Troublemaking is often a favorite pastime for many youngsters at some point in their childhoods. Briahn Artigues, on the other hand, discovered her love of troubleshooting at a young age and turned it into a successful career as an Operations Trainer at ASR Group’s Domino Sugar refinery in Chalmette, Louisiana. 

Artigues, who grew up in Chalmette, spent much of her childhood helping her uncle fix things around the family’s home located down the street from the refinery. 

“He would always talk me through each problem because he wanted me to find the root cause,” she said. “Thanks to him, I have known from a young age that I am good at problem solving.” 

The sugar refinery is a way of life for St. Bernard parish residents, according to Artigues. 

“It was not uncommon to be around people who worked for Domino,” she said. “Sugarcane is a staple of our parish, and I actually had a small bundle of sugarcane growing in my backyard.”

After graduating from high school, Artigues completed a local Process Technology (PTEC) program.

“Once I received my degree, I worked in the oil and gas field. After the covid pandemic, I was lucky enough to land a position as a Powder Mill Operator here at Domino,” she said. “During that time I was able to work on effective communication and leadership skills and showcase my problem-solving abilities to our Packaging Management Team.” 

Artigues then accepted a position as Packaging Supervisor and spent a year in that role. 

“At that point, the company decided to heavily invest in training and hired an Operations Trainer for each department,” she said. “I applied for this position which oversees the packaging department since I was familiar with this area and its employees. This is now my current role with the company.” 

On any given workday, Artigues can be found collecting data and making new content to improve the refinery’s training program. 

“I am also out in the field interacting with subject matter experts of packaging equipment to create content to pass on to our new employees,” said Artigues. “This includes creating training videos, work instructions, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), modules, and skills matrix that help us track new trainee progress.” 

Maintaining knowledge and making it available to new employees is a top priority for Artigues and ASR Group. 

“We have many employees who have been here for over 30 years. As they enter retirement, our mission is to not let their extensive knowledge retire with them,” Artigues said. “It is important for us as Operation Trainers to capture all the knowledge of our veteran employees and put them into living documents to pass on to the newest group of employees.”

Creating and administering a training program that enables employees to not only fully grasp their roles but also excel is the most rewarding part of Artigues’ job.

“It gives us such a great feeling. Knowing we play a role in an employee’s success makes it all worth it,” she said. “This directly contributes to helping our industry grow and making ASR the most admired sweetener company in the world.”

About the Author

Laura Rutherford graduated from the University of North Dakota in 2004 with a degree in Political Science. She is a shareholder in American Crystal Sugar Company and a member of the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association (RRVSGA), the World Association of Beet and Cane Growers (WABCG), and the American Society of Sugarbeet Technologists. She is on the Board of Directors of the Sugar Industry Biotechnology Council and has published articles for the WABCG, the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association newsletter, and the British Sugarbeet Review magazine in Cambs, United Kingdom.