View from the top: Engineering with purpose

A combination of customer confidence, quick response times and industry reputation has given Centa Transmissions its advantage in the mechanical transmissions market, according to managing director Bob Arnott. "That's the key to it," he says. "If people have got a problem, they feel they can come to us for a solution." The company provides a standard and bespoke service for its drive technology, offering couplings for industrial equipment, plant and marine vessels, as well as precision gears, gearboxes and electromagnetic clutches. It also has experience creating new solutions for problem drives, often in excavators and test benches. When designing prototype equipment for long running units, Arnott describes how the ability to respond swiftly to customers' requirements with both the initial design element and the subsequent manufacturing has put Centa ahead of its competition. "We do those quickly," he says, "so we're supporting the customers in a very quick and timely way which allows them to get their products into the market quicker." Involvement in bespoke engineering such as engine test benches has also proven successful, which Arnott attributes to the technical competence of the company's in house facility. Among the successes of the past year is involvement in a project with Caterpillar. "We were selected because we were the most responsive – within 10 days we delivered them a prototype," says Arnott. Otherwise, he notes that rather than focusing on one particular endeavour, the company tends to experience smaller success and then build on them over time. Much of Centa's business involves heavy construction equipment, as well as marine applications which each have very different requirements. "It's a broad base in terms of our customers," Arnott describes. "That fits us quite well." Notably because when one of the company's market areas is down, such as leisure marine, another such as workboats may be up to offer compensation and fuel the company's increasing turnover. "We've maintained quite a constant level of production," he says. Each of Centa's markets has its own requirements. For example the difference between a work and leisure boat in terms of power and run time. "There are various nuances you've got to allow for in the design of the drive and by knowing these requirements you can design correctly and provide a good reliable solution." A generator coupling would not fit a marine propulsion unit, so covering these different engine applications has given Centa a diverse and flexible portfolio. "It's having the products in your portfolio and obviously the expertise to apply them," summarises Arnott. "And that's where we excel." Access to the correct solution means the right coupling is provided for the right job. The state of the economy may have had an effect on other companies, but Arnott is content about Centa's growth. "Things are still moving quite comfortably for us," he adds. Indeed, he appears highly optimistic about the company's future because its reputation is built on competence. He says: "We're still confident about the future, but obviously you keep looking over your shoulder when you hear the news." Larger engineering companies which rely on government spending may be reportedly suffering, but Arnott believes most of the engineering activity is happening at the smaller companies. "If there was ever a way of separating out that, then the country might get a better appreciation of what's going on in industry," he adds. Perhaps one other reason Centa is successful is because it is an engineering company run by engineers. Arnott suggests that when it is possible, the company will always take the opportunity to buy into new projects that it finds interesting. "I think that's one of the key features – we have a purpose in life and that's engineering," he concludes. "If it's new, it's exciting."