NLGI Interviews Mr. Joseph P. Kaperick Senior R&D Advisor for Greases Afton Chemical Corporation, Richmond, VA By Mary Moon and Raj Shah “Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?” “To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.” “The dog did nothing in the night-time.” “That was the curious incident,” remarked Sherlock Holmes. ―Sherlock Holmes, The Silver Blaze by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle In June of this year, NLGI President Joe Kaperick passed his gavel to Jim Hunt, Tiarco Chemical (Dalton, GA). Like the protagonist in the classic detective stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Joe enjoys solving problems, whether in the Boardroom or in the grease lab, and he is always eager to test a hypothesis or try out a new approach by looking at data from a different angle. To unravel the mysteries of Joe’s activities at the heart of NLGI, read on!
fluids. Grease was a relatively small part of that portfolio, but my supervisor’s strategy was to put more resources into the lower volume, higher value Industrial area. He designated a group of staff to focus on additives for Industrial fluids including greases. Then, we realized the market potential of this segment and the value that Afton could bring to the table. NLGI: Were you interested in science when you were in college?
JPK: Yes and no. I’ve always been a science nerd and really started to enjoy chemistry in high school. But I ‘ve also enjoyed a wide range of subjects in the Arts. Thanks to carrying over some college credits from high school and extended undergraduate studies, I earned undergraduate degrees in Chemistry, Fine Arts, and Classical Humanities, all from St. Louis University (St. Louis, MO). Then, I actually ended up with a Masters degree in Analytical Chemistry.
Career and Education NLGI: How long have you worked in the grease industry? JPK: I started working actively in the grease industry in 1999 when I accepted a Customer Technical Service position at Afton Chemical (Richmond, VA). At the time, my focus was broad – I was responsible for automatic transmission, automotive gear, and industrial
Joe and Liong Kee Lang at the Afton China Technology Centre in Suzhou
- 58 NLGI Spokesman | VOLUME 84, NUMBER 3 | July/August 2020
