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Staff changes strengthen UK and global teams

A Pilz Automation Technology product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team May 25, 2005

Key staff changes aim to benefit Pilz customers as a result of a strengthened company in the UK and globally, especially in relation to consulting, engineering and training.

Pilz Automation Technology is announcing changes to key staff that will benefit customers as a result of a strengthened company in the UK and globally, especially in relation to consulting, engineering and training.

Steve Farrow is taking over from John Popham as General Manager of Pilz Automation Technology in the UK.

Farrow has been with Pilz for 13 years and worked his way up from an Internal Sales Engineer to become a member of the management team in 2001 and, from 1st May 2005, General Manager.

In that time Farrow has been the UK specialist for Pilz computers and displays, plus he has managed the company's global strategy for IT - indeed, he still remains an active member of the Pilz IT Strategy Group.

As well as having a thorough knowledge of the Pilz product range - from safety relays, PNOZmulti configurable controllers and programmable safety systems to guard switches, emergency stop switches and light curtains - Farrow also has an invaluable understanding of the Pilz ethos - and where the company is heading in the future.

Because the appointment of a new General Manager has been made internally, there has been a managed handover process.

Moreover, John Popham is remaining with Pilz, so he and Farrow will continue to work closely together.

Popham's new role is to lead a multinational team to continue the development of the Pilz international consulting, engineering and training portfolio.

Having already started while he was still General Manager of Pilz in the UK, Popham is now committed to his new position on a full-time basis.

This will facilitate the expansion of the services elements of the Pilz business over the next two years so that they make a significant contribution to the provision of complete safety solutions.

The Pilz concept of a safety solution supplier was developed in direct response to demand from customers - both large and small - that recognised the vast extent of the knowledge held by Pilz and trusted the safety-related advice that could be provided.

The exceptional breadth and depth of knowledge stems the wide variety of projects that Pilz engineers have been involved with throughout diverse industries around the world, plus the numerous Pilz personnel who sit on committees formulating new standards.

One of the most important parts of Popham's new role is ensuring that the level of service provided by all of the 24 Pilz daughter companies remains consistent.

This is being achieved through the company-wide competency management system and a centrally managed training programme that allows individuals to continually develop their competencies.

Such a global approach means that customers are assured of receiving the same high standard of support, whatever the services or products concerned - such as safety relays, light curtains or the forthcoming PSSuniversal, which incorporates both programmable safety-related and non-safety-related control.

A third staff-related announcement relates to the appointment of Dave Bromme as a Senior Consultant and a new member of the management team for Pilz Automation Technology in the UK.

Bromme will head the team of consultants undertaking projects such as risk assessments, CE marking services, safety audits, PUWER assessments and the fixed-price plant assessments that are proving extremely popular with manufacturers that wish to identify the existing level of safety for every item of their equipment so that they can start to plan improvements where required.

In addition, Bromme will be working abroad on projects where his competencies are particularly relevant to projects being led by one of the other Pilz daughter companies.

One example is work that Bromme has done with a company in Japan that is exporting to Europe but does not yet have sufficient understanding of the CE marking process.

Another example is work he has done with companies in Europe that are importing equipment and need to CE mark it - or where equipment has been CE marked but the safety measures need to be checked.

Demand for safety consultancy in the UK (and the rest of the world) is growing rapidly.

This explains the need for the consulting team that has been formed in the UK, with Bromme taking overall responsibility.

Nevertheless, while Bromme's time will mainly be spent managing and working on a variety of consulting projects, he also remains the paper industry specialist for Pilz in the UK.