by Gary Mintchell | Oct 24, 2009 | Automation
More good thoughts from Greg McMillan — this time about training and developing expertise. Part of the thought is that you never stop learning. Greg talks a little about his development. Most of what got me where I am is due to my drive for continuous learning. It started early. I could do a lot of electronics math before I graduated from high school. I headed off to engineering school full of optimism. They crushed that. In my day education was very regimented. If you went off on your own path, it was at your own peril. So I did something I don’t even think is discussed these days–classic Liberal Arts. That doesn’t mean taking easy courses to get a degree. It means you can learn just about anything if you apply curiosity, learning skills, thinking, reading and experience. It’s important you never stop learning–ever.
The other thing Greg mentioned was training on-the-clock. At one time skilled trades were learned through apprenticeship programs in a company. My grandfather dropped out of school at around 16 when his step-dad told him to get a job. He got into a program at The Monarch Machine Tool Co. and learned to be a machinist. That led him to jobs where he was eventually a plant superintendant in a General Motors plant. When I was very small he taught me about manufacturing engineering when he described turning the plant from manufacturing refrigerators to machine gun bolts during WWII. He took classes at the General Motors Institute.
So, hats off to Greg for this great post. Share this with your young colleagues.
by Gary Mintchell | Oct 24, 2009 | Marketing
Just saw an interesting short news item in my local papers — Landline telephone companies in Ohio (they still exist?) say they need to get competitive with wireless providers. They want to do that by a) raising prices and b) reducing service.
Silly me, I would think that getting competitive would be reducing prices and improving service — or charging more for more services that people want. Guess when you’re not used to competition you don’t know how to react.
Me? My business phone is my mobile phone and my home phone is part of the cable package through Warner Cable (TV, phone, data). Not even sure who my local landline monopoly company is.
by Gary Mintchell | Oct 24, 2009 | Commentary
Here’s a post in the “living” category. Another Leo Babauta Zen (Family) Habits post on developing your kids. Read the entire post, but here is the short list:
- Read
- Talk
- Snuggle
- Remove your shield
- Get them excited
- Trust
Looking back after a lot of years, looks like we did most of that. And it worked. They grew up well.
by Gary Mintchell | Oct 22, 2009 | Automation
While industry pundits pine for a major acquisition, the majors quietly keep growing and innovating through smaller, targeted acquisitions. Emerson Process Management today announced it has acquired Missouri City, Texas-based EIM Controls Inc., a manufacturer of valve actuators. EIM Controls will join the company’s Valve Automation division. Emerson said in its release that the acquisition expands its electric actuator portfolio, while strengthening its applications for Foundation fieldbus and other major bus protocols.
“This is a strategic acquisition that adds value and strengthens our position in the competitive automation market,” said Dan Button, president of Valve Automation. “EIM Controls brings to Valve Automation a well-known reputation for reliability and extensive product line that perfectly complements our PlantWeb digital plant architecture.”
The addition of EIM Controls brings Multi-turn and Quarter-turn actuators incorporating MCP, M2CP, TEC2000 and the ECP2000 electric and electronic controls into Emerson’s portfolio. It generated approximately $43.3 million in annual sales for the period ending September 30, 2009, and has 168 employees throughout the United States, Europe and Asia.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
by Gary Mintchell | Oct 22, 2009 | Automation
Ever since announcement and rumor of massive changes at ISA, discussions over the phone, by blogs, through twitter and even LinkedIn have consumed huge amounts of productive time. Members and observers are wondering what’s happening and whether the association will survive–or if it does, what will it look like.
Rex Hammock recently thought about a couple of other associations and offered his thoughts on associations and their future. One quote he lifted from Gary Hamel is interesting, “Problems happen when the leaders of an association are behind the thinking of their members,” he said. “That’s when denial occurs. That’s when digging in and protecting the status quo occurs.”
Jim Pinto and I have columns focused on ISA in the November issue of Automation World available online in early November. Watch for that–and send your comments.
