sparks
ELECTRICAL NEWS
june 2014
contractors’ corner
3
Personality of the Month
Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference…
ANTHONY Hawley, has been the national sales
andmarketingmanager for lighting company,
SpectrumUtility Management (SUM) for just over
a year although he has been in the industry for
two decades.
He started in the lighting industry when no one
was too concerned about howmuch energy lumi-
naires used. Over the last two decades the global
movement towards energy efficient lighting has
come up with progressively efficient lighting
technologies and Anthony’s‘coming of age’in the
lighting industry is perfectly timed.
Sparks:
Wherewere you educated?
AH:
I attended at Hoërskool DieVaring in Bracken-
hurst Alberton, and obtained a NQF4 in business
management training from the Institute of Busi-
ness MarketingManagement.
Sparks:
How long have you been involved in the
electrical industry?
AH:
I’ve been involved in the electrical industry for
20 years.
Sparks:
When andwhere did you start your
career?
AH:
My career actually started at BEKAwhen I
joined the company as a sales engineer in 1997.
Even though I didn`t knowmuch about the light-
ing industry, I was very eager to learn. I really didn’t
knowSouth Africa or BEKA clients very well but
after my initial training, I prettymuch hit the road
and did a lot of driving.
During that first year at BEKA I travelled about
120 000kmfinding clients and building relation-
ships. I was with BEKA for nine years and then
joined Light-Be Lighting –which at the timewas a
small company – as sales director. I was with Light-
Be Lighting for seven years and in 2013 I joined
SUMas the national sales andmarketingmanager.
Sparks:
What are the greatest changes you have
seen over the years?
AH:
I have seenmajor changes in the lighting
industry especially over the past few years. I have
also found that many companies are selling
imported products rather than local products,
which I believe is due to the huge increase in the
number of importers of LED products and the
availability of cheap products from the East.
Also, the market for street lighting has become
muchmore competitive – and it seems that
some municipalities are going for lower priced
products rather than for quality.
Sparks:
What major projects have you worked on
and what is your greatest accomplishment?
AH:
I have been involved in some large projects,
one of which was for the Sanral on/offramp light-
ing in Gauteng.
Anthony Hawley.
Recently, I was in Nelson Mandela Bay work-
ing on theWalmer LED Floodlight Project – an
energy saving project inWalmer township.
This was the most rewarding project for me as it
received attention from the Minister of Energy,
Dikobe Ben Martins and President Jacob Zuma,
who attended the service delivery programme.
Currently, I ambusy with large projects for
energy efficient floodlighting in Nelspruit and
Potchefstroom.
Sparks:
Have you won any awards?
AH:
I haven’t won any awards personally but the
Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality received an in-
ternational award for its energy-efficient lighting
project and it was an honour for me to have been
involved in a project that received such acclaim.
Sparks:
Who has been your inspiration or have
you had a mentor who has influenced your
career?
AH
: My career was definitely inspired and sup-
ported by Gustav Kritzinger, who was a former
sales andmarketing director at BEKA and is still a
colleague at SUM.
Sparks:
What, to your mind, is one of the biggest
challenges facing the industry at this time?
AH:
I am concerned that toomany cheap, poor
quality products are being imported into South
Africa. These products are influencing the
lighting‘price war’and it concerns me that many
of these products are being sold for the wrong
applications.
Another big issue is that local governments
are slow to pay and even though work has been
completed, it can be months before payment is
eventually received.
Sparks:
What do you enjoy most about your job?
AH:
I enjoy the new technology relating to
energy efficiency that is available today – it is a
very exciting aspect of my job. Our clients share
our enthusiasmwhen they can see the direct
benefits of changing to energy efficient lighting.
Sparks:
How do youmotivate your staff?
AH:
My colleagues are all enthusiastic about
energy efficient lighting and this is a direct
motivation to achieve their personal goals.
We work together as a team and we share the
same attitude towards achieving change in the
market and the economy.
Sparks:
If you could‘do it all again’, would you
change anything? If so, what would that be?
AH:
I am content with where I amnow. Without
the previous challenges and
hurdles I have faced, I would not
have been able to learn and grow
to where I amnow inmy career. I
believe that everything happens
for a reason and when one door
closes, another opens with even
more opportunity.
Sparks:
Would you advise a
person leaving school to enter the
electrical industry? And why?
AH:
Yes, I would. This industry
needs young, motivated people.
The future of our industry is defi-
nitely focused on energy efficiency
and there are many opportunities
for young people who are able to
bring new and fresh ideas to the
market.
Sparks:
What is your advice to
electrical contractors and/or elec-
trical engineers?
AH:
Electrical contractors and
engineers should keep up with
technology concerning energy
efficient lighting.
Sparks:
What is your favourite
quote?
AH:
My favourite quote is,
“Attitude is a little thing that makes
a big difference”(SirWinston
Churchill).
I also live by Margaret Mead’s
quote:“Never doubt that a small
group of thoughtful,
committed people can change the
world. Indeed, it is the only thing
that ever has.”
Sparks:
Name three things on
your‘bucket list’(things you want to do before
you‘kick the bucket’).
AH:
The things on my bucket list will have to
wait for a while… Right now, I have too many
things yet to achieve in my career and still have
the time to enjoy my family.
POWER Technologies (Powertech), a
wholly owned subsidiary of the
JSE-listed Allied Electronics Corporation
(Altron), has announced the appoint-
ment of James Calmeyer as CEO for its
operation Crabtree. The operation will
once again function as an autonomous,
stand-alone company and will con-
duct its business from the combined
James Calmeyer.
Crabtree under new leadership
manufacturing, sales and distribution
premises inWadeville.
Calmeyer joined the Powertech group
in 2007, when Powertech acquired IST.
He subsequently took over the manag-
ing director position at Strike Technolo-
gies in 2010. With the amalgamation of
Strike Technologies, TIS and Powertech
IST to form Powertech System Integra-
tors, Calmeyer was promoted to busi-
ness development executive for utilities.
Powertech Group CEO, Neil Kayton
says:“By consolidating the manufactur-
ing, sales and distribution functions of
Crabtree, we will be allowing the low
voltage electrical accessories business
to focus on the core competencies of
the Crabtree name, being quality and
innovation within the South African
market. There are definitive and tangible
opportunities for the electrical acces-
sories business and we are positioning
Crabtree for future sustained profitable
growth.”
Enquiries: (011) 706-7184
