Pumps and Systems spoke with Glenn Wieczorek, managing director for North America of Tsurumi Pumps, for the 2019 State of the Industry section. For complete coverage, go here.
What keeps you up at night?
The thought of a potential trade war world wide combined with a downturn in business is a concern. As we know, no one wins in a total trade war. Both sides seem to sink their heels in and ultimately everyone gets hurt. We have undergone great business expansion within the past 10 years and with that eventually comes a downturn. There is always the threat that there will be a downturn at the same time as a trade war. While this is not the case, it is something that keeps me up and makes me think, what if.
What are you most optimistic about in 2019?
We have been working hard to grow a strong team and are starting to see the fruits of our labor come to fruition. I’m excited to see this unfold further in 2019. Our team here at Tsurumi America is talented and we are continuing to have success as a result of the collective hard work. Outside of our organization I can see that businesses are feeling optimistic about the future which is a contagious sentiment.
What are the biggest roadblocks to IIoT adoption?
We currently have the ability to integrate Scada Systems through our control panels. In the future, we will explore the possibilities of incorporating internet connectivity within our pumps.
What are the top jobs you need to fill?
At this point within our own organization we’re well staffed. In the near future we are going to be looking for technical engineers and IT people. We are methodical in our hiring process to make sure we bring on the best candidates for the specific positions we need filled.
What is your company (or the ones you serve) doing to address the skills gap?
While I don’t feel there is a skills gap within our own organization there are with other companies we work with. These companies are often sourcing talent from other companies and making competitive offers. In some cases, companies may not want to pay a premium price for the correct person. Overall, I’m seeing a demand for additional staff, specifically in the technical field, but companies are cautious to bring on more people.
How have the new European GDPR rules impacted your company’s marketing efforts? Has it affected your customers?
While our organization only handles North America, we are looking at this as not having an immediate impact, but we need to keep our eyes open for what could potentially happen in the future. Whatever legislation is ahead we need to determine how it impacts our organization and what we need to do to comply with new regulations.