charles (ronnie) laing career slide show general

Charles (Ronnie) Laing

Career History Engineering Disciplines, Fluid /Materials Handling

Process Service Management & Control International Project & Sales Leadership

Customer Services & Quality Compliance Management

Education & Apprenticeship

• On leaving school, I joined International Harvesters leading Scottish dealership (A & J Bowen) on a five year apprenticeship/block release scholarship to Elmwood College Cupar Fife the associated technical division of St Andrews University

• Qualifying as an Agricultural Engineer with Distinction grades in a diverse portfolio of engineering disciplines including Fluid Transmission Elements, Pumping and Slurry Handling systems backed with a successful practical service and installation experience base with the above multi agency dealership.

• Further to the above I also at later stages of my career I have taken part in or attended many other education and training events, not least including the holding of 2/3rds of the required study credits from Napier University Edinburgh towards a Masters in Business Administration, only not concluded due to employer pressures s to be elsewhere overseas at the time,.

• I have also been honoured to be invited to present academic lectures to students of sterile services management procedures and ultrasonic wet process equipment design on several occasions at the word famous St James’s University Hospital Leeds and other academic centres

Early Practical Experience

• Being brought up on a riverside farm lead to hands on exposure to all aspects of wet process equipment materials handling from an early age

• During my apprenticeship and service as an agricultural engineer I participated in many installations and repair activities involving a wide range of slurry and water handling equipment ,bulk milk and chemical distribution systems of varying complexity and uses

• This included pneumatic and pumping distribution systems, automated screening, grading and bulk sorting processes, distillery and brewing distribution lines and many other wet side engineering applications

Early Sales & Managment Training

• Joined Kongskilde UK in the position of Sales Service Engineer, effectively a further two year apprenticeship in front end technical sales & customer support disciplines and area management skills, selling a diverse range of Agricultural & Industrial food & beverage bulk handling equipment both in direct sales and through a European dealer network

• This was followed by a further two year period with Safety Kleen Corp in a conscience decision to broaden my Industry exposure and cold/ territory sales experience in environmental protection products and petrochemical distribution systems

Learning Sales & Support

Outstanding Sales & Service in SE London Territory

• Extensive cold calling and relationship sales

• Environmental Protection & Safety Products

• Chemical & Petrochemical handling systems

Moving up the ladder

• Taking my career to the next level and in a diverse sector change I was selected by Lucas Dawe Ultrasonic’s as Technical Sales Engineer for SE England, this London based subsidiary of Lucas Industries designed, manufactured and supplied custom ultrasonic cleaning and plastics assembly equipment with associated clean & waste water effluent treatment process line solutions to many diverse industry sectors including utilities, automotive, electronics, medical, aerospace and general manufacturing and many other specialist outlets

• Due to my wide based technical background and diverse sales experience I progressed rapidly (based on results and natural ability to build both internal and external relationships) within the organisation to the position’s of Product Manager and National Sales Manager within an eighteen month period, ultimately heading a team specialising in the supply and regulatory compliance of explosion proof systems to the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

• Project managed the introduction of several leading edge water cleaning technology’s and waste treatment processes to accelerate sludge flocculation & settlement in Waste Water Treatment Works in conjunction with associate organisations including Cross flow Technology, National Physical Laboratory, Southern Water, Anglian Water , Elga Clean Water Systems , Purac and many others.

Acquisition leads to structure change

• After five successful years as a senior manager with the Lucas Subsidiary the Lucas Industries Corporate body made the decision to consolidate their holdings and concentrate on their primary business of automotive component manufacturing. Leading to the sale of many of their holdings in non core technologies

• This lead to the sale of Lucas Dawe to Branson Corp of Danbury CT (Emerson Industries Group company) with one of the conditions of the deal being a UK manufacturing licence agreement between Lucas owned specialist component handling company Leslie Hartraige Ltd and Branson

Integration leads to Promotion

• As Branson/ Emerson already had European representation in Germany and France a review of the sales and support organisation lead to my appointment as European Sales Manager for Ultrasonic Cleaning Technology Products & Wet Process Systems thus interacting with Lucas Hartraige extensively

• Other merger integration activities delegated to me were leading the inter country task force on product quality improvements and achievement of group ISO accreditation

• Shortly after acquiring Lucas Dawe Emerson also purchased Ultrasons Anamasse I was residentially seconded to the team managing the product and personnel integration of Ultrasons into the Group

Sample Head Line sales successes with Lucas & Branson

• Exceeded LDU & Branson territorial sales targets time and again, introducing new applications and industry sectors to companies portfolio

