Vanguard Magazine

58 DECEMBER 2017/JANUARY 2018 www.vanguardcanada.com game ChanGer See the full interview online Q How did you start out in this industry, and how has it brought you to where you are today? I was recruited into the family business from Boston, where I had been work- ing. The person behind this move was my mother, who was the architect of the event. Since then I was able to blend my passion for music, airplanes, ships with shaft bearings and seals. Q What is your role in your company today? I'm in the role of innovator. In 2017 when I appointed my daughter Anna as Chair, my assistant suggested this new title. She said "It's what you do." I guess she is right. Q What was your worst moment? The most challenging moment for me was when I needed to put a second mortgage on my home in order to meet payroll. If you've been there, you'll un- derstand. Q What was your "aha" moment or epiphany that you think will resonate most with our reader? Tell us that story. There have been many. In our world of shaft bearings, mechanical seals, lubrica- tion support systems, rudder and deck machinery bearings, advanced aircraft parts, and hydro-turbines, there are al- ways opportunities to make things bet- ter. Sometimes it was my idea, and other times it was recognizing a good idea offered by an employee, customer, sup- plier or friend. The key is in recognizing a product idea that could, if developed, have real merit. Q What is the one thing that has you most fired up today? I want to design and manufacture small hydro-turbines. It's about renewable energy and the environment, and that theme pretty well runs through our entire business. We are now looking at buying a test site on a river in Poland. Q What is the best advice you received? When I was quite young, my uncle helped me develop the oxidation-re- duction equations that allowed me to craft what we called "backyard bombs." "Billy" worked on the atomic bomb de- velopment. Very secret at the time of course. His advice: "Make sure the fuse is long enough." Q What people or organizations do you believe best embody the Innova- tion mindset? Innovation is a very catchy phrase. These days, it seems everybody is into innova- tion. I don't think it's easy, and I don't think many can do it well. I look for companies that don't wear it as a badge of honour. They just might be the best ones at it. Q What are some of the biggest impediments to innovation in your organization or industry sector? When we deal with government procure- ment, we unfortunately encounter a sea of molasses that slows down most and kills others. It's probably inevitable, but still very, very frustrating. When we come upon an enlightened government program like BCIP, it's like a breath of fresh air. Q What are the biggest impediments to innovation in today's enterprise? Innovation is not a part of most people's DNA. It's alive and flourishing in artists, musicians and other creative people, but they are often lacking in manufacturing businesses. We have our own art depart- ment that includes a film production busi- ness, and we produce our own graphic art for marketing. All our marketing is inter- nal, and I believe that is very important. We've formed a kind of "skunkworks" of designers and engineers to develop new product ideas. Q What technologies, business models, and trends will drive the biggest changes in your industry over the next two years? Two years is a short time frame. I see the biggest short-term trend being the in- creasing adoption of water-lubricated pro- peller shaft bearing systems on new-build ships to eliminate the egregious pollution of the seas by oil leaks from ships. For- tunately, our biggest competitor, who is 125 times our size, has exactly the same opinion. What is your parting piece of advice? To those who think that making money is what it's all about, I say this. In our companies, we are not in business to make money for the owners. We are in business to make this a better world to live in. Of course, we have to make a profit to grow and survive, but success is much more than making money. Make products that truly save your customer money. Make them to last as long as possible and re- quire the least investment in spare parts. GeorGe a. (Sandy) ThomSon InnOvatOr thomson-Gordon GroUp Inc.

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