WWEMA Window: Thoughts From The Bleachers
By Ron Culp, president, Hartwell Environmental Corporation
As an Associate Member of the Water and Wastewater Equipment Manufacturers Association (WWEMA) and a recently appointed WWEMA Board Member liaison to the Manufacturers Representatives Committee, I am pleased to have an opportunity to provide some comments and observations.
As a manufacturers’ representative, I have the experience of observing the changes in our industry not only within WWEMA, but also with others outside our association. New regulations have been the main driver for innovative and alternative technology prompting a true evolution in process-design considerations. However, while these improvements in technology are important, there are three notable observations I continue to make:
- Manufacturers should always focus on continuing to do what they do, and have always done, best. There is a tendency to get distracted with trendy technologies and lose sight of their core business. Keep trying to improve the “old” before jumping so deeply into the “new.” Don’t throw away the brand names that took years to be recognized as a standard in the industry just for the sake of something different.
- Manufacturers often overlook tremendous opportunities in the aftermarket industry. Companies can often offer innovative and more cost-effective solutions by improving existing equipment, resulting in better margin projects as well.
- Manufacturers do often overlook and even ignore service after the sale. The last thing a customer experiences will be the first thing he remembers the next time he buys. Something even more important to consider is service after the warranty expires. Too many times we see disappointed end users who were told, “Can’t help you …your warranty expired!”
After more than 40 years of watching companies being bought and sold, reliable equipment designs vanish, and underutilization of talent, these are just my thoughts from the “bleachers.”