Plant Services - February 2008 - (Page 9)

BACKTALK Army Corps is bureaucratic nightmare I was right with you on your comments until you made the suggestion of the Army Corps of Engineers taking a lead in anything (“Orange alert,” Dec. 2007, p. 7, www.plantservices. com/articles/2007/238.html). at organization takes years to make even simple decisions. We do not hold bureaucracy accountable for their inaction or their mistakes. Ladd Stephenson, operations manager Vacaville, Calif. We need engineers – male and female At the risk of sounding like a chauvinist, I want to take issue with the report regarding the Engineers’ Week focus on introducing girls/daughters/women to engineering (Jan. 2008 Plant Services e-newsletter, www.plantservices .com/industrynews/2008/003.html). Yes, it is very important to reach that half of the population and get them interested in an engineering career. But step back and look at the bigger picture. We need engineers, period. Male and female. We don’t have enough engineers to replace the ones who will be retiring, and many industries are feeling the loss al- Brian Varley, plant engineer Chicago ready. A recent Business Week article about the shortage of petroleum engineers is typical of many industries. In maintenance alone, you regularly run articles from Joel Leonard regarding the “Maintenance Crisis” that focuses on the ground ﬂoor. As a plant engineer approaching 50 years old, I can tell you there are few plant engineers younger than me in the pipeline, and the older ones are leaving the profession at an alarming rate. What happens when that experience disappears and there is no one to ﬁ ll the void? Women now earn more degrees than men in the nation’s colleges. Obviously, women need to be made aware of the opportunities in engineering. At the same time, companies need to provide opportunities for engineers, ﬂexibility for female engineers to start families, and the same ﬂexibility for male engineers who want to advance, but not necessarily in a management track. Engineering is no longer about manufacturing. It’s about ideas and solutions to problems, in manufacturing, government, agriculture and more. We need to do something before we lose another generation to Starbucks. One Name. A World of Solutions. Whether you are looking for a precision cleaner, degreaser, lubricant, or sealant product, CRC will always provide solutions that work. CRC has been the brand of choice in the Industrial market for the last 50 years! Call 1-800-272-4620 or go online to www.crcindustries.com/ei to see our entire product offering of MRO maintenance chemicals. Use our online product selector guide to easily find the perfect solution for your individual application needs. Precision Cleaners Degreasers Lubricants and Penetrants Sealants, Adhesives and Threadlockers CRC Industries, Inc. • (800) 272-4620 • www.crcindustries.com/ei F .PLANTSERVICES. 9 http://www.plantservices.com/articles/2007/238.html http://www.plantservices.com/articles/2007/238.html http://www.plantservices.com/industrynews/2008/003.html http://www.plantservices.com/industrynews/2008/003.html http://www.crcindustries.com/ei http://www.crcindustries.com/ei http://www.crcindustries.com/ei 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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