Leave it to a guy who once had a career in motor sports to know how to keep things humming in a business. That’s Matt Marshall, currently Vice President of Purchasing and Sales at Lone Star Chemical.

In an earlier life, Matt was a mechanic for Joe Gibbs Racing. His highlight there? The year they won the Indianapolis drag race.

And maybe it feels a little slower-paced to be in the plastics world, but Matt stays pretty revved up running the purchasing and sales divisions at this fast-growing enterprise.

On the purchasing side, he oversees the buying of raw material from resin producers. That’s a relatively small world, as the primary producers are the major oil companies. Lone Star works with anywhere from eight to 12 of these at a time, with some main sources being Exxon-Mobil, Total Petrochemicals, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips.

“The key there is just knowing the markets, and knowing when to buy and when not to buy,” Matt says. “Then it’s knowing what products work best for your customers.”

In his 16 years with the company, he’s enjoyed watching it grow. On the sales side, he sees himself as a facilitator, supporting the sales team in developing new opportunities and servicing existing accounts.

“I especially enjoy working for a small ‘family’ company, where decisions can be made quickly and customer service is a true priority,” he says.

As for his away-from-work life, Matt enjoys hunting (“deer, mainly, and birds”) and martial arts.

Matt and his wife Kate, who have been married 19 years, live in Argyle, Texas, and they have two sons. Beau is a freshman at the University of Arkansas, majoring in business, and Blaine is a freshman at Argyle High School.