask her father, Dominic Boetto, a cancer patient, for advice.

Myers said Boetto blindsided Myers by saying, “Take ExxonMobil. You have to think of your family and the security of your kids.” Those were the last words he spoke to her, she said.

She said those words “saved my life in more ways than one.” Several years later, Myers became a single mother of five children, and ExxonMobil gave her financial independence, she said.

“I’d never made that kind of money before in my life,” Myers said.

The Joliet refinery recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. Myers said when she started at the refinery in its human resources department during its 30th anniversary year, 300 of its original 600 employees were still there, perhaps because of the refinery’s “family spirit,” she said.

“They had a lot of events that included the family: picnics and outings and dinners,” Myers said. “So the wives got to know each other, the kids got to know each other. … the family at home sees what a great place Dad or Mom works at and they themselves see it as a viable career – and, in fact, it is.”

Brianne “Bri” Smith of Plainfield, a reliability supervisor at the Joliet refinery and a 20-year employee, said she met her husband, Mike Smith, the refinery’s fire chief and a 25-year employee, at the refinery.

Mike’s father was one of the original employees and worked at the refinery until “2000 or 2001,” she said.

Bri said her father worked at the Joliet refinery in the 1970s through 1990; her mother worked there in the 1970s until Bri was born; and Bri’s stepfather “came through here” in the early 1980s.

Bris’ father and stepfather were mechanical engineers and she studied engineering in college because she loved math, she said.

The Joliet refinery offers “great pay, great opportunities,” so it “makes sense” why the company attracts multiple family members, including spouses, Bri said.

“We keep a similar schedule, so we ride to work together and have lunch together when it works out,” Bri said of her and Mike. “And when you’re working in the same place, you understand what the other person goes through during the day and you really share stories about the same people. So it’s good. We both like it.”

Spencer Crist of Coal City, a machinery supervisor, started working at the Joliet refinery in 2008. His great-grandfather Raymond, known as Max, was hired by Socony Vacuum Oil and spent his entire career in Kansas working for the pipeline company, Crist said.

Crist’s grandfather Larry worked all over the world, including Saudi Arabia, for the 23 years he was with the company. Crist said Larry lived across the street from the terminal when he was stationed in Patoka.

“My grandfather turned the valve on to send the first crude oil to the Joliet refinery,” Crist said.

Crist’s father, Kevin, worked at the Wilmington refinery for 32 years, Crist said.

Crist said people without a formal education can succeed at ExxonMobil because of its many opportunities.

“The sky’s the limit with them,” Crist said. “The harder I work, the more benefits I get.”

“I’ll call mom” became a buzzword other employees in the control room picked up when Enrique Arias of Joliet started working at the Joliet refinery almost 13 years ago, where his brother Art Arias Sr., now 53, of Diamond already was working.

Enrique, formerly a carpenter and floor installer, said he and Art Sr. worked together in the same department for a year. And when Art Sr. rode Enrique a little too much – and Enrique ran out of comebacks – he resorted to, “I’ll call mom.”

Still, Enrique had applied to Joliet refinery because he wanted stability and security – just like Art Sr. had.

“I figured I’d take a chance and it worked out,” Enrique, now a regional projects process representative, said.

Art Sr., who started at the Joliet refinery in January 1992, and now is a process superintendent, said the refinery provided stability income and good benefits for his family (Art Sr. has five children) as well as shared memories due to all the family activities the refinery hosted through the years.

“I feel comfortable there,” Art. Sr. said. “They have always taken care of my family and it’s a good place to work. They offer great benefits, stability and a friendly work environment.”

Art Arias Jr., 23, of Diamond started at the Joliet refinery three years ago after working there as a contractor. Art. Jr., a process technician, said one benefit of working with family is that he sometimes “gets a free meal out of it. “And it was easy to make friends, he said.

“Once I got out here, it felt right,” Art Jr. said. “It was a good fit.”

The Joliet refinery also was a good fit for Pete Wheeler of Channahon, Myers’ son. Wheeler said he needed a job in 2008 but, because “the economy wasn’t doing well,” and that Myers suggested contract work just “to get my foot in the door.”

Wheeler also took process operations class at Joliet Junior College and then worked at a small “mom and pop” plant until he was laid off. He then took more college classes and gained experience at other plants before landing at ExxonMobil in 2018.

“So that was my path,” Wheeler said. “It was a long one, but I would do it over again if I had to.”

Wheeler said his “drive” to get into ExxonMobil was its fantastic retirement benefits. So Wheeler didn’t mind the swing shift, holidays, weekends and working outside in various weather conditions, he said.

“In my opinion, the journey to get there was worth it,” Wheeler said. “It really was.”

Bob Hammack of Plainfield, Wheeler’s uncle, worked at ExxonMobil for 37 years, volunteered for one of its fire departments and has returned three times for consignment work, Hammock said.

Hammock said his father worked for the company for 39 years and his grandfather worked for the company for 40 years, so “I guess it’s in our blood,” Hammack said.

Hammack said his father was transferred from Michigan to Joliet “when the new refinery was built” and told him to “come on down and get a job.” So Hammock did and said he, at age 25, was in the first group to run the boilers, cooling tower and air supplies for the operational group to start, which was exciting and scary.

“It’s dangerous work,” Hammack said. “But it’s a very good living and you come out pretty well if you participate in their stock plans.”