Advanced Manufacturing Success Stories with Scott George
We recently sat down with Scott George, Managing Director - North America, to gain insights on the unique offerings of advanced manufacturing and why the group is critical to the Hunting 2030 Strategy.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your role at Hunting?
I started in the Electronic Oil and Gas manufacturing industry in 1997 with same company until Hunting acquisition in 2010. Promoted to corporate role starting in 2012 overseeing all group P&Ls within North America which now includes Canada.
Tell us about the Advanced Manufacturing Group?
Dearborn is a leading provider of Oil and Gas (O&G), Aviation, Power Generation, Commercial Space, Medical, Defense and Nuclear products with our precision machining of exotic alloys that are complex and been in business since the 1960s. Hunting Electronics is a high pressure/high temperature electronic manufacturer for the O&G market. We manufacture thousands of assemblies for O&G clients, and now have further diversified into Medical and Defense markets to provide the same robust quality and workmanship since the 1980s.
What makes what we offer within the Advanced Manufacturing Group unique?
What makes us most unique at both locations is that we have a limited competitive landscape. Both companies were built with the knowledge of producing products that were state of the art and best in class. We did not want to settle into a commodity-based business, rather we built our product lines to premium standards. We partner with our clients to design and develop best in class products.
Why does the Advanced Manufacturing Group play a critical role in the Hunting 2030 strategy?
What sets us apart from the rest of our businesses within Hunting is our diversification efforts. We have focused on keeping our Oil and Gas clients intact while growing the business in other areas. These areas include Aviation, Power Generation, Defense, Commercial Space, Medical and Nuclear.
What are the biggest challenges facing the Group today?
Supply chain shortages of electronic components globally has remained a challenge for our Electronics business in the past several years. The COVID-19 pandemic, increased demand for electronics, and supply chain disruptions have all contributed to the shortages. Additionally, there are now fewer component manufacturers due to either consolidation with others or closures without warning. This has resulted in raw material component shortages that often delay production. We also have challenges with our outside services, and we have taken that challenge head on to perform many of these services in our own shops where applicable.
With the technical skills required in advanced manufacturing, how does Hunting attract, develop, and retain talent within the Group?
One of the best things about our Group is our people. Our precision engineers and machinists are the best in the industry. We have low turnover rates as many of our employees have ten plus years or more of tenure. It takes us about 9-12 months for us to fully train our employees and we understand that is a priority for our success. Our best-in-class benefits are also an attractive tool for us to retain our talented work group.
What are the strategic plans for 2024?
Simple. Continue to diversify and provide our existing clients with top quality products and customer service. We have a strong initiative to continue to add to the global group bottom line through organic growth and acquisitions that make good business sense.