Cri-Sil's Stevens has learned a thing or two in his silicone life

BIDDEFORD, Maine—With nearly a half century of experience in silicones, Mark Stevens has learned a few things.

About compounding and about life.

And he's here to tell you things do not always work out as planned. But that's OK. It's even good.

"I've been in the silicone rubber business for more than half of my life. And if anyone had asked me what I wanted to do with my life up until I was offered a job in a silicone factory, I would have said, 'No thanks, it sounds pretty dull to me,' " Stevens said as a keynote speaker in the recent virtual International Silicone Conference, organized by Rubber & Plastics News.

"In truth, I had my whole life planned since I was about 8 years old. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a military pilot. And after that, I wanted to fly for the major airlines. That was the plan, anyway," he said during his virtual presentation.

"What I found, in fact, is life is a series of doors. Some open, some close and not always when you want them to. And not always the door you might have wanted," he said.

Stevens did join the military, flying helicopters during the Vietnam War, and later worked as a pilot for an airline. His life plan was on track, but that changed after being laid off from the airline and in need of work. That's where silicone comes in as he landed his first job in the industry.

What first was just a job ended up being a career with plenty of stops at different silicone companies. He honed his skills and made plenty of friends along the way. Those experiences ultimately allowed Stevens to help create Cri-Sil Silicone Technologies L.L.C. in Biddeford more than a quarter century ago. As CEO of Cri-Sil, Stevens was asked to look back on his time in the industry and share some life lessons he has learned along the way as part of the keynote address.

"Success comes differently to all of us," he said. Some measure success by what they accomplish in the business world. Others by how much time they can spend with family and friends.

"I'm guessing by now you are scratching your heads and you are asking yourselves what the hell does this have to do with silicone? Truthfully, absolutely nothing. And that's the point. This is a journey and we all have one. This is my journey. It's a journey of learning, making mistakes, adapting, making changes and being flexible," Stevens said.

The CEO, back in the day, joined the National Guard to continue scratching that flying itch while he built a career in silicones. He eventually flew fixed-wing aircraft in Iraq. "Folks, I can honestly say it's been one hell of a ride, and a lot of fun over the last 46 years of working, learning and playing in this wonderful business," he recalled.

Stevens peppered his talk with a series of life lessons he learned in business along the way. They include hiring good people and letting them do their jobs without micromanaging or negative mentoring. Integrity also must be a cornerstone as a reputation is easy to lose and much harder to restore, he said.

Those who succeed in business also do not try to fix what is not broken just to try to make their mark. "It's costly. It wastes time and it's done usually when you can least afford it," he said.

Stevens, who was shown the door at one of his jobs, said it is also important to realize when the time has come to move on. "If you think it's time to go and do something different, it probably is," he said.

The CEO recalls being difficult for his boss to manage at one point and rightfully let go. But he left on good terms and later ended up working for the same company as an independent sales representative. "Don't burn your bridges, you never know who will call one day and offer you an opportunity," he said.

These lessons were not always easy to learn. But they all had a positive impact, Stevens said.

"Now have fun. Go learn your own life lessons and don't piss off the boss," he said.