MAINTENANCE
Repair, resilience and responsibility
Thomas Marks, Director General at The Association of Electrical and Mechanical Trades, outlines the changing drivers behind repair versus replace decisions and explains how the Association is evolving to meet them.
Thomas Marks
"If you are responsible for motors, generators, or driven
assets, much of this will already sound familiar.
Supply chains remain
unpredictable. Lead times are longer than they used to be. Prices move around. Energy costs are still volatile."
changing around us – and how those changes are infl uencing everyday decisions about rotating electrical equipment. If you are responsible for motors, generators, or driven assets, much of this will already sound familiar. Supply chains remain unpredictable. Lead times are longer than they used to be. Prices move around. Energy costs are still volatile. At the same time, sustainability expectations continue to rise, often without much practical guidance on how to balance environmental responsibility with reliability and performance. What is striking is that many of these pressures are pushing in the same direction. The focus has shifted from optimisation to simply making sure existing assets keep running.
A
t the start of a new year, it’s tempting to focus on plans and priorities. But as we move through 2026, it feels more useful to pause and look at what is actually
Not long ago, repair was often seen mainly as a cost-saving
exercise. A sensible fallback when budgets were tight or replacement wasn’t readily available. That view is changing. Increasingly, repair and overhaul are becoming strategic decisions – tied to resilience, availability, and long-term risk, not just cost.
Geopolitics plays a part in this, even if it feels far removed
from the workshop fl oor. Trade tensions, regional instability and changing industrial policy all aff ect how quickly new equipment can be sourced, and at what price. Motors that once arrived in weeks can now take months. Specifi cations change. Supply routes shift. In that context, keeping existing assets in good condition is often the most reliable option available. Alongside this, the sustainability conversation is maturing. The emphasis is moving away from broad commitments
12 March 2026 •
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