Happy Together – Why Business Relationships Matter
Energy requirements can vary from country to country and from customer to customer. There is no single Energy solution, no “one-size-fits-all” panacea. However, given today’s economic and environmental constraints, there is a huge need to tackle our energy challenges head-on. At GE, we recognize that we cannot do it alone. Being in business for more than a century has taught us a lot, in particular the power of cooperation in helping solve business issues and also gaining and maintaining a competitive advantage.
Fostering and developing strong industry relationships boost innovation, greater productivity and growth. Around the world, we work with Engineering, Procurement and Construction companies (EPCs), combining our advanced technologies with their expertise and resources to deliver solutions fit for any geography, any customer or any environmental or economic requirements. Building long-term relationships with local companies is an absolute must for doing business ethically and efficiently in today’s world. It’s also a very practical requirement because, after all, it is the EPC companies that lead the construction of most new power plants built around the world each year.
Just last month, I traveled to Belgrade to meet with nearly 50 EPC representatives from Central Europe and the Balkans. We got together to share opinions, lessons learned and pitfalls experienced in the energy sector. Although electricity remains an engine for growth, we see radical and dynamic changes as the energy industry becomes increasingly diverse. The EU environmental policies and its roadmap to a secure energy future impact all of us, whether directly or indirectly. The need – and the desire – to adhere to the EU environmental and efficiency targets change how we work on projects, both at the specification stage and during the building and operation phases.
“All participants – be them state officers, clients, engineers or consultants – could learn the clear vision of GE Energy about the trends” – said Karoly Ecker, Managing Director of Tebodin Hungary Consultants and Engineers company. “By presenting individual products and complex solutions together with a strong background of research, consultancy and project development – even financing – the seminar offered a great chance to find the topics that can be further detailed and discussed. The event served as confirmation of the correctness of our understanding about the worldwide trends. Tebodin believes that the cooperation with GE Energy on the markets where our companies operate and/or expand might be fruitful for all parties.”
In Belgrade we also talked about the economic landscape in our region and how our customers’ needs are shifting across the power generation, oil and gas and transportation sectors.
We have the technology and expertise enabling us to come up with the right solutions for energy and infrastructure projects and the EPCs play a critical role in their development and ultimate success. But our EPC relationships go beyond the delivery of products, services and solutions. We work together from beginning to end – identifying, pursuing and servicing opportunities that drive energy sustainability and economic growth in our region.
