ABS Consulting Recognizes Ashland for Project Excellence in Mechanical Integrity and Reliability

Collaborative project implements ABS Consulting’s global framework for mechanical integrity for piping inspections at Ashland plants

(Houston) – ABSG Consulting Inc. (ABS Consulting), a global leader in safety, risk and asset integrity management, honored Ashland Inc., a global additives and specialty ingredients company, with the Project Excellence designation for their collaborative efforts to enhance mechanical integrity and reliability. The recognition was announced at the 2025 Spring Meeting and 21st Global Congress on Process Safety (GCPS) in Dallas, TX.

The Project Excellence designation highlights the success of a pilot project at an Ashland New Jersey manufacturing facility, where ABS Consulting’s leadership and systematic, seven-step approach helped Ashland proactively address critical mechanical integrity challenges. This initiative reduces risk and downtime with a scalable framework for mechanical integrity.

Driving Operational Excellence
Through its collaboration with ABS Consulting, Ashland implemented a data-driven strategy to identify damage mechanisms, develop targeted inspection plans and enhance asset reliability. The pilot project addressed key challenges, while ensuring compliance, operational efficiency and safety.

“This recognition underscores ABS Consulting’s commitment to enabling our clients to operate safely, reliably and efficiently,” said Joseph Kelly, Vice President, Engineering, at ABS Consulting. “By combining Ashland’s vision with ABS Consulting’s technical expertise, we’ve set a new benchmark for mechanical integrity in the chemical processing industry.”

On site at GCPS to present the award to Ashland was Javier Castro, Director, Business Development for Oil, Gas and Chemical Sector at ABS Consulting.

A Scalable Global Framework
The success of the pilot project has paved the way for a phased rollout of the program across Ashland’s global sites. By standardizing mechanical integrity practices and leveraging ABS Consulting’s global expertise, Ashland is achieving consistency, reducing risk and optimizing maintenance strategies.

“This initiative was about more than compliance—it was about ensuring the safety of our operations, the reliability of our assets and our responsibility to the communities in which we operate,” said Ray Vermillion, Asset Integrity Engineer for Ashland. “ABS Consulting’s leadership and systematic approach have been instrumental in helping us achieve these goals.”

About ABS Consulting

ABSG Consulting Inc. (ABS Consulting) is part of ABS Group of Companies, Inc. (www.abs-group.com), a global leader in safety and risk management for critical infrastructure worldwide and a subsidiary of ABS (www.eagle.org), one of the world's leading marine and offshore classification societies. With over 50 years of risk management and safety experience, ABS Consulting provides engineering, data science and management consulting services globally to help our clients manage their safety, security and operational risks. Headquartered in Spring, Texas, ABS Consulting operates with more than 700 professionals across the globe serving the marine and offshore, oil, gas and chemical, government, power and energy, and industrial sectors.

About Ashland

Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) is a global additives and specialty ingredients company with a conscious and proactive mindset for environmental, social and governance (ESG). The company serves customers in a wide range of consumer and industrial markets, including architectural coatings, construction, energy, food and beverage, personal care and pharmaceutical. Approximately 3,200 passionate, tenacious solvers thrive on developing practical, innovative and elegant solutions to complex problems for customers in more than 100 countries. Visit ashland.com and ashland.com/ESG to learn more.