• Concept designed and sold the companies first ever clean room/explosion proof, fully automated process line which was also at the time the organisations largest ever single order, and substantial follow on orders

• Lead highly successful marketing and sales campaign to exploit sales opportunities available to the company derived from the banning of CFC & HCFC solvents

• Many other similar successes can be referred to

Large contracts

European Responsibility

Head Hunted

• Whilst attending a trade show an approach was made by the then Export VP of Sales for Crest Corp NJ, the offer was made to provide me with the opportunity to establish a UK subsidiary and European representation of the US based Corporation, the long term plan being to establish Crest as the World number one

Crest Corp

Adapted products for UK & European Market

Custom Handling & Modular Wet Process systems & Fluid Handling

Orders include

Continued

Lots more

Crest achievement's & Highlights

• Established Crest in UK & Europe as Leader

• Over £1M in first years sales

• Escalated sales to £20M in the five year period

• Enabled parent company to ride out US downturn allowing them to go on worldwide acquisition trail

• Overcame and managed multiple intercontinental transitional problems whilst retaining customer satisfaction at a high level

Crest Corp expands by acquisition, customer concern as I move on

Invited to turn Rep

Robust handling & process Treatment Systems

Customers like it all round Europe

Continued

Keeps Going

Reputation Grows

Typical quarters custom activity

Preferred Supplier Status

Complex but reliable

More

Stoelting Inc hooks up with Lewis

Representation Scope Increases

Modular Design Advantages

Continued

Continued

Double Corporate Merger

• The very successful K & J Ultrasonic technologies is out muscled by the simultaneous merger of the companies represented and their global competitor’s

• Stoelting Inc buy Lewis Corp and merge them into their Wisconsin organisation

• CAE buy Ransinholf’s European Wing and UK based Tempest & Dibb to create a new European Identity

CAE starts to Aquire

Invited to join CAE Europe

• Initial talks determine that I could with my organisation join CAE along with my team on a contract & commission based retainer deal

• This did not come to fruit due to a copulation of reasons including personalities, legal issues, changes of perceived direction and personal decisions

• Therefore I wound up K & J Ultrasonic's to return to Scotland

Next Chapter • I returned back to my native land and undertook a term contract with a

local process control & measurement company and as Engineering Director Designate

• This company was amid a troubled MBO, during the eighteen month period of the contract I turned around a couple of major pre arrival projects that had gone very wrong and secured several key agency rep deals for them

• Secured Scottish Water Frameworks for flow meters and swipe card sludge monitoring systems for their tanker infrastructure

• Project Managed and initiated significant (27 Site, 24 week) flow and load survey and analysis for Scottish Water contractor Gleeson

• Project managed the equipment procurement and installation of a number of major works upgrades including CSO screening outflows & pumping stations to meet AMP and European Directive program lead requirements

Intirm Post

Formed Enviroscreen Ltd • Due to several approaches from companies that I had been working with I decided

to form consultancy/supply company to address short term niche opportunities

• This has been successful in many directions for over eight years working in partnership with utilities contractors and suppliers on many projects

• Such as the design and supply of over 60 CSO screening site upgrades and new builds, flow and load surveys, clean & primary waste treatment plant upgrades and new technology experiments and on site trials including self cleaning screens , ultrasonic flocculation process enhancement and microwave treatment neutralisation of waste animal blood products

• Consultancy and documentation activities between governing bodies (SEPA , EPA DEFRA) and industrial clients on Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) and Waste Management licences , method statement provision and HSE guidance and consultation, examples being major abattoir ‘s, WWTP sites and Land fill operators such as SITA

• Overseas advisory consultations and procurement services to African government agencies and departmental ministers in conjunction with a number of global companies such as Unitrac Caterpillar on dam and distribution projects

• Such activities being recently curtailed by local framework restrictions regional political changes and the untimely death of key international contacts

CONTRACTS AND WORKING ASSOCIATIONS SECURED WITH LEADING ORGANISATIONS Scottish Water, Northumbrian Water, Severn Trent, Thames Water, Screen Systems,

Danfoss, Splits Microwave Technology, M G Gleeson Construction, Byzac, Forkers,, IEA, SEPA, DEFRA, EPA, EEA, KANKO State EPPA, Unitrac Plant Africa, Jankel, Ogilvie Ross

Custom Designs

Wedge Wire dewatering conveyors

I have the experience, energy and enthusiasm to utilise the above to

your organisations benefit