INTERVIEW
He says: “The basic technology in a generator set really hasn't really changed for a long time. We have a 70-year-old Cat generator set on display at our Larne visitor centre which wouldn’t look out of place at a customer site today. Engines have become more efficient and customers can work remotely with generator sets but really, the basic core product is the same. “This means it’s relatively easy for new generator set packagers to enter the market with similar products, so it’s a mature and very crowded market.” What is much more difficult, says Ganesh, is to build up distribution networks and be capable of supporting generator sets effectively and consistently on site. “People who buy generator sets aren’t buying the metal,” says Ganesh. “They’re buy- ing guaranteed power, and with that comes a responsibility that you will honour the trust customers give when they buy.” With 600,000 generator sets installed since 1990 alone, FG Wilson doesn’t take any chances with customer trust.
Every new product is put through rigorous testing and validation at a US$26M Engineering Centre in Larne, UK, which also houses Europe's largest fully automated hemi-anechoic chamber, providing state of the art acoustic research and test capabilities. And every product is released with a full
suite of parts at the brand’s main aftermarket facility, which stocks 11,500 product lines and ships 3 million parts a year.
This focus on service is a huge priority for Ganesh. “Few of us now tolerate loss of
power. Talk to any young person who has lost their wi-fi or data connection. Today we all expect more from what we buy, and customers who own generator sets expect the same level of service as they get when they buy a consumer product. And this is where FG Wilson is really investing time and resources.”
Supporting customers is a global network of over 400 dealers with over 700 touch points, all of them painstakingly recruited and trained. Many have been in partnership with FG Wilson for two or three decades.
Ganesh says: “What makes the FG Wilson distribution network really special is that their main or usually sole focus is on our generator sets – this is what they do, so they are complete specialists. They understand the business and customers better than anyone.”
That expertise can reach into extremely complex projects.
Wilson built up its name designing, building and commissioning mini power stations in the Middle East, often in the most inhospitable operating environments.
That tradition continues today. In some European and Middle Eastern cities, it’s possible to look across the skyline and tick off large landmark buildings which rely on an FG Wilson generator set for standby power. Developing this custom business for large generator sets is important to Ganesh. “We believe this is something which FG Wilson does extremely well. We’ve a long track record of experience, within our organisation and within the dealer network,
In the early days, FG
“FG Wilson dealers
understand the business and
customers better than anyone.”
DECEMBER ‐ JANUARY 2017 UK POWER NEWS
world class facilities, and very importantly, the innovation and product development from custom projects can work its way through to our more standard ranges.” Ganesh concludes: “Last May, we marked 50 years of FG Wilson with an event at our Larne facility among the long-standing employees and representatives of the Wilson family.
The warmth and goodwill at that event is something I will never forget. This is a great and historic brand with a 50-year history, and it’s our job to preserve and grow it for the future.”
Ganesh says the benefits of the changes are already being felt across the organisation. “We’re writing another chapter of a great brand,” he says. “It’s like a business school case study coming to life.”
www.fgwilson.com
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