20 Minutes With Brian Carr
Michael D. Holloway | TLT 20 Minutes June 2015
Perfection Servo’s general manager discusses hydraulics and strategies recent graduates can use to enter the field.
BRIAN CARR - The Quick File
Brian Carr is the general manager of Perfection Servo, a division of SunSource, one of North America’s largest fluid power distributors. Perfection Servo is an industrial service organization that specializes in the repair of hydraulic and electronic components. It has been helping to keep manufacturers running since 1979 and is considered one of the best industrial repair organizations in the country. Perfection Servo, SunSource and the SunSource family of companies differentiate themselves by offering unparalleled service to manufacturers and OEMs throughout North America.
Brian joined Perfection Servo in 2001 upon completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Iowa. While working for Perfection Servo, he earned his MBA from Benedictine University. Brian resides in Lisle, Ill., with his wife, Kelly, and their three children, Jack, Sydney and Grant.
Brian Carr
TLT: Hydraulics, like other technologies, require training and expertise. What training did you undergo to run a company that focuses on hydraulic servo repair?
Carr: I’m not very technical. While I’ve grown up in this business, swept plenty of floors, cleaned many pumps and servo valves and even spent some time with a soldering iron, I’m far from a hydraulic or electronic technician. Our technicians are the real all-stars around here. I went to college and joined the business shortly after graduation. I started in our accounting department, moved into inside sales (customer service and quoting) and eventually moved into my current role. While working, I also went back to school to grab an MBA. I love my job, my colleagues and Perfection Servo and the role we serve in the marketplace. Every day brings great challenges and successes.
TLT: What does Perfection Servo do?
Carr: Perfection Servo specializes in hydraulic and electronic component repair. When these components fail, our customers send them into Perfection, and we refurbish them back to OEM specifications. Essentially, our job is to help keep manufacturing humming along. Both Perfection and our repair offering has grown tremendously since our founding, and we see a very bright future ahead.
TLT: Hydraulics looks like it is used in dozens of industries. Is the use of hydraulics growing? If so, what industries do you see growing?
Carr: There are certainly some companies moving away from hydraulics and into electronic solutions. With the maintenance involved in operating a hydraulic system, and the attrition of talented hydraulic maintenance personnel, many plants have moved away from hydraulics. However, there will always be a place for hydraulics in all industries. There is not another medium that can generate the same type of force that hydraulic systems generate. At Perfection Servo, we have grown our hydraulic repair business every year since 1979. Today, the industries we see the most growth in are steel, forging and foundries and paper.
TLT: What sort of entry level jobs could a recent college or high school graduate expect to find in the industry?
Carr: Finding great people to work in this industry is a challenge. The first hurdle we have to overcome is letting young people know that we’re out here. The next hurdle is shedding the image that fluid power and manufacturing in general is filthy, mundane and unsophisticated. Once someone is introduced to the dynamic and highly rewarding industry of fluid power, they typically do not leave.
There are so many opportunities within this industry for a new graduate. There are entry level jobs in everything from becoming a technician, to sales, engineering and operations. A college graduate with an engineering degree will have the most opportunities within the fluid power industry. Those individuals who graduate with a two-year technical degree are also highly coveted by firms in our industry. And for recent high school graduates who are smart, interested in working hard and have a genuine curiosity of how things work, they too can find rewarding opportunities within the fluid power industry. Some of the best technicians and leaders that I have met in this industry started right out of high school and worked their way up to become indispensable assets of premier organizations.
Generally speaking, those with a higher level of education begin in roles that have more responsibilities and better salaries than those with limited education. However, all individuals, regardless of education, should expect a fulfilling career with plenty of opportunities for edification and advancement.
TLT: In order to give a recent graduate a leg up, what sort of training would be favorable to have either prior to applying for a job or once hired to advance their position?
Carr: Any situation that an individual can go through where he or she can articulate their successes, struggles and what they learned from the experience is great. Ideally we’d like to see that experience come from a similar industry or business, but we know those opportunities can be tough to come by.
If you are interested in becoming a salesperson, we’d like to see that you spent your summer selling knives rather than lifeguarding. If you are interested in becoming a technician, we’d like to see that one of your hobbies is rebuilding car engines or computers. We like to see that someone has put some effort into becoming successful in their future profession.
One of the ways that Perfection Servo has helped provide individuals this valuable learning experience is by offering internships. For the past three summers, we have offered high school and college students the opportunity to apply for a 10-week internship with us. Over four days per week, the intern helps us in the shop with production, and one day per week he/she shadows an experienced hydraulic technician. The intern is rewarded with a living wage and an experience that will help gain employment with Perfection Servo or within the industry.
TLT: Have you seen the industry change over the years? If so, in what ways?
Carr: Absolutely. As a hydraulic component repair organization, the change we have experienced most is from a component perspective. The first biggest change we have seen is the increased integration of electronic controls. The industry has gained efficiencies by integrating electronic controls, but the controls are less tolerant to heat and contamination and are prone to premature failure. The other most noticeable change has been in the quality of some of the internal components of the pumps, motors and valves we see in for repair. There are some parts within these hydraulic components that have been designed with planned obsolescence in mind. Instead of being able to refurbish those internal components like in years past, new components must be purchased in order to bring the unit back to OEM specifications.
TLT: What do you see as the direction hydraulics will take in the next decade or so?
Carr: Hydraulics will continue to have significant applications in many industries. One of the industries where the use of hydraulics is growing tremendously is oil and gas. Hydraulics are used in the fracking process in many different applications. We also expect to see further integration of electronics into all aspects of the hydraulic industry. Electrohydraulics are more efficient and provide companies with the monitoring, feedback and safety that they have demanded.
TLT: What are the biggest challenges ahead?
Carr: We believe the hydraulic industry’s biggest challenge lies in human resources. I’d venture to guess that there aren’t too many elementary school students out there who are dreaming about a career in fluid power. We have an education problem, a perception problem and an attrition problem.
Fortunately, for all of us in the fluid power industry, these problems present fantastic opportunities. We have the opportunity to introduce individuals to our wonderful world of hydraulics and escort them into an industry where their talents will always be in demand. We can infuse our industry with fresh ideas while imparting the knowledge we have gained through years of experience. This new talent will help all of our organizations grow and create an even stronger fluid power industry.
You can reach Brian Carr at bcarr@pshinc.com.
Michael Holloway is the national sales manager at ALS Tribology and also a TLT technical editor. You can reach him at michael.holloway@ALSGlobal.com.