Michael Eksteen, Emerson Process Management’s new general manager for South and East Africa, is an old hand within the organisation who brings a clear vision for the future.
He describes Emerson as a global company which unites technology and engineering to provide innovative solutions for customers in industrial, commercial and consumer markets around the world. The mission is to aid businesses to automate their production, processing and delivery facilities through the use of intelligent control systems, software, measurement and control technologies, and industry-specific support services. Emerson’s goal is to work closely with customers in the markets in which they are located to provide them with an easy and seamless technology experience. Africa has been identified as a high-growth region by the organisation, and this is why it is aggressively opening new offices across the continent.
The Johannesburg office supports operations in South and East Africa, assisted by Emerson’s Middle East and Africa headquarters in Dubai, the gateway and hub for the rest of the world area. To support this base, local business partners in strategic African countries have been appointed to provide customised regional support to customers in a strategy Eksteen describes as 'Think globally, act locally'.
Eksteen believes that Emerson must connect more closely with customers in Africa to increase awareness of its significant investments in the region. “Today, our customers manage larger and more complex projects with shorter schedules and tighter budgets, and we want to engage with them on a deeper level to understand their unique priorities and communicate what Emerson can do to support these,” he explains. “We want Emerson to be the first choice for customers in Africa when it comes to matters of process automation.
“The region has numerous industrial facilities that require upgrades, repairs and maintenance, and we intend to become the number one solutions provider for these kinds of projects. Our objective is to support our customers rapidly by providing the necessary people or equipment in a timely manner. This, of course, will only be possible by hiring the best people available, and providing them with the opportunity to learn from the top managers and engineers in the industry. Emerson is committed to utilising local content to help boost South Africa’s economy, increase employment opportunities, and provide the local talent with greater leverage. For several decades, we have worked with our SA business partner, the Aveng Group, which has the resources and the technical experts to support us in supply logistics, distribution, project and technical support, knowledge transfer, and lifecycle services.”
According to Eksteen, the key is the increased desire to adopt control and monitoring technologies to optimise and drive improvements in the areas of process efficiency, safety and reliability. He believes that Emerson’s wireless and advanced sensor solutions will replace traditional equipment, allowing customers to gain more control in the areas of reliability, asset optimisation and energy efficiency.
“We are increasing our dialogue with customers in Africa through events that help them to learn more about the technologies, solutions and services available to resolve the challenges they face,” says Eksteen. “More importantly, we are adding capability in South Africa to create a truly local and responsive company that meet our customers’ needs, from equipment to supply to routine maintenance and to on-site emergency support. We want our customers to know that, if there is a problem, Emerson has the people and the resources to provide the best solution.”
For more information contact Michael Eksteen, Emerson Process Management, +27 (0)11 451 3700, [email protected], www.emersonprocess.com
| Tel: | +27 11 451 3700 |
| Fax: | +27 11 451 3800 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.emerson.com |
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