Top of the Chain with Alix Glodich

VICE PRESIDENT, RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT STANDARD PAINTS, INC. | WOOD DEFENDER

Holding to an internal standard of excellence, Alix Glodich excels in the fields of math and science. She is vice president of research and development at Standard Paints, Inc. | Wood Defender in Mansfield, Texas, immersed in the world of chemistry, coatings, applications and formulas. Read her story and learn how the pandemic brought her a new perspective on her career, and her advice for other women in the fence industry.

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES?

My department, research and development, is responsible for new product development, existing product support, raw material sourcing and implementation, safety and compliance, and quality control. We test all production batches to ensure that they meet current standards for color and performance.

Once the batches are made to our standards, we’re responsible for SDS (Safety Data Sheet) authoring and management, compliance, reporting, permitting, and chemical training. A large part of my job also involves testing raw material offsets to stay ahead of supply chain shortages and price hikes. In addition to identifying quality raw materials, we prioritize testing safer, greener options.

WHAT WAS YOUR CAREER PATH PRIOR TO STANDARD PAINTS?

Following a lifelong passion for math and science, I pursued a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and a master’s degree in polymers and coatings chemistry at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Cal Poly is unique in that it’s one of the only universities to offer a graduate program for coatings chemistry. For my master’s thesis, I studied polyurethane-graphene nanocomposites as potential binders for anticorrosive coatings.

My first job was at Dunn Edwards Paints, an architectural coatings company headquartered in Los Angeles, California. I worked as a product development chemist and developed a waterborne direct-to-metal paint.

In 2017, I moved to Fort Worth, Texas, and started working for Kelly-Moore Paints, which is another architectural coatings company. At Kelly-Moore, I was a group leader for the research lab. My team specialized in developing and testing specialty coatings, finding raw material offsets, and investigating customer complaints.

WHAT LED YOU TO STANDARD PAINTS?

When the pandemic started, I was at a different company. Things became increasingly difficult for many people around the country. Like many others, those of us in the coatings industry were worried about getting laid off. We didn’t know if lockdowns would affect manufacturing or if people would continue to buy coatings during the pandemic. Our lives and our livelihoods hung in the balance. That brought things into perspective for me. I realized I needed to work in an environment where people are prioritized and valued for more than the services they provide. I have also found that rigid bureaucracy can inhibit innovation. Coatings development, which is a science, is also an art. You need space to be creative.

As soon as I stepped in the door at Standard Paints for my interview, I knew it would be home. Everyone is down-to-earth and humble, as well as open-minded and happy to share in the responsibility for the wellbeing of the company and its team members. I found my home at Standard Paints in 2022.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WORKING IN A PRIMARILY MALEDOMINATED INDUSTRY?

Standard Paints maintains a balanced ratio of men to women in the workplace, so I wouldn’t say that my experience has been particularly male dominated. However, there are certainly more men than women on the contractor side of the industry.

It’s always important to consider how bias impacts our experience in the workplace and beyond, whether it surrounds gender or other inherent or even learned traits. I always try to look at people as individuals and treat them as such.

WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU BRING TO YOUR JOB?

I love solving problems, and thoroughly enjoy researching solutions. I have a good organizational system and can tackle multiple projects at once. I take pride in tailoring my management style to each individual member of my team to motivate and encourage each person.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT MORE WOMEN NOW WORKING IN THE FENCE INDUSTRY?

I am excited that more women are joining the fence industry. It is an innovative industry full of amazing people. It is very beneficial for companies to have employees with a wide range of lived experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. Having different perspectives on the team ensures that we can create products for a broad spectrum of customers.

Alix demonstrates how to use the lab’s automatic flash point tester.

WAS THERE A PARTICULAR TEACHER OR ACTIVITY THAT SPARKED YOUR LOVE OF MATH AND SCIENCE?

My parents encouraged me to be inquisitive from a very young age. My favorite toy was a snap circuit set. Throughout my childhood I participated in extracurricular academic programs from Johns Hopkins CTY, Institute for Educational Advancement, and Mathletes.

When I was in middle school, I went to a science summer camp with a teacher named Mr. Shargel. We built hovercrafts, blew stuff up, dissected frogs, and launched eggs off a balcony in custom-designed parachutes. I honestly think anyone would love science after going to that camp. A good teacher makes all the difference!

WHAT IS SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR JOB THAT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT FIND SURPRISING?

Most people underestimate the complexity of coatings formulations. You have a variety of different materials that are often inherently incompatible with one another, mixed together in a formula. Some of the ingredients are dissolved, and some are merely suspended, susceptible to gravity and other forces.

As a formulator, you must be aware of stability, application, and long-term performance. Changing one small ingredient can be massively detrimental to the performance of other ingredients in the formula. Often, coatings labs get mischaracterized as primarily color formulation labs, but that’s only a small part of coatings research and development.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ON YOUR OFF-TIME, AWAY FROM WORK?

I’m still very involved with Cal Poly and conduct mock interviews for graduating seniors so they are better prepared when they enter the job market. I also tutor high school and college students in math, chemistry, and physics.

To unwind, I play video games. From time to time, I attend music festivals with my husband. I also love animals. We have three dogs and two cats: there’s never a dull moment in our house!

Standard Paints research and development team pictured in the lab. From left to right are Andy Bare, quality control manager; Alix Glodich, vice president of research and development; and Taiwo Olaoye, junior chemist.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE A YOUNGER WOMAN STARTING HER CAREER IN THIS INDUSTRY?

Every person faces unique challenges throughout life. Discrimination and bias can be difficult to overcome. Instead of focusing on potential barriers, focus on shattering negative biases and expectations by doing the absolute best job you can.

If that doesn’t work, shift your priorities to finding a workplace more in line with your values. You have a choice about where you work. When people are consumed by the feeling that they are perceived as inadequate, it can wreak havoc on their careers.

I don’t want to be judged or valued based on characteristics that are out of my control. I don’t want to be an amazing scientist for a woman. I want to be an amazing scientist. I’m fortunate to have found an employer that recognizes my accomplishments, values the expertise that I bring, and appreciates me for the person I am.

Learn more at wooddefender.com.

Taiwo Olaoye tests the colors of a batch next to the color standard.