INTERVIEW RICHARD SHAW OF GREENBROOK
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If you could point to one key issue that will infl uence customers on embracing green technology in the future, what would it be and why?
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The biggest single factor that infl uences any buying decision is cost – particularly in the current economic climate. When the expense associated with greener technologies reaches a tipping point, and becomes less than using traditional technologies, people will quickly change their habits!
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Have attempts to stem the fl ow of counterfeit products fi nding their way into the UK market been successful? Can more be done? BEAMA has done a great job on this but there is always more that can be done. In my view, all the industry bodies must work together much more closely to tackle this major issue and UK suppliers must be much more vigilant in monitoring their own supply chain and having failsafe quality processes in place to ensure that their own house is in order. The proliferation of counterfeit electrical products is only happening thanks to a disregard for quality safety standards by some people in the industry and product purchasers must start to insist on more than just the lowest price every time. In addition to counterfeiting, the number of electrical products on the market that do not meet standards is a big problem and one that could be stamped out quite easily in my view. It really isn’t that diffi cult for wholesalers and contractors to ask for proof of third party certifi cation and product testing evidence when making buying decisions to ensure the products are fully compliant. Manufacturers like GreenBrook who belong to BEAMA or other industry associations invest considerable sums to ensure their products are properly certifi ed and just by verifying certifi cation, wholesalers could put an end to poor quality, untested and uncertifi ed goods. After all, bypassing testing and certifi cation may make these rogue products cheaper, but at what cost to the reputation of the industry?
What are your short and long term predictions for the future of the electrical industry? In the short term I think there will be more pain in the industry as overcapacity
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Appointed as managing director of GreenBrook Electrical plc in March 2008, Richard Shaw, has an enviable 20 year track record in the electrical industry.
Joining GreenBrook
from Mita, where he was managing director for six years, Richard’s reputation for delivering improved business performance made him the ideal choice to take GreenBrook forward to its next level of growth. Richard began his
career as a business consultant, giving him a grounding in commercial strategy, before joining GEC in 1988. Here, he quickly rose through the ranks to take on his fi rst managing director role at Redring in 1993, before also becoming managing director of Xpelair in 1998. He then led the project to create Applied Energy, the company that now incorporates both the Redring and Xpelair brands, before moving to Mita in 2002.
is shaken out. Unfortunately, there are many companies who are still just fi ghting for survival at the moment and buying business to try and keep their heads above water. A great example of this is highlighted by the humble steel conduit fi tting where we are talking about prices, which are pence only, being driven through the fl oor by a minority of people who don’t understand the standards for these types of products. After all the time I have been in the industry I still cannot understand the logic of purposely wanting to sell products for lower and lower a price, instead of selling the features and benefi ts of each individual product. In the longer term, I think there are endless opportunities available for the taking for those willing to embrace change and keep pace with it. In our industry, electricity is the fundamental commodity and that never changes.... it’s what we do with it that makes the difference!
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