Presidential view End of term
Outgoing ECA president Alun Pearson refl ects on his year in offi ce and some of the important challenges still facing the industry
A
s it’s now time for me to say my fi nal farewells as president of the Electrical Contractors’ Association, I would like to express to members how much I have enjoyed the past 12 months.
As I’ve said previously, it has amazed me just how quickly the year has fl own by, but I can now refl ect on a wonderful experience working with and for our membership. It has been a great honour and privilege for me to serve as president of the ECA over the past year. I’ve certainly enjoyed the challenge of the role, working alongside the executive to represent members and promote their interests – and the interests of the electrical contracting industry in general – particularly at such a critical period. At the beginning of my term last year, the economic outlook was fragile and, unfortunately, not much has changed. Once again the UK economy is falling back into recession, with the construction sector suffering particularly badly and, consequently, many of our member businesses are struggling.
Hard work With margins tight and work scarce, it remains an extremely challenging environment for electrical contractors to operate in. However, over my year as president, travelling around the regions, it’s been encouraging to see how much great work is carried out by the ECA all over the country to help members not only survive the recession, but also to prepare their businesses for the future. We are trying to get the message across about the full range of services the association can offer members, but some are still surprised to discover exactly what’s available as part of their membership. I would urge any member looking for business advice or information to contact the association, as there are numerous services offered free as standard – from legal advice and late payment chasing to technical help and training guidance.
Over recent months, we’ve seen the solar photovoltaic (PV) boom that’s helped sustain some members abruptly dampened by the government’s handling of the Feed-in Tariff (FITs) scheme, and the subsequent uncertainty that
brought to the market. Recent announcements from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) have introduced more clarity to the process of managing the FITs scheme, but now we must hope that the forthcoming Green Deal doesn’t disappoint. I hope that the government listens closely to the sensible advice the ECA is giving on the proposed scheme.
It’s been encouraging to see how much great work is carried out by the ECA to help members
Changing times Going around the country, I’ve met many people from different walks of life, including fellow contractors, members of parliament, manufacturers and other trade association representatives. I’ve visited the regions, attending conferences and other events, and have met many hard-working local ECA staff and members, all of whom have been very welcoming and friendly. Now, though, it is time for me to pass the mantle of president over to Paul McNaughton, who has served as senior vice president over the last 12 months. Paul is managing director of Darke & Taylor, based in Oxford. He is a
member of the ECA’s Education and Training and Labour Relations Committees, so has a good understanding of the association and some of the key issues facing the industry. I would like to take this opportunity to wish him every success in his term as ECA president. I hope he enjoys the experience as much as I have. Also, welcome to Andy Basham, council member for
About the author
Alun Pearson Alun Pearson is president of the ECA, and owner of family business A Pearson Electrical Contractors.
the North West region, who is joining the offi cers team as vice-president. I’d like to wish him the best of luck in his new role. Finally, thanks to ECA group chief executive offi cer Steve Bratt, group fi nance director Martyn Burnley and their superb team at the ECA for all their hard work and support over the year. Serving the association as president has been a truly
rewarding experience for me. It has brought home to me just how important the ECA is for members. It’s an organisation of which all of us really should be very proud.
May 2012 ECA Today 21
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