By KEVIN CHIRI

Editor and Publisher

GARYVILLE – Anyone who even might think that Marathon Oil Plant Manager Rich Bedell didn’t pay his dues to become the head of the largest industrial employer in St. John needs only look at the resume to change your mind.

For that matter, Bedell came and went from Marathon four different times for different positions before moving up to the top refinery manager job.

Bedell has worked virtually every field in the oil processing business on his way to becoming plant manager for Marathon, a position he took in 2001, and now holds as the refinery begins the biggest expansion project in United States history.

Bedell grew up in Houston, around plenty of oil and gas companies, and attended Lehigh University in Pennsylvania where he obtained his engineer degree. He later added a masters in petroleum chemistry.

While some people might wonder just what the draw to being an engineer is, Bedell talks about it with the same enthusiasm a ball player talks about pitching the seventh game of the World Series.

&#8220My dad was an engineer and I always liked science in school,” he said. &#8220And I find it very interesting since being an engineer is all about solving problems, and that’s what I get to do.”

Bedell started in the chemical industry, and worked at several different mills before finally deciding to go into the petroleum business.

He was originally hired at Marathon in 1979 as an entry level process engineer, then was moved to Houston where he worked in crude oil trading.

&#8220It’s more important than a lot of people realize because the price a company buys their crude oil at is what ultimately plays a big part in how much gasoline will cost for the consumer,” he added.

He went back to the refinery at Texas City, then moved to Marathon for a second stop in 1988 as a products control manager. From there, he went to Detroit as operations manager, then to Marathon for the third time as operations manager, then technical manager in 1990.

A trip back to Texas City in 1995 moved him to his first refinery manager position and he stayed in that role in Texas for six years before taking a similar position at the Robinson, Ill. plant. Finally in 2001 the company moved him to Marathon for his fourth visit, taking over as refinery manager late that year.

Bedell said he likes the responsibility of being over so many phases of a large plant like Marathon, although he never originally set his sights on being a refinery manager.

&#8220It was never what I thought about doing,” he said. &#8220But after I held so many supervisory positions over different aspects of the business, I was in a position to take this.”

The toughest thing he faces at Marathon is the fact that it is a 24-hour-a-day operation, meaning the potential problems never rest.

&#8220I start my day meeting with my department heads to review the operation of the plant, then usually spend the rest of the day troubleshooting problems,” he noted. &#8220But I find it very rewarding.”

Now heading up the $3.3 billion expansion at Marathon, Bedell seems to take it all in stride.

&#8220It’s what guys like me work to get a chance to do,” he said, not acting the least bit intimidated by the huge project. &#8220It’s like the World Series.”