1199

BUSINESS NEWS EMERSON OPENS ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING CENTER IN SINGAPORE With the goal of spurring innovation to address customers’ engineering design challenges and accelerating speed to market for new, rigorously-tested products, Emerson opened an advanced additive manufacturing center at its Singapore campus. This is Emerson’s second location to have additive manufacturing capabilities. Additive manufacturing enables Emerson engineers to expand their thinking beyond the limits of standard manufacturing processes to develop cutting edge solutions to meet more demanding and stringent processes. Additive manufacturing also significantly accelerates the testing of multiple versions of a prototype product or part, and promises to greatly simplify the production supply chain. Through this center, Emerson

will be using additive manufacturing technologies to produce special customized and application-specific parts and products which are impossible with traditional technology. The Singapore center serves to strengthen Emerson’s additive manufacturing program, which was launched three years ago with the opening of its first additive manufacturing technology center in Marshalltown, Iowa, the global headquarters for its Fisher products. Together, the Marshalltown and Singapore centers are actively working on research and development and pilot production services for all Emerson businesses around the world. Singapore was selected for this additive manufacturing center because of its strong manufacturing ecosystem, favorable business

climate, excellent transportation linkages, an educated workforce and good universities, and robust intellectual property protections. Singapore has been the Asia-Pacific headquarters and a high-value manufacturing and technology hub for Emerson Automation Solutions since 1965. “This Singapore center, along with our Marshalltown center, will play a key role in helping Emerson move quickly to leverage the benefits of additive manufacturing to meet our customers’ needs in Asia Pacific and around the world,” said David Farr, chairman and CEO of Emerson. “We greatly appreciate the support of the Singapore Economic Development Board, which has been a great partner and gave us the confidence to make the investment here.”

The transition team will need to come up with a plan that can be effectively implemented. This process will be closely monitored by leadership and increases the opportunity for second-tier personnel to heighten their visibility. During a period of M&A, innovation and new types of thinking will be at the forefront of everyone’s mind. If you have new ideas, leadership of this new combined entity may be much more available and receptive to the solutions you propose. Finally, getting involved with the transition will require you to collaborate with both the buying and selling firm. It will help you build your skills communicating and working with people who have different perspectives, cultures, processes, and policies. Collaborative skills are as vital for a principal as they are for an associate. Many people have only worked with one firm their entire career. M&A gives you the opportunity to see what others are doing, implement the good things, and root out the problems. You need to plan for growth and go after your vision with dogged determination. Strategic planning is vital to every organization. It is disappointing how many firms do not do this. If M&A is a part of your firm’s strategy or is the strategy of a firm that merges with yours, understand that you can set your own trajectory. How you react to change is one of the most important factors in determining your success. If you would like to learn more or have any stories of your own, please let us know. PHIL KEIL is a consultant with Zweig Group’s M&A services. Contact him at pkeil@zweiggroup.com. “If M&A is a part of your firm’s strategy or is the strategy of a firm that merges with yours, understand that you can set your own trajectory. How you react to change is one of the most important factors in determining your success.”

PHIL KEIL, from page 11

Below you can find the results from our recent M&A survey on why sellers are considering buying or selling. As you can see, the number one reason is to increase opportunities for staff. It is up to you to figure out how to make this happen. With very few exceptions, change is inevitable. The first step is assessing yourself. Where do you fit in with the new combined organization? Determine what your strengths are, where your weaknesses lie, the opportunities within the firm and for the firm, and finally what types of threats you may face. Often, if there are efficiencies to be gained, the first place to look is in fields such as accounting, legal, and HR. If you serve one of these functions, the important thing is to showcase your skills outside of these areas. You may be one of the most critical people to the firm’s success and culture. Figuring out how to communicate that to new leadership will be vital. After taking a moment for some personal introspection, the next step is to seize the growth opportunities that are presented. There are various ways that firms attempt to integrate, but most will have a transition team that is responsible for a successful integration and realizing “synergies.” If you can get involved with this team, you will have the opportunity to showcase and build your execution, innovation, and collaboration skillset. integration and realizing ‘synergies.’ If you can get involved with this team, you will have the opportunity to showcase and build your execution, innovation, and collaboration skillset.” “There are various ways that firms attempt to integrate, but most will have a transition team that is responsible for a successful

THE ZWEIG LETTER May 8, 2017, ISSUE 1199

Made with FlippingBook Annual report