Plant Services - February 2008 - (Page 21)

CRISIS CORNER Tune in SkillTV brings crusade against maintenance crisis to new level • Joyce Goia, president of the Herman Group, who examany of you know that we started a crusade against ines recruitment, retention, development efforts and other the maintenance crisis more than five years ago. challenges that businesses will face as Boomers retire. After banging our heads against their ignorance • Derrick Giles, president of Enpulse Energy, who deand apathy for many years, leaders of business and government scribes the emergence of the green-collar function and imsystems are finally catching on. We just hope that they’ll get portance of changing business culture to capture the full busy to avert more preventable disasters from occurring. profit potential by going green. I recently returned from keynoting the Canadian En• Yvonne Johnson, mayor of Greensboro, N.C., who disgineering Conference, a first for a Southerner. After they cusses the roles of businesses, schools and governments in got past my North Carolina accent, the audience became breaking down traditional stereotypes by dereally excited about joining the fight against veloping creative systems that impart more the maintenance crisis. I discovered that most valuable skills and secure more livable wages. electricians in Canada make about $50 an We are • Tom White, CEO of the Greater Durham, hour and, despite the high pay, they’re struglaunching an N.C., Chamber of Commerce, who talks about gling to find qualified talent as the bulk of Internet-based the state’s economic transition from losing more their workers retire and many others are being TV show. than 200,000 jobs in five years to becoming one lured by even higher pay to the oil sands of of the fastest-growing states in the nation. Alberta. Manufacturers have a challenge on • John Cawthron, CEO of TIMCO Aviatheir hands. tion, who explains the challenges of building a $300 million The start of a new year is the perfect time to take the company into a billion-dollar winner in the next five years. crusade against the maintenance crisis to a new and ex• Greg Stockton, president of Stockton Infrared Thermociting level. So I and Putman Media, Inc., publishers of graphic Services, who explains the power of infrared technoloPlant Services and eight other industrial publications, are gies and the applications available for industry to ensure prodlaunching a new, Internet-based TV show called SkillTV uct quality, reliability and improving sustainability. (www.SkillTV.net). • Russ Read, executive director of National Center for How can maintenance professionals be viewed as true Biotech Workforce, who emphasizes the critical role mainprofessionals? How can the world outside of industry learn tenance plays in the emerging biotech industry. about advances in maintenance? How can we get more sup• John Ratzenberger, host of the Travel Channel’s port? When will we no longer have to fight for the resources “Made in America,” who discusses his transition from we need? How can we fix maintenance? When will supportplaying Clifford Clavin of “Cheers” to becoming host of ing maintenance become common practice? the Travel Channel’s “Made in America” and leader of These are tough questions and not something that any one town hall sessions. person can address. However, if enough maintenance pro• Pete Little, president of MPACT Learning Center, who fessionals speak up for our profession and spread the news joins me in role-playing a newly appointed CEO and the that maintenance can be a profit contributor, we’ll make wise engineer who stands up to a short-sighted decision to progress in overcoming the enormous challenges that concut headcount. front our community. Your feedback about what you like or dislike, and your sugOn SkillTV, we interview industry experts and governgestions (or submissions) for SkillTV will be much appreciment officials to counterbalance the false, negative images ated. Please tune in and give it a try at www.SkillTV.net. of our function. We provide you with more tools to help you secure more support and resources to fully capture the maintenance profit potential available in your industry. E-mail Contributing Editor Joel Leonard at Interviews now at, or on their way, to SkillTV include: leonard.joel@mpactlearning.com. February 2008 www.PLANTSERVICES.com 21 M http://www.SkillTV.net http://www.SkillTV.net http://www.PLANTSERVICES.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Plant Services - February 2008

Plant Services - February 2008 Contents From the Editor Letters The PS Files Up and Running Crisis Corner What Works Asset Manager: Why Six Sigma? Technology Toolbox: Ensuring a Calm Response Cover Story: Best Practices Awards Lubricants: A Slick Success Story Motors: Reliable Torque Compressors: Before You Call for Help Web Hunter: Exploiting Intellectual Capital In the Trenches Product Picks Classifieds Fast Facts Energy Expert: Energy, Climate and Food

Plant Services - February 2008

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