[ Question time: Neil Roberts ]
the networks, which is really important as the UK goes ‘smart’ and the demand for electricity increases. We’ve got some really exciting technologies coming along, and if you come back in 12 months’ time I’ll be able to tell you much more about them.
ECA Today: From a corporate responsibility perspective, tell me about 3M’s community programmes and environmental programmes. Neil Roberts: 3M takes its environmental responsibility very seriously and has a global company initiative called 3P – Pollution Prevention Pays. The reason for mentioning it is that we have had it for more than 35 years. 3M has been pioneering in this respect – we recognised in the 1970s the benefits of reducing emissions, having more efficient factories, and so on – so we can’t be accused of jumping on the ‘green bandwagon’.
Our community programme in the UK focuses on the teaching of STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects in schools. We send out our technical people into the schools to demonstrate that a STEM-related career doesn’t mean that you are stuck in a lab in a white coat all day. These are interesting and exciting careers and people should be interested in these subjects. Research and development is key to 3M. First and foremost, it is a technology company. It spends, relative to other organisations of the same size, a much greater proportion of its revenue on research and development. Even through the recession, 3M did not cut its R&D investment. This is why it is important to spread the word and talk to local communities about technology and product development and how exciting it can be to work in those areas.
ECA Today: What is 3M’s relationship with the ECA and do you find value in connecting with trade associations? Neil Roberts: Our relationship with the ECA is as a supply partner. It’s a great relationship for both of us. From 3M’s point of view, we get to interact with the premier trade association in the electrical industry. We learn about their issues and concerns. We get an opportunity to interact with the membership. Also, people in the ECA have an extensive knowledge of the business and industry themselves, so that is really valuable for a manufacturer in terms of understanding what is going on in the market, what the concerns of the users are, what their issues are and where we might fit into that.
Through this relationship, the ECA gets to have an influence over product development and what the industry needs. They also get to understand how manufacturers work. We live in a commercial world and our job is to make and sell products. In my view, you only do that through delivering products that customers value and by meeting and exceeding their needs. The ECA is getting technological insight, input into product development and a clear route to getting a manufacturer to help them meet the needs of their members going forward. It’s an excellent relationship. From a practical point of view, 3M can host ECA
May 2012 ECA Today 51
meetings and provide good facilities for people to convene. It gives us an opportunity to talk to contractors of all different types and sizes in one go, which we don’t get very often. It also gives us a chance to ask members questions about their concerns and what they think about the products and technologies that they are using. And of course, it is a chance for us to showcase some of our innovative technology. 3M isn’t a hard sell company and overly commercial. We are interested in helping people understand our technology and the total cost of installation. 3M supplies high quality products. We are used to people telling us that our products are more expensive than some competitors’ and we try to help them understand why – it’s not just about the cost of materials, it’s an investment. We welcome the opportunity to talk to people about how our products and technologies can help them achieve their own business goals.
Reliability and performance of the product is critical
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