Sparks Electrical News May 2018

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

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PERSONALITY OF THE MONTH – RAJA MOUDGIL

THE ELECTRICAL INDUSTRY: AN EXCITING PLACE TO BE

Sparks: What drew you to the electrical industry? RM: There were two reasons. Firstly, it touches everyone’s lives on a daily basis, and secondly, it is an industry where you see new innovations every couple of years. One thing that is constant in the electrical industry is change, and when there is change there is a lot of learning that has to take place, which keeps you fresh. It’s a very exciting place to be. Sparks: What are the greatest changes you have seen over the past two decades since you entered the industry? RM: Major changes have been from a commercial side where it has gone from commodity-selling to solution-selling. Our aim is to make the lives of every human being better. Lighting impacts your health, affects your moods and impacts your business. In a restaurant, for example, if they use good lighting, it can attract more customers to the restaurant and improve business. In your home, the type of lighting you use in the evenings is important as it can help you sleep better. Sparks: What major projects are you currently working on? RM: We are currently working on a number of LED street light products where we are trying to change street lights from conventional lamps to LEDs so that they give a better quality of light at night. The light pillars come with sensors so they only turn on when needed, and when there is no traffic, the lights dim by 30%. When a light goes off or needs some repair, it automatically notifies the hub that the light has gone off. We are now in a very interesting space where we are trying to provide these solutions to the government bodies who are the key decision makers. We are also working on a couple of projects using connected lighting in various buildings using smart lighting which works through IoT (Internet of Things), where through an app or controller you can control the lights for an entire building; you can change colours, you can change levels, switch on and switch off lights at the touch of a button. There are a few important buildings which we are currently working on. We’ve also launched a product called ActiveSite – this product is the first ever cloud-hosted connected lighting systemfor remotelymonitoring, managing, and maintaining architectural LED lighting installations. ActiveSite protects your brand and lighting system investments by ensuring optimal lighting system performance. Sparks: Who has been your inspiration over your career? RM: There have been various people for whom I have worked throughout the organisation, and with the help of them I have been able to develop myself to reach this level. I can’t name one person but there have been

a lot of people who have played a key role in my learnings. Philips is known to nurture a lot of talent and we have produced a number of people who have been key pillars in the lighting industry. Sparks: With your experience, do you now find yourself mentoring others in the company? RM: One of my key objectives is to groommy successor and also build a strong succession pipeline at all the levels. So that is part of my job; to create more leaders for Philips.

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Raja Moudgil, Philips Lighting

RAJA MOUDGIL, Philips Lighting Country Leader for Southern Af- rica and Ghana, joined the company just before the turn of the mil- lennium, and after almost two decades growing the company in his native India, he has now embarked on a new challenge in South Africa where he is aiming to ensure that LEDs become a standard across the region. Sparks: Where were you educated? RM: I grew up in India where I did my Bachelor of Commerce and then an MBA in Marketing and Finance. I joined Philips in December of 1999 and have carried out various roles in the company; in sales, marketing, product development and commercial leadership roles. I was heading up consumer sales in India before taking this role. Sparks: What has your impression been of South Africa so far? RM: It is an amazing country with a very rich culture and a lot of diversity. There has been a huge amount of learning, interacting with different types of customers from the different, diverse cultures. There are huge growth opportunities in the region.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ACQUISITION OF CRABTREE BY SIEMENS

time, when sentiment in Southern Africa is on the up there is a new optimism in the respective markets,” said Richardson. “The South African market is a mature and competitive market, but with Crabtree’s local expertise and Siemens’ support we anticipate growth. We look forward to the challenge ahead and to a new lease of life for Crabtree, and for a renewed vigour in the housing market.” Jim Currie notes that the company is committed to local manufacturing, an aspect which sets it apart frommany of its competitors. The pair emphasised that the overall aim is to bolster Crabtree’s offering for its three core customers: “The wholesalers are going to see more products and inventory to support their businesses; the specifiers will have new products to meet the high specifications standards required; and for contractors, we aim to continue to be their default brand for quality and reliability.” Launch event To celebrate the union and the launch of Crabtree South Africa, the company hosted an event on April 20 at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg. Currie and Richardson

will be investing in new equipment and inventory which we hope will lead to an increased level of stability in the market,” confirmed Richardson. “We want to support our current route to market and recognise that it is the lifeblood of the business. We are going to add to the critical mass of local manufacturing. With the reduced levels of past investment in the business, the product range has not been refreshed for some time, something Electrium is keen to address.” Crabtree serves a broad range of construction customers through an excellent established electrical distributor network. Together with market access to African markets the acquisition provides Siemens with significant manufacturing know-how, with facilities in Wadeville and Lesotho. “It is really important we maintain the manufacturing capability within South Africa, and achieve critical volumes to warrant having the equipment,machinery and test labs available locally. By bringing in export volumes and the extra demand via the linkup with Electrium, we are securing the future of SADC manufacturing for the Crabtree brand,” said Richardson. “The acquisition has come at an opportune

Jim Currie and Steve Richardson

addressed attendees, made up of Siemens and Crabtree staff, customers and the media, where the future plans for the business were outlined. Magician, Colin Underwood, acted as master of ceremonies for the event, while the Ubumbano Cultural Group, a non-profit organisation which focuses on developing talent and skill amongst the youth of Katthorus, added a South African flavour to the event with their vibrant and colourful traditional dancing.

Enquiries: www.crabtree.co.za

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

MAY 2018