International Cooling Tower (ICT) continues to grow its operations across the U.S. and has recently expanded its aftermarket footprint with the addition of Geoff Eddy. Eddy will lead ICT's sales team in the West, East, Southeast, Great Lakes and Midwest regions, serving as director of aftermarket sales. BIC Magazine recently sat down with Eddy to discuss the cooling tower industry, its future and ICT's people.
BIC: What makes ICT special in the cooling tower industry?
EDDY: First, the great people who work for this company. There is a tremendous amount of experience and energy here, which is a powerful combination. I have been fortunate to work with a lot of great people. I get to work with engineers, maintenance managers, superintendents, foremen, cooling tower technicians, procurement agents and, from time to time, executives. We have the same goals. ICT's people look at the same problems from different perspectives and find the best solutions for our customers.
Second, ICT's employees are truly passionate about what they do. By working together to do the right things, we definitely see the benefits of employee engagement and making a difference for our customers.
BIC: What's a critical aspect of ICT's business?
EDDY: Communication can be challenging, but communication internally and externally is critical to our business. At ICT, we operate as a decentralized organization with customers scattered across the world. Our engineering department is split between Florida and Edmonton, Alberta; our project management teams are in Houston and Edmonton; our sales engineers are dispersed across the continent; and our site execution teams are scattered throughout the globe. In order to be successful, our engineers/designers, project managers, superintendents and sales engineers all have to communicate very effectively with each other. Most importantly, they have to communicate with our customers in order to have successful relationships.
BIC: What do you see as the future of the cooling tower industry?
EDDY: The large field-erected cooling tower market will see more consolidation, with fewer players taking more market share. Owners are taking a more active role on specifying the right heat rejection technologies. Efficiency will become more of a focus as power and process owner/operators look for better heat rates and less environmental impact.
BIC: Is there a motto or mantra you live by?
EDDY: In every facet of our lives, whether our businesses or families, we need to focus on doing the right things. It's simple, but sometimes very difficult to follow, because in the world we live in we tend to become focused on short-term results. When we make a mistake, part of doing the right thing is to own up to it, take corrective measures and move on. It is the same foundation I am trying to instill in my two sons.
For more information, visit www.Ictower.com or call (281) 479-3255.