The opening of the Covia Innovation Center (CIC) in Concord, North Carolina is the latest example of Covia’s dedication to smart, sustainable solutions. This space serves as a hub where research, technical expertise, and customer partnerships intersect. While the CIC’s state-of-the-art technology and purpose-built design supports these endeavors, real solutions start with real people working side by side. We’d like you to meet four of the people who embody innovation as a mindset and bring a distinct blend of technical expertise, curiosity, and heart to the CIC.
Steve Schilling: Designing a Lab Around People, Safety, and Speed
Director of Technology & Application Development
It takes a lot of careful planning, attention to detail, and expertise to design a 20,000-square-foot facility. Thankfully, Steve Schilling and his team were up to the task.
“We designed it to be a world-class research facility, and it’s put together in a very thoughtful way,” Steve said. “We spent a lot of time making sure we got it right on paper to anticipate future needs.”
For Steve, the CIC is not just a building – it’s an ecosystem of people, technology, and ideas. Building the lab was a collaborative process that created a modular, flexible space where different perspectives can come together to accelerate product development and put people in the greatest position to succeed.
“We want to make sure we’re learning as much as we can, as quick as we can.” Steve explained. “Each piece of equipment tells a unique part of a story, and we stitch those parts together to understand what our products can and can’t do.”
As with everything else Covia does, safety was the top priority when designing the lab. Everything from the placement of eyewash stations to the forklifts was carefully chosen to keep people safe and be more environmentally sustainable. The facility was also designed to be as efficient as possible, with a layout that accommodates sequential workflow, configurable labs, and collaboration spaces for both team members and customers.
“The sky is the limit on what we can do here,” Steven said. “It’s really only limited by our imagination. It’s symbolic of our commitment to product development, and that we’re willing to invest in a world-class facility, equipment, and people so that we can offer innovative new product solutions. When customers come and see the CIC, they know we’re serious about innovation.”
Outside of the lab, Steve channels that same curiosity into the outdoors. A former skydiver, he now spends his free time exploring North Carolina trails with his family. Steve and his family may be newer to the region, after moving to North Carolina in March of 2025, but they’ve already made an impact in building a place where people, safety, and science intersect.
Lauren Helton: Translating Innovation into Action
Director Sales – Coatings, Polymers, Exports
Lauren’s career with Covia began more than 13 years ago in Covia’s research and development team as a mineral process engineer. She later moved into sales, where her technical fluency helps customers see exactly how minerals can unlock performance.
“I love being close to the mining industry, but also getting to see how all the minerals are used in different applications,” Lauren explained. “It makes sales fun. I feel like I live in an episode of ‘How It’s Made.’”
For Lauren, sales isn’t about transactions; it’s about translation. In an industry where formulations can hinge on a single micron of particle size or a subtle pH shift, Lauren’s ability to bridge science and practical application allows her to connect customers’ challenges with innovative solutions.
According to Lauren, the CIC has enhanced her ability to work with the technical and marketing teams to map out customers’ challenges, regulatory shifts, and end-user expectations. When customers bring forward a need, Lauren and the coatings lab have the tools to quickly develop crucial data for them.
“Being able to understand what exact properties we’re improving on our own is critical to our success,” she said. “Having the CIC is extremely helpful because we can run tests upfront to develop data and show customers the value different formulations can bring to them and their customers.”
Outside of work, she’s a mom of two and married to a fellow Covia employee, making innovation a family conversation. Her weekends are filled with youth sports, outdoor adventures, and support for causes like Charlie’s Heart Foundation, an organization that gives families the resources they need to navigate through tragedy.
Rob Light: Building Bright-White Possibilities
Director of Sales for Engineered Stone & Ceramics
When Rob Light joined Covia nearly 30 years ago, he couldn’t have imagined how the engineered stone market would transform the look and feel of modern homes. In that time, Rob has witnessed, and has helped lead, that transformation firsthand.
“We had maybe a small market share back in the ‘90s of quartz countertops, and now we’re a much larger player,” Rob said.
Over this time, Rob became a trusted resource for Covia customers in the quartz and ceramics space. His work helped expand Covia’s cristobalite production capabilities, including the development of LUMINEX®, a silica-based, ultra-white filler that is used in engineered stone products. That growth was the product of collaboration both internally and with customers.
“What made it special was that this was the first time in my career that we’ve gone out and purchased a property and developed a new product that we didn’t really have much experience with,” Rob explained. “Our team did a good job getting it started, and then our customers gave us the feedback needed to tweak some chemical and mechanical properties to make a better product.”
The Covia Innovation Center will help Covia’s collaboration with customers evolve. The new facility gives Rob and his customers access to new tools for faster iteration and validation, including an engineered stone lab that simulates full countertops, enabling teams to test color, brightness, and mechanical strength before scaling up.
For Rob, the CIC is the latest example of what Covia does best: give innovative people the tools to keep moving industries forward. When he’s not thinking about new fillers or next-gen minerals, Rob enjoys golf, travel, and time outdoors with his wife and their French bulldog, Phoebe.
Scott Van Remortel: From Lab Technician to Customer-Focused Innovator
Senior Technical Sales Manager for Coatings, Polymers & Elastomers
Scott Van Remortel has spent more than three decades translating lab results into customer success stories. He began his journey with Covia right out of college, taking on a role where he helped establish the company’s very first paint and coatings lab.
Over the years, Scott’s curiosity and collaborative spirit have guided countless product developments, including playing an instrumental part in bringing both MINEX® ST, a surface-treated functional filler, and CRISTOBALEX™, a specialty ultra-white reflective filler, to market. These days, Scott is particularly excited about how the CIC will help teams to work quicker, better, and safer than ever.
“The Covia Innovation Center has the best testing and application lab space of any lab I’ve ever been a part of,” he said. “The team has done an excellent job bringing it to life and putting in equipment. We’re already seeing benefits and providing value to the customers.”
That state-of-the-art environment has already helped Scott and his fellow team members simulate real-world applications for customers. In one recent project, they explored how CRISTOBALEX could reduce titanium dioxide in roof coatings while maintaining UV protection. This collaborative approach allows Scott and the team to demonstrate clear, data-driven advantages while serving as a true partner for customers.
“My favorite part of being a member of the innovation team is engaging with customers to see what their needs are and then developing solutions that help them succeed,” Scott shared.
Scott’s leadership also extends beyond the lab. He volunteers with the Appalachian Conservancy, dedicating weekends to clearing trails and preserving natural spaces. He and his wife also maintain a 30-acre hobby farm in North Carolina’s Mitchell County where he grows an assortment of crops including potatoes, corn, and grapes.
Innovation at Covia Starts with People
The Covia Innovation Center was designed to accelerate applied innovation, but its success comes from the people who listen, experiment, and bring customer ideas to life. It’s a space that can help customers achieve their goals, help train the next generation of minerals experts, and provide sustainable, long-term solutions.
Steve, Lauren, Rob, and Scott each exemplify what makes Covia the leader in the mineral solutions space: a combination of deep technical expertise and genuine human connection. Their work turns minerals into meaningful performance, data into confidence, and partnerships into progress.
Want to collaborate with Covia? Contact Covia today to turn ideas into innovation.
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