Managing Automation - February 2008 - (Page 10) FREE Online Membership managingautomation.com news managingautomation.com maonline Go online for daily news updates in perspective neering services firm that designs custom process automation systems. TAG, which builds automation systems for the refining, petrochemical, and oil and gas industries, is vendor-agnostic when it comes to control platforms. And the company will remain true to its multi-vendor roots even after it is under the Emerson umbrella, Emerson officials maintain. “It’s a matter of meeting customer needs,” said David Imming, Emerson Process Management’s vice president of solutions marketing, in an interview with Managing Automation. The David Imming TAG acquisition — the terms of which were not disclosed — is a “solutions play, not a product play,” he said, explaining the company’s commitment to build out its service arm. According to ARC Advisory Group, services are the fastest growing segment for automation vendors, ranging from front-end engineering and design to outsourced maintenance and performance improvement. In 2006, the total services market served by automation suppliers approached $14 billion, and it will continue to grow at an average annual rate of 12% through 2011, according to ARC. “The services market is the biggest growth opportunity for suppliers today, and it makes Alliances, Executive Appointments, Mergers & Acquisitions, Products Transform your business through technology Electrical Manufacturers Association to create more awareness of the problem in the industry, and with Chinese officials to conduct more raids of rogue manufacturing operations. The multi-tiered effort has cost the company millions of dollars, but Litchfield says the greater concern is safety. A knockoff circuit breaker may look convincing on the outside, but when it encounters an overload or a short circuit, it often fails to defuse the threat. “Then you have a dangerous condition existing somewhere else in your electrical lines,” he notes. For end users, Litchfield says, the remedy is simple: “If you are going to buy electrical products, especially circuit breakers, you should buy them through an authorized distributor or direct from the manufacturer.” — Chris Chiappinelli FREE Membership includes: • Award Winning Editorial • Web Exclusive Articles • Whitepapers & Webcasts • Improved Online Tools and Expert Forums • Product Comparison Engine • Targeted Newsletters • Special discounts for Executive Conferences • My “MA” which allows you to save products, comparisons and more Sign Up Today at: MANAGINGAUTOMATION.COM TAG ACQUISITION EXPANDS EMERSON’S SERVICE ARM W ith the cost of oil hovering at $100 per barrel, it’s no wonder oil and gas companies are clamoring for ways to expand capacity, reduce cost, and eliminate waste. Finding the time to do that, however, is difficult when there’s a business to run. Hearing its customers’ cries, Emerson Process Management acquired The Automation Group (TAG), a Houston-based engi- UPCOMING IDS Scheer’s ARIS ProcessWorld 2008 Americas Feb. 13-15, 2008 Orlando World Center Marriot Resort & Convention Center, Orlando, FL www.processworld.com 2008 International Lean and Six Sigma Conference March 5-6, 2008 Rosen Plaza Hotel, Orland, FL www.iso9000conference.com SAS Global Forum 2008 March 16-19, 2008 Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center San Antonio, TX http://support.sas.com/events/sasglobal forum/2008/index.html EVENTS Supply-Chain World North America 2008 March 17-19, 2008 Hilton Minneapolis Minneapolis www.supply-chain.org The Lawson Conference and User Exchange (CUE) March 17-20, 2008 Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas www.cueinfor.com The Logistics & Supply Chain Forum April 15-18, 2008 The Norwegian Dawn New York City www.logisticsforum.com Request Information Directly from Vendors you choose http://managingautomation.com http://managingautomation.com http://www.processworld.com http://www.supply-chain.org http://managingautomation.com http://www.iso9000conference.com http://www.cueinfo.com/ http://support.sas.com/events/sasglobalforum/ http://www.logisticsforum.com http://support.sas.com/events/sasglobalforum/
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