July/August 2019

Kevin Prince, director Atlas Copco Limited and General Manager, Atlas Copco - Power Technique Division, is this year’s recipient of the BCAS Lifetime Contribution Award. Presented at this year’s Motion Control Industry Awards, the accolade is given to an individual who has made a significant and consistent contribution to the compressed air industry over the duration of his/her career. Kevin has a wealth of experience that has been gained over the past 37 years across a variety of roles. Starting out as a design draughtsman, his career has touched upon almost every aspect of the compressed air industry; from basic tyre inflation through to intrinsically-safe and explosion-proof instrument air systems required to control deep sea crude oil extraction. It is a journey which has seen him remain loyal to just one employer, Atlas Copco, including roles in project and contract engineering, key account management, product marketing as well as three general manager positions and a group role in M&A. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Directors. Presented by Jason Morgan, BCAS President and Managing Director of HPC Plc, the award also recognised the active role that Kevin has played within BCAS and the wider industry. Morgan said: “Over the past 20 years Kevin has devoted much of his time to promoting the values that BCAS provides to its membership and the wider compressed air community. “An active committee contributor during the early 2000s, leading to a full board director position that was held for seven years from 2004, Kevin remains committed to the Society and its vital role within our industry. “Very much a people person, it is no surprise that no fewer than four managers have progressed to General Manager positions and many more have furthered their own career paths under his mentorship. I’m delighted to be able to present the award to Kevin in recognition of his dedicated service to the industry.” Commenting on the award, Kevin added: “I’m honoured to have received this award from an industry that I am proud to be a part of, but any success is always the result of a true team effort. Being a good manager and developing people is key to the success of any business, yes - company results matter, but without good people and giving individuals opportunities to grow and develop, companies cannot evolve.” News 0 6 | Plant & Works Engineering www.pwemag.co.uk July/August 2019 Celebrating a lifetime’s contribution to the compressed air industry Schneider Electric UK has launched its ‘Rethink Energy’ initiative. A programme aimed at changing business, consumer and government attitudes to energy waste and help combat climate change. While other forms of waste such as plastics, fast fashion and food are highly visible, energy is frequently overlooked. A Schneider Electric commissioned study of 2000 UK adults and over 600 UK businesses revealed that just 10% of consumers want to do more to curb their current energy use, while 74% believe they already do enough. In the same report, 68% of business leaders reported their organisations wasted energy, particularly in the form of inefficient building and office space. Under half (43%) of company chiefs also shared their organisation had not implemented any measures aimed at tackling these inefficiencies in 2018. To launch its Rethink Energy initiative, Schneider Electric held a panel debate at Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium, one of the world’s most energy efficient stadiums - Schneider Electric is THFC’s official energy management partner. The panelists included David Joffe, team leader at the UK Committee on Climate Change; Ben Golding, director, Energy Efficiency and Local, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy; James Diggle, head of energy & climate change, the Confederation of British Industry(CBI), and Mike Hughes, zone president, Schneider Electric UK & Ireland. The debate focused on three key areas: The role for energy in achieving a zero-carbon economy by 2050 £1 trillion price tag – cost or opportunity What will drive change in the UK’s demand for energy Mike Hughes, Zone President, Schneider Electric UK & Ireland commented: “We need to bring energy front of mind. The market needs to take an activist approach to advocate for and instil efficiency and build an investment mindset if we are to achieve the 2050 net zero goal.” Ben Golding, director, Energy Efficiency and Local, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, added that we’ve always needed to get to net zero. The question has always been when, not if: “We need an investment of £22/23 billion in business energy efficiency by 2030 to help deliver climate change. If we deliver that, we could wipe £6 billion off business energy costs in 2030.” Rethink Energy initiative launched