Held in Orlando, Florida, this year’s annual Rockwell Automation Fair proved to be a smoothly organised and well attended event. Courtesy of Rockwell Automation, South African Instrumentation and Control was able to be there accompanied by Rockwell SA marketing communications manager, Jeff Sandison. The flights were long and the security checks arduous, but it all proved to be worth it – as a single vendor event we have nothing to compare with it locally.
For instance, we heard that the some 9500 delegates who attended over the two days consumed nearly 34 000 cups of coffee, 14 000 glasses of iced tea, 1000 gallons of lemonade and 400 gallons of orange juice.
The media day was an interesting prelude to the event and provided an insight into Rockwell’s strategy going forward, something that was well supported by the one on one media tours during show days. It also gave an opportunity to speak to the senior executives during 20 minute interview sessions in the afternoon.
This is what we learned:
The theme is optimised plant and supply networks. The primary offering that supports this is the Integrated Architecture with its four cornerstones of ControlLogix, The FactoryTalk Software, EthernetIP and Safety in the System. Partnerships with Endress+Hauser and Cisco (both represented at the exhibition) ensure that the automation networks extend from the process through the control layers and ultimately into the office information systems, using standard Ethernet components. On the E+H stand there was a lot of interest in the first flowmeter to be fitted with an Ethernet port and we were assured that more would follow, and quickly. Wireless is not included in the platform as yet, but plans are afoot with Cisco to develop the necessary additions.
During the executive Q&A sessions we were told more about how this will affect the company’s performance in the market and how the organisation is expanding offshore.
Q: How much is Rockwell expecting to grow in 2011 and what about South Africa?
A: Rockwell should get back to 2008 levels of sales during 2011. The portfolio is well suited to the mining and power industries in SA, so these should be the primary regional growth drivers.
Q: How much of this will be local (USA) and how much international?
A: CEO Keith Nosbusch has expressed a wish that the percentage of sales generated offshore should grow from its current level of 50% to the target 60%. However, this must not come at the expense of growth in the USA.
Q: Is all development done in the US or is some of this being moved offshore?
A: We are expanding offshore and currently have research facilities in Shanghai and Prague, development facilities in Shanghai, Singapore and Switzerland and an application engineering facility in Poland.
Thanks to Rockwell Automation’s John Lewis (director of business partnering), Marc Baret (EMEA marketing director) and Joe Kann (VP global business development) for their insights.
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