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On Your Bike…

In his latest blog, Mr Loadlink reflects on a Harley-Davidson ride up Interstate 45, shares other highlights from a productive business trip, sets his sights on the Philippines, and more.

Aaron Orsak and I hired a pair of Harley-Davidson motorbikes to explore I-45.

I can envisage the words ‘Mister Loadlink’ in studded lettering across the shoulders of a Hells Angels-style biker jacket. Not a shiny new one, but threadbare and thinned in all the right places. The kind of jacket that has seen every mile of the USA’s interstate network and flashed past a million trucks as I chased down the horizon on my Harley-Davidson. That will be the sign that I have enjoyed a long and happy retirement one day.

For now, it’s just Straightpoint technical sales engineer, Aaron Orsak, and I in my bike club. And it’s not really a fearsome gang at all. It was a sunny April Saturday in Houston, Texas. We completed a series of successful visits over the previous couple of days and we had some spare time before heading east along the Gulf Coast to New Orleans, where Associated Wire Rope Fabricators (AWRF) was staging its 2016 General Meeting & Product Information Exhibition (PIE).

We decided to hire a couple of Harley-Davidsons and terrorise Interstate 45 for a day. During our 300-mile trip, we were sat at a quiet spot near Lake Conroe discussing others who might have the biker brawn and brashness to wear the Straightpoint patches and go riding with us. We could see our U.S. general manager John Molidor, barechested, in a sleeveless leather at the spearhead of the fleet as we descended on a rural tavern. One or two from UK headquarters made the grade too.

Back home, last weekend, I was telling people about our memorable trip at a classic motorcycle show. As it emerged, Straightpoint has a lot in common with Harley-Davidson. Take a snippet from its website, for example: “We bring a commitment of exceptional customer experiences to everything we do—from the innovation of our products to the precision of our manufacturing—culminating with our strong supplier and dealer networks.”

I guess that realisation inspired my revved up opening gambit. Our own distributor network is the focal point of many ongoing initiatives and we always look to add value to every business trip by visiting existing and prospective partners, in addition to end users. I bet Harley-Davidson does the same. Readers of this blog should too.

As John is doing in Florida even as I write this—the 2016 Annual Conference of the Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association (SC&RA) is taking place in Orlando—Aaron and I visited key companies in the Houston area, including David ‘Mo’ Moseley at Bishop Lifting Products Inc. (he’d definitely make our biker club), who is frequently called upon. Within reason, one can’t visit a company too often and every opportunity for face-to-face contact should be taken.

Shoe-leather marketing

Not only did Aaron and I make appointments with key contacts, like Mo, we also cold-called on a number of others. We harnessed the power of LinkedIn to find representatives of relevant companies we identified in the vicinity or stumbled upon and literally knocked on their door. This old-fashioned, shoe-leather marketing gives me a tremendous buzz and it ensures the elevator pitch and introduction to our products is in good order. I recommend it, but I’m glad we did this part of the trip in a car and not on the Harleys. First impressions and all that.

The four-wheeler also allowed me to introduce Aaron to Scottish comedian Billy Connolly, whose standup routines I played on my smartphone. Fittingly, the funny-man is also famed for touring the world on a Harley-Davidson trike, stopping at towns to entertain audiences, often followed by television crews making documentaries about his trips. He has recently swapped trike for train in a series for UK television, taking rolling stock from Chicago to New York (the wrong way round), but he is a frequent visitor to the states and has travelled its famous Route 66, for example, on three wheels. Billy, Aaron loved your jokes—you and the trike would be welcome on a ride out with us any time!

In between gags, it was fascinating to talk to Houston-based Aaron about his geography. He oversees an interesting marketplace in that the state of the Gulf Coast oil and gas sector is broadcast by local and international media every day. Google it and see the myriad of articles and forecasts that come up. The lifting industry, like others, is obsessed with oil prices and one must guard against slipping into a reactive state. Of course, we’re buoyed by references to a recovery in the sector, but we’re not sitting on the Harleys waiting for a market analyst to give the signal—we’re already roaring up the interstate to take marine, salvage, decommissioning and other opportunities.

I feel like you’re reading on for some information from the coalface. I’m happy to share what I heard but don’t let it govern your thought processes—things change quickly and no forecast is set in stone. One key player told Aaron recently he expects oil to rise to $70 a barrel by the end of this year, with onshore activity reigniting in the next couple of months, preceding a return to offshore enterprise in around 12 to 18 months time.

A slice of PIE

Our door-to-door sales effort was a perfect way to warm the engines ahead of AWRF’s event and charmingly-named PIE, where John joined us in the Big Easy. I’ve heard the expo was the inspiration for the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association’s (LEEA) LiftEx trade show, which itself is 12 years old in 2016. The two associations embrace each other’s work and it’s easy to see why UK-headquartered LEEA holds its American counterpart in such high regard.

: The Straightpoint exhibit awaiting AWRF PIE visitors.

: The longevity of AWRF was celebrated in New Orleans.

: Straightpoint’s U.S. general manager John Molidor in action at AWRF.

: Straightpoint’s U.S. general manager John Molidor in action at AWRF.

: AWRF provided an enjoyable backdrop to networking in the Big Easy.

: I was happy to oblige when this Las Vegas showgirl wanted a photo with Mr Loadlink at AWRF. It never ceases to amaze me how many people read this blog!

: We organised a competition on the Straightpoint booth at AWRF to see who could pull the highest force on a wireless Radiolink plus load cell.

: As always, our AWRF exhibit was very product-centric.

: As always, our AWRF exhibit was very product-centric.

: Heavy lift specialist and Straightpoint equipment user Versabar presented during AWRF’s excellent event in New Orleans.

: Enjoying a networking dinner with fellow below-the-hook equipment manufacturer Modulift and others at AWRF.

AWRF knows how to throw a party and, once again, the event provided a backdrop for serious business conversations and enjoyable, productive networking. In the spirit of the show, we organised a competition on the Straightpoint booth to see who could pull the highest force on a wireless Radiolink plus load cell, setup with a couple of shackles.

The average was about 80 lbs., with one or two participants beating that and pulling 120 lbs. But Serge Lavoie, director east of Quebec at Lam-É Industries, Canada, pulled a staggering 130lbs. to take the prize—an iPad. A special mention also goes to Tony Mazzella, CEO of U.S.-based Mazzella Companies, who not only suggested we should have operated an over 60s category, but then pulled an impressive 80 lbs. to win it himself! Tony, a prize for claiming victory in the impromptu category is on its way to you even as you read this.

It was a great event but I was pleased to make it home for my son Isaac’s 16th birthday. Speaking of young people going places, I was thrilled to hear about the success of Straightpoint apprentice Josh Chipps’ standout load cell presentation at the South Downs College Engineering Project Day recently. Chipps concluded a 24-week project by presenting to college staff, Straightpoint representatives, invited members of industry and fellow students. His paper followed the manufacturing process of a load cell. I’m excited about watching Isaac and Josh develop over coming years.

Islands of opportunity

Contact cultivation is a global project. In fact, it more commonly sees us focus our attention on new and developing markets. For example, Dave Mullard, our business development manager, is constantly narrowing down his search for new distribution partners, particularly in Russia, a hotbed of potential on his watch. Meanwhile, I have been making inroads into the Philippines, which is a collection of an incomprehensible 7,000+ islands. We’ll need a boat not a Harley!

Online research unveiled the Overseas Business Network Initiative (OBNi), a joint project of the British Chamber of Commerce Philippines (BCCP) and the UK Trade and Investment (UKTI). OBNi assists UK companies in exporting or doing business in the Philippines through OMIS / Business Support Service. I arranged a Skype meeting, name-dropping Dutch distributor Van Gool and Bishop, among others, as existing partners who boast the key criteria we look for in new distributors, and am excited about basing a trip there on the outcomes.

In my last blog I touched upon the visit of a delegation from heavy lift specialist ALE from Spain. It’s worth elaborating on that in the spirit of the relationship-building theme within this blog. ALE are a special company and a valuable customer. After all, few would visit primarily with a view to gathering intelligence about our 300t+ compression load cells and centre of gravity software. Fewer still would request a bespoke software package, tailored to their audience. It took a lot of man hours and engineering expertise to perfect the new system but the investment will pay dividends in the long term.

Mr Loadlink

April 2016 atex, load, load cell, load cells, loadcell, loadcells, loadlink, straightpoint

Whoosh! …

Mr Loadlink has returned from North America, where he welcomed a new recruit, visited the Auto Club Raceway and continued his winning run on the golf course.

North America is one of our hottest markets, as last month (February) proved.

While John Molidor, general manager; and Aaron Orsak, technical sales engineer, at Straightpoint Inc., were at a topsides-themed event in Texas, the new operations manager of the subsidiary, Myron Jones, and I strategised at Camarillo, California HQ.

The increase in our U.S.-based personnel—Tressie LaBass, customer and sales support administrator; and Johnny Gonzalez, technician, make up Team America—is indicative of the growth we have achieved but, more importantly, serves as a statement of intent. We are serious about making the lifting industry a safer place.

: The Windy City was the backdrop to a number of productive meetings in February.

: Windswept with Camron Ghanemi, of Ace World Companies (centre) and John Molidor during a networking evening in Chicago.

Gazelle companies are awash with opportunity, but the challenges are often underestimated. A lot of it is about timing. A rapidly growing manufacturing business needs infrastructure, personnel, product availability, world-class customer service and more to keep up to speed, but implementing strategy prematurely or growing a team too quickly can be counterproductive.

Big hitter

Industry has noted that Myron, our newest recruit, is a former CEO of a very successful company, and a manufacturing leadership heavyweight. Straightpoint Inc. has reached a stage in its development where we need such expertise to pioneer continued growth, particularly when our A-Team needs to be in two places at once.

The recent Topsides, Platforms & Hulls Conference & Exhibition in Galveston, Texas, was a good example. John and Aaron were busy raising the profile of the new IECEx version of our most popular product, the Radiolink Plus wireless load cell, while Myron and I were dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s of our latest business plan.

As our press release announcement about Myron’s arrival covered, he has been at the helm of a business operating at about $300m in annual revenue, but that taught him as much about the importance of sound planning and rolling with the punches as it did keeping balance when riding the crest of a wave.

Myron speaks with experience. He knows what it is to grow at over 20% per annum in sales and reinvent company structures to target new business. We’re not about to initiate any seismic shifts, but we do have a proven ability to react to the demands of the market. Adaptability is going to be key to success under the leaden skies of the lethargic oil and gas sector.

Power reserves

The launch of the new IECEx version of our most popular product, the Radiolink Plus wireless load cell (or explosion proof dynamometer, as it is more commonly referred to in North America) was well received at Topsides. Regardless of the price of oil, the industry will continue to embrace safety systems and that’s exactly what our Zone 0, 1 and 2 product is.

True, even the optimists at the show don’t expect the oil and gas market to return to buoyancy any time soon, but orders for safety-based equipment continue to rise alongside large-scale orders for heavy-lift applications. Topsides only reinforced our theory that the steady flow of standard orders, that are typical in an industry running on full cylinders, will not return for a while.

It means we will increasingly promote load cells to construction, salvage, decommissioning, entertainment and other markets. Myron will help us position our business to do so. A recent case study about 40 10 ton compression load cells monitoring forces on temporary shoring columns used to support two tower cranes during the Century City Mall project on Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, California, serves as a good example of diversification.

Construction and structural monitoring projects like this will become increasingly common, which is a trend that fits well in the business plan given the volume of units and site duration that is typical with such work. In the UK, we are involved in a particularly innovative below-the-hook device for use on tower cranes which, again, is distanced from oil prices.

Fellow Englishman Dave Mullard enjoys cloud cover in usually sunny California.

It was opportune to involve Dave Mullard, our new business development manager (and big pound-for-pound industry puncher in his own right), in my latest trip across the Atlantic. Many businesses wouldn’t have justified the cost of the flight but it would have been ignorant not to take the opportunity to introduce him to the stateside team, having joined the UK operation at the turn of the year.

Quiet (and loud) hours

I blogged last year about an article I read outlining the importance of what the author called “quiet hours” away from the pressures of modern day life. I guess it’s another way of putting the Work Hard, Play Hard adage.

With such personal development in mind, Dave completed the teams for a Texas Scramble on the golf course, where Myron and I took on (and beat) him and John. Winning isn’t everything, as I reminded the losers after the game, but it was great to continue my streak having lifted the Load Cell Golf Cup last year, defeating Gary Mullins, of Action Coach; and LCM Systems boss Steve Sargeant, in very different, English conditions.

: Lining up with Dave Mullard (centre) and John Molidor (right) for a game of golf.

: : Lefty Myron Jones sinks another putt on our way to victory over John Molidor and Dave Mullard.

: Dave Mullard is on target at the firing range.

: Without even looking!

Such extracurricular activity was abundant last month. Next, Dave and I joined my good friends Richard and Paula Sharpe, of Intelligent Weighing Technology, to let off some steam at a shooting range. It’s amazing how firing an assault rifle, pump action shot gun, a 9mm pistol and a .357 Magnum revolver (the latter was my favourite) can calm the soul.

Another memorable day out was at the Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, owned by the National Hot Road Association, where I joined Johnny, John and his son, Michael Molidor, to purr over the drag racing cars. I’ve had to put a lot into words for this blog in recent years but I’m honestly struggling to capture the sound and speed of these extreme machines, which can go from zero to over 325mph on their quarter-of-a-mile track. Best I can do is… Whoosh!

Anyway, back on track…

As Dave returned to the UK (he’s since been seen with a bucket of balls at the Waterlooville Golf Course driving range), Aaron flew into town from his Houston base so the whole U.S. team could sit down and somewhat belatedly go through the final 2016 business plan. The buzzword is the same on both sides of the pond—Growth.

Germination

I’m confident we can achieve another set of ambitious targets by further equipping our existing distributors to penetrate new markets and seeking new business. I’d advise other companies in a similar position (many of us are insulating against the same climate) to look at the finite details.

When was the last time you checked the online catalogue of your distributor network? It’s remarkable how many I look at in other sectors who are carrying out of date kit. In our case, that would mean the IECEx Radiolink Plus would be effectively invisible to that distributor’s audience. Imagine the disconnection with the positivity generated at Topsides.

As an aside, I take it as a huge compliment when I look at our website data every week and see so many competitors looking at our web pages.

Meanwhile, during a hectic February, I spent a couple of days in Chicago spending time with Ace World Companies vice president, Camron Ghanemi, who has facilitated the use of our equipment in a number of notable applications recently. I also squeezed in a couple of meetings with prospective partners in the Windy City.

Enjoying a meal with Steve Torres, ?CEO at Group Four? Transducers Inc., (centre) and his father, Sidney.

The month concluded in astronomically expensive Miami, Florida, where I spent some time with Steve Torres, CEO at Group Four Transducers Inc., based near Boston in Massachusetts; and 3S Fabrications Pvt Ltd, of Sri Lanka. Remember, Steve and his team were part of the consortium that developed a new product for measuring tension on lines recently launched by Straightpoint, the Running Line Dynamometer (or TIMH), part of our tension in motion range. It was good to gather more intelligence on the marketplace from someone at the coalface.

Johnny Gonzalez is flying to the UK for training next week before I travel east again to a number of regions, where I’ll get a new stamp on my passport in Labuan, a federal territory of Malaysia off the coast of Borneo in East Malaysia. So there’ll be lots more to talk about next time, no doubt.

Mr Loadlink

February 2016 atex, chicago, golf, houston, IECEx, load cell, loadcells, straightpoint, tensiometer