Presidential view
Building up again N
ECA president PHIL FAGG welcomes a more upbeat tone as he visits members and looks to future challenges
ow that we are a few months into 2014, a growing number of ECA members I meet are generally expressing a more positive view of the recovery
and its impact on their business prospects. As I visit regional conferences, business days, branch meetings and other events, it’s good to see that confidence returning. However, it does not mean that we are completely out of the woods yet – and I think, broadly, most of our members are realistic about the challenging times we can still expect to encounter. Making sure your business is fully prepared
for the recovery is one of the most important messages the ECA has been communicating to members over recent months. During the past few years, the sometimes horrendous market conditions we have endured have left many contractors who have been able to survive working on wafer-thin margins, afflicted by dubious payment practices and experiencing serious cashflow issues. Among other issues, this has left many firms unable to plan for the future. So when recovery comes, how does your business make the most of the available opportunities?
Recovery The ECA’s Surviving the Recovery campaign, launching this month, is aptly named; it reflects the dangers that some businesses may face as opportunities for new work increase. It is important to ensure they are ready for growth – continuing to control costs, cashflow, work commitments and so on, as business expands. Thankfully, ECA members have access
to a first-class suite of business services, including contractual and legal advice, top-quality technical support, guidance on standards, debt recovery and much more. It really can act as your virtual back office; it can deliver expert information and advice on everything your business needs to operate effectively and thrive. If you have any questions you need
answering, please contact the ECA – your trade association is there to help, both in bad times and good.
The Electric Event As we move ahead into the second quarter of the year, I’m very much looking forward to attending The Electric Event 2014 at the ICC in Birmingham from 28-30 May. After last year’s extremely successful launch of our unique industry show, we are confident that this year will see it move up another level, and it promises again to be a highly-compelling experience (see pages 38-41). With the high-level ECA Electrical Industry Conference delivering a top-grade lineup of keynote speakers – offering fresh ideas, thoughtful analysis and industry insights from a variety of perspectives – it will certainly help you to identify opportunities and get you thinking about how to develop your business. As well as the Conference, there are a series of Technology Live workshops, covering new technologies and industry developments in a format that has been tailored for busy delegates. Running parallel to the workshops is the Meet the Suppliers exhibition, pulling together many of the top names from the electrical industry to show off their latest products and services – providing a great opportunity to talk to important contacts in the supply chain. Adding to these ingredients, The Electric
Event is also home of the ECA Annual Awards, presented at the traditional black-tie Gala Dinner that concludes the show. As well as an enjoyable business and social occasion, it’s a superb forum to meet and network with others from the industry. The ECA Annual Awards have quickly
become established as some of the most prestigious within the sector, recognising and rewarding the excellent work ECA members have been involved with over the course of the past year. There is still time to nominate your company for the Awards; entries close on 21 March, and you can find more about how to enter on page 41 of this issue - where you can also read about how
one winner’s business has benefited from last year’s Awards success . The Awards are a valuable opportunity to
get your business’s work recognised more widely and – if you are shortlisted – it’s a perfect occasion to promote your company within the electrical industry and beyond.
Future The Electric Event will also mark the end of my tenure as president of the ECA and the inauguration of the new president for 2014- 15. Until May, though, I will continue to enjoy the privilege of representing this fabulous association, meeting members and other industry colleagues as I travel the country. Personally, I’m looking forward to
meeting the challenges this year brings. The tone among members is very different from a year ago – even in the regions where the recession brought some of the toughest conditions. But meeting the challenges of the
recovery should also be about ensuring the future of our industry by recruiting the apprentices we require so much. We still face a potential skills shortage timebomb in our sector. Now is the time to introduce new talent into our industry and, with the government putting more emphasis on relevant apprenticeship training – an area the ECA has been lobbying on for years – it’s incumbent on us all to do what we can within our businesses to help train the next generation of electrical contractors. I hope to see many of you at The Electric
Event in May. It’s the most important industry date of the year – and with so much there that can benefit your business, can you really afford to miss it?
About the author
Phil Fagg is the ECA’s 100th president. Managing director of Ashford-based electrical contractor GW&E Wright, he has been in the industry for more than 40 years.
March 2014 ECA Today 19
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