New AEMT President sets out agenda for on-going development and growth
In his forthcoming term of office as President, Dave Hawley, Northern European Regional Sales Manager for Motors and Generators, says that the overall objective will be that the AEMT becomes a natural thought-leader for its industry, and that this will be achieved through a number of different channels.
“For instance, the industry needs to develop digital services that support real time condition-based maintenance,” he says. “To this end, the AEMT must help members understand the vast range of cloud-based digital tools now available and how these can add real value for their customers.”
A key service offered by AEMT members is electric motor repairs. Mr. Hawley says these must be of definable high quality and meet emerging expectations in terms of standards and energy efficiency ratings. “We need to ensure we offer high quality services and products that add perceptible value.”
He explains the logic: "as operators of plant and machinery, our customers’ principal concerns include production uptime and equipment availability, operational capital cost, and whole life costs. AEMT members must fully appreciate these issues so that they can offer the most appropriate support.”
In saying this Mr. Hawley draws a parallel with his own position. His role as an employee of the world’s largest motor manufacturer may seem slightly at odds with the function of a repairers’ association. However, he explains that ABB takes a holistic approach that embraces service, repair and support as well as manufacture.
“Our association always needs to be aware of the real needs of our members’ customers,” he says.
He acknowledges the strong position the AEMT currently occupies. Global membership continues to rise. Participation in its Ex training courses is consistently high, educating and certifying engineers and technicians worldwide. The association is in a solid financial position, thanks to the stewardship of Thomas Marks and the secretariat.
He urges members to actively support the AEMT, offering views, suggestions and participating in the planning process.
“I want members to be involved - attending regional meetings, AGMs, conferences and our wonderful annual awards night. This way they can offer personal perspectives and help define the strategic direction of the association.”