Empire Builder

	A.P. "Dutch" Beutel led Dow's Texas Division from 1940-1961.

After World War II ended, A.P. "Dutch" Beutel, the man who had made Dow's Texas Division into a remarkable success, put in a request for a company airplane. Dow's Board of Directors asked why. Beutel replied that it took him three days to go from Freeport to Midland, Michigan by train. "And I want to get here before I forget what I'm mad about."
And at that time Beutel was known for two things - getting the job done and getting after people when it wasn't. Soon after the discussion the Board approved his purchase of a twin-engine plane.

Beutel had developed a reputation as a hard-driving manager who hated "yes" men and excuses long before Dow brought him to Texas. He wanted results and he was going to get them.

"People would tremble at his name," said Earl Barnes, who worked for Beutel and later succeeded him in Texas in 1961. "He was very feisty, and he would really chew people out. But he was always loyal to his people."

David Rooke, who also worked for Beutel, becoming general manager of the Texas Division in 1968, said the man could push thousands to achieve through intimidation and charisma.

"It was a roller coaster ride every day. He was a nuclear reactor that was always on the verge of going critical. His drive, his motivation was so tremendous. Beutel could be as smooth, as sophisticated and charming as any individual you have ever seen, and he could be the meanest supervisor you have ever seen."

Beutel started with Dow in 1921, and by 1932 had worked his way up to assistant general manager of the company, working closely with general manager Willard Dow. By that time Beutel was being sent all over the country to trouble-shoot Dow plants or build new ones, which he usually did in record time.

In the late 1930s, Dow knew to increase its magnesium production it was going to have to get out of Michigan and start looking at the Gulf Coast. So in 1938 Beutel and Willard Dow drove from New Orleans to Brownsville looking for potential plant sites. Dow eventually bought 800 acres next to Freeport Harbor in March 1940.

Beutel and his men went to work immediately building a chlorine plant, the magnesium plant, a power house and five boilers. Less than a year later all were operating. "These were the days of boots and mud," said Beutel. "I never went to work without my boots on, and I was dirty all the time."

	A. P. "Dutch" Beutel was able to get many Dow plants built in Texas.

And he was building plants all the time. By the beginning of 1943, Beutel had overseen the construction of six plants at Plant A and two at Plant B, while also getting Camp Chemical built and scouting locations for a new city to house employees.

Dow's Texas Division continued to grow at an unbelievable pace into the next decade and soon became known as Beutel's Empire - at least inside Dow's Michigan offices - because of his ability to get most new plants sited in Freeport. Dow Canada leaders would often joke that if they didn't watch themselves Beutel would make them a part of the Texas Division.

The success of the Freeport site might have rubbed some people the wrong way, but many understood that Texas had two advantages over other locations - raw materials and Dutch Beutel.

"Dutch knew how to talk to (then Dow President) Willard (Dow) and get away with it," said a colleague of both men. "But he always backed his arguments with facts and figures, and when he asked for a plant he could show where he could produce a product cheaper than anyone else. So Willard let Dutch run his own show pretty much in his own way."

Beutel was named director of the company in 1948, but remained over the Texas Division until 1961 when he was called back to Midland to organize a governmental affairs department. After 21 years under his direction, the Freeport site had grown to more than 3,000 acres and become the largest basic chemical facility in the world. He was also well-known in the Brazosport area for spearheading charitable efforts and helping to start many civic organizations.

Beutel retired from Dow in 1971 becoming director emeritus. He died in late 1972, two weeks after his 80th birthday. In 55 years with Dow, Beutel had left a permanent mark on the company and on southern Brazoria County.

After working for and alongside him for a number of years, Rooke said he was finally able to see Beutel's philosophy on work and achievement that drove the man so hard to succeed. Rooke guessed it was something like the following:

"Every day, I must prove to The Dow Chemical Company that they made the right decision to hire me to work today. I've got to earn what they're paying me. I can never have the attitude that I did this wonderful thing last year, so therefore I can coast. What did you do today? What are you going to do tomorrow?"