Listen to This Episode with Bob Tauchen Here:
Navigating growth, leadership, and innovation in polyurethanes, Robert (Bob) Tauchen, VP of Polyurethanes at the Coim Group, joins Victoria Meyer for an expert look at how the industry is adapting to shifting markets and new technologies. Bob explains Coim’s global strategy as a family-owned Italian company investing deeply in the US, first in New Jersey, and now expanding to Texas to address the evolving needs of North American customers.
Victoria and Bob discuss the realities of growth expectations post-COVID, why long-term vision is essential in the chemical industry, and how relationships, trust, and reliability drive success in the US market. They also explore how leadership styles are changing with new generations, the stressors facing today’s teams, and why building context and motivation is more important than ever.
Key topics this week include:
- Global Expansion: How Coim’s strategy balances investment, logistics, and customer proximity in the US
- Industry Recovery: The impact of COVID-era growth spikes and how to reset realistic performance goals
- US Market Dynamics: Why trust, reliability, and local presence matter more than price
- Leadership Today: Managing across generations, keeping teams engaged, and adapting to new expectations
- AI in Chemicals: Where AI brings value, why implementation is complex, and the need for thoughtful investment
Killer Quote: “The short-term growth addiction that I see, people make bad decisions….. we got addicted to this COVID profit margin return to significant growth.” — Bob Tauken
Other links:
Polyurethanes Technical Conference (CPI): Learn more and register for the upcoming event in Orlando here.
Watch This Episode on YouTube Here:
Beyond Price: Building Competitive Advantage with Bob Tauchen of Coim
In this episode of The Chemical Show, host Victoria Meyer sat down with Bob Tauchen, VP of Polyurethanes at the Coim Group, to discuss shifting industry dynamics, what “good growth” actually means, the reality of AI in chemicals, and how strong leadership is evolving as people and workplaces change. Drawing from Bob’s broad experience, and a candid leadership perspective, this conversation highlights what’s really shaping the future for chemical companies and professionals navigating change.
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A Global Journey Rooted in Polyurethanes
Bob’s career began with a chemical engineering degree and early stints in technical service, research, and then sales. But it’s at Coim, a family-owned, global Italian business, that he found the opportunity to lead teams and business units across a range of end-use markets, all routed in polyurethane technology. Coim’s expansion into the U.S., from its New Jersey base to a soon-to-be-operational Texas site, illustrates a thoughtful approach to positioning assets where customers and demographics are growing.
Coim USA Production Facility
What makes Coim unique isn’t just its global reach, but a deep commitment to serving local markets: 95% of regional product is produced locally, supporting efficient logistics and resilience for US, Canada, and Mexico customers.
What “Good Growth” Really Means
Victoria and Bob tackled a pressing question: how should the chemical industry think about growth post-pandemic? Many companies, Bob argues, got “addicted” to the extraordinary margins and demand spikes of 2021-2022, a period that he says created “unrealistic expectations” about what the market should look like.
Long-term vision, not short-term fixes, he believes, is the way forward. Bob credits Coim’s ownership with keeping a steady focus on 5-to-10-year trends instead of chasing temporary highs, a discipline that provides the strategic patience to weather market valleys and invest in the future.
This perspective is rooted in pragmatism. Pursuing growth-for-growth’s-sake leads to quick, sometimes damaging decisions. True advantage will come from reshaping offerings and building resilience, not just chasing volume.
The Realities of Competing in the US Chemical Market
While outsiders might see the US as an “easy” market, Bob is quick to set the record straight. Earning business in the US goes beyond good pricing; it’s about being reliable, building trust, and delivering on commitments over time. Switching suppliers rarely happens just for a deal. Instead, sustaining partnerships requires investment in technology, responsive service, and understanding customer needs.
The US may have tailwinds like energy independence and population growth, but it remains a challenge, requiring deep local presence, credibility, and operational excellence.
Leading Teams Through Change and Uncertainty
Leadership in chemicals, Bob notes, has changed dramatically in recent years as generational shifts and work expectations evolve. Managers must adapt, whether that means meeting baby boomers in partnership, “pivoting to the why” for younger employees, or handling motivation and accountability differently across the board.
Providing clear context, explaining not just what to do, but why it matters, is essential to keeping teams engaged, especially in an environment where stress is high and inspiration is running low. For Bob, using humor and fostering flexibility around work-life balance (without forcing “mandatory fun”) is part of building trust and maintaining motivation.
And as hybrid and remote work become the norm, the challenge for leaders is to foster connection and shared purpose without depending on old models of after-hours camaraderie. Younger workers, Bob notes, are also more willing to voice their opinions and push back, which ultimately strengthens teams if managed well.
AI: Opportunity or Overhyped in Chemicals?
With buzz around AI everywhere, chemicals present a unique challenge: unlike tech firms with homogenous workforces, chemical companies require technology that supports a huge range of roles, from production to logistics to R&D.
Bob is clear: AI isn’t about replacement but enabling people to work smarter. Yet integrating AI means training it just like a new hire, which is an investment not everyone is ready for. While AI may shape productivity in areas like supply chain and production, he remains skeptical about its creative potential in product development at this stage.
Leadership Advice for the Next Generation
Closing the conversation, Bob offered advice for aspiring leaders. Take opportunities to manage people seriously, from investing in their growth to finding your own leadership style. Building trust, learning how to motivate, and being open to risk and relocation can unlock career growth. Don’t negotiate away your opportunities by insisting on perfect conditions, but take the long view, invest in people, and always focus on how you can add real value.
As the chemical industry shifts, the ability to adapt, rooted in long-term vision, trust, and people-first leadership, will define tomorrow’s winners. Whether grappling with AI’s role, changing workforce expectations, or the true meaning of growth, leaders like Bob Tauchen remind us that progress in chemicals is built on strong relationships, credible delivery, and courageous, adaptive leadership.
About Robert Tauchen:
Robert Tauchen, VP of Polyurethanes
Robert Tauchen is a chemical engineer and MBA‑trained business leader with a career rooted in product development, commercial strategy, and specialty materials. After earning his chemical engineering degree from Virginia Tech, he began at Evonik in technical service and product development before completing his MBA at Duke and moving into sales and marketing with Momentive. Robert is now VP of Polyurethanes at Coim Group, where he’s known for his people‑first leadership and passion for innovation